diff --git a/cli/src/__tests__/company-export-force.test.ts b/cli/src/__tests__/company-export-force.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..78ef22977e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/__tests__/company-export-force.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { mkdir, mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { confirmOverwriteExportDirectory } from "../commands/client/company.js";
+
+// These tests run under vitest, where stdin/stdout are not TTYs — i.e. exactly
+// the non-interactive/automated posture the nightly backup routine runs in.
+describe("confirmOverwriteExportDirectory (non-interactive)", () => {
+  let dir: string;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    dir = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), "pc-export-force-"));
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it("resolves when the output directory does not exist", async () => {
+    const missing = path.join(dir, "does-not-exist");
+    await expect(confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(missing)).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("resolves when the output directory is empty", async () => {
+    await expect(confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(dir)).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("throws non-interactively when the output directory is non-empty and --force is not set", async () => {
+    await writeFile(path.join(dir, "BACKUP-README.md"), "keep me");
+    await mkdir(path.join(dir, ".git"));
+    await expect(confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(dir)).rejects.toThrow(/already contains files/);
+  });
+
+  it("resolves on a non-empty output directory when --force is set", async () => {
+    await writeFile(path.join(dir, "BACKUP-README.md"), "keep me");
+    await mkdir(path.join(dir, ".git"));
+    await expect(
+      confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(dir, { force: true }),
+    ).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("throws when the output path exists but is a file", async () => {
+    const filePath = path.join(dir, "not-a-dir");
+    await writeFile(filePath, "x");
+    await expect(confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(filePath, { force: true })).rejects.toThrow(
+      /exists and is not a directory/,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/client/company.ts b/cli/src/commands/client/company.ts
index 00a14f1bc1..e8368ccf9d 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/client/company.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/client/company.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ interface CompanyExportOptions extends BaseClientOptions {
   issues?: string;
   projectIssues?: string;
   expandReferencedSkills?: boolean;
+  force?: boolean;
 }
 
 interface CompanyFeedbackOptions extends BaseClientOptions {
@@ -987,7 +988,10 @@ export function resolveExportOutputPath(root: string, relativePath: string): str
   return filePath;
 }
 
-async function confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(outDir: string): Promise<void> {
+export async function confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(
+  outDir: string,
+  opts: { force?: boolean } = {},
+): Promise<void> {
   const root = path.resolve(outDir);
   const stats = await stat(root).catch(() => null);
   if (!stats) return;
@@ -998,8 +1002,13 @@ async function confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(outDir: string): Promise<void> {
   const entries = await readdir(root);
   if (entries.length === 0) return;
 
+  // --force skips the guard for non-interactive/automated callers (e.g. the
+  // nightly backup routine, which exports into a git clone that legitimately
+  // still holds .git and BACKUP-README.md after cleaning tracked content).
+  if (opts.force) return;
+
   if (!process.stdin.isTTY || !process.stdout.isTTY) {
-    throw new Error(`Export output directory ${root} already contains files. Re-run interactively or choose an empty directory.`);
+    throw new Error(`Export output directory ${root} already contains files. Re-run interactively, pass --force, or choose an empty directory.`);
   }
 
   const confirmed = await p.confirm({
@@ -1338,6 +1347,11 @@ export function registerCompanyCommands(program: Command): void {
       .option("--issues <values>", "Comma-separated issue identifiers/ids to export")
       .option("--project-issues <values>", "Comma-separated project shortnames/ids whose issues should be exported")
       .option("--expand-referenced-skills", "Vendor skill contents instead of exporting upstream references", false)
+      .option(
+        "--force",
+        "Overwrite a non-empty output directory without the interactive confirmation (required for non-interactive/automated runs such as the nightly backup routine)",
+        false,
+      )
       .action(async (companyId: string, opts: CompanyExportOptions) => {
         try {
           const ctx = resolveCommandContext(opts);
@@ -1356,7 +1370,7 @@ export function registerCompanyCommands(program: Command): void {
           if (!exported) {
             throw new Error("Export request returned no data");
           }
-          await confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(opts.out!);
+          await confirmOverwriteExportDirectory(opts.out!, { force: Boolean(opts.force) });
           await writeExportToFolder(opts.out!, exported);
           printOutput(
             {