diff --git a/docs/API.md b/docs/API.md
index 015c063..211f433 100644
--- a/docs/API.md
+++ b/docs/API.md
@@ -149,7 +149,12 @@ Returns API and feature discovery data for clients.
 
 Returns complete controller status.
 
-Top-level response:
+Example requests:
+
+    GET /api/v1/status
+    GET /api/v1/status?fields=battery,relays,temps
+
+Top-level full response:
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -166,6 +171,40 @@ Top-level response:
 }
 ```
 
+#### Optional `fields` query parameter
+
+`GET /api/v1/status` accepts an optional comma-separated `fields` query parameter.
+
+Valid fields:
+
+    battery, temps, relays, vehicle, network, alarms, system, config
+
+If `fields` is omitted, the endpoint returns the complete status payload.
+
+If an unknown field is requested, the Cargo ESP32 returns HTTP `400`:
+
+    {
+      "ok": false,
+      "error": "invalid_field",
+      "details": ["Unknown field 'xyz'"]
+    }
+
+#### HTTP caching
+
+`GET /api/v1/status` returns these cache validation headers:
+
+    ETag
+    Last-Modified
+    Cache-Control: no-cache
+
+Clients may revalidate with `If-None-Match` or `If-Modified-Since`.
+
+If the selected status payload has not changed, the Cargo ESP32 returns:
+
+    HTTP/1.1 304 Not Modified
+
+A `304` response has no JSON body.
+
 ### battery
 
 ```json
diff --git a/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino b/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino
index 111f39e..7b1fbc7 100644
--- a/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino
+++ b/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino
@@ -1103,6 +1103,45 @@ float calculateRuntimeHours() {
     return bmsData.remainingAh / dischargeAmps;
 }
 
+
+const int STATUS_FIELD_COUNT = 8;
+const char* STATUS_FIELDS[STATUS_FIELD_COUNT] = {
+    "battery", "temps", "relays", "vehicle",
+    "network", "alarms", "system", "config"
+};
+
+int findStatusFieldIndex(const String& field) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < STATUS_FIELD_COUNT; i++) {
+        if (field == STATUS_FIELDS[i]) return i;
+    }
+    return -1;
+}
+
+uint32_t fnv1a32(const String& value) {
+    uint32_t hash = 2166136261UL;
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < value.length(); i++) {
+        hash ^= static_cast<uint8_t>(value[i]);
+        hash *= 16777619UL;
+    }
+    return hash;
+}
+
+String statusEtagForPayload(const String& payload) {
+    return String("\"") + String(fnv1a32(payload), HEX) + "-" + String(payload.length(), HEX) + "\"";
+}
+
+String lastStatusValidatorEtag = "";
+String lastStatusModified = "Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";
+
+String formatHttpDateFromUptime(unsigned long seconds) {
+    char buffer[32];
+    snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "Thu, 01 Jan 1970 %02lu:%02lu:%02lu GMT",
+             (seconds / 3600UL) % 24UL,
+             (seconds / 60UL) % 60UL,
+             seconds % 60UL);
+    return String(buffer);
+}
+
 void buildStatusDocument(JsonDocument& doc) {
     doc["type"] = MSG_STATUS_RESPONSE;
     doc["timestamp"] = millis();
@@ -2640,9 +2679,75 @@ void handleStatus() {
     DynamicJsonDocument doc(4096);
     buildStatusDocument(doc);
 
+    if (server.hasArg("fields")) {
+        String fields = server.arg("fields");
+        DynamicJsonDocument filtered(4096);
+        filtered["type"] = doc["type"];
+        filtered["timestamp"] = doc["timestamp"];
+
+        int start = 0;
+        while (start <= fields.length()) {
+            int comma = fields.indexOf(',', start);
+            if (comma < 0) comma = fields.length();
+
+            String field = fields.substring(start, comma);
+            field.trim();
+
+            int fieldIndex = findStatusFieldIndex(field);
+            if (fieldIndex < 0) {
+                DynamicJsonDocument errorDoc(512);
+                errorDoc["ok"] = false;
+                errorDoc["error"] = "invalid_field";
+                JsonArray details = errorDoc.createNestedArray("details");
+                details.add(String("Unknown field '") + field + "'");
+
+                String errorOutput;
+                serializeJson(errorDoc, errorOutput);
+                server.send(400, "application/json", errorOutput);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            filtered[field] = doc[field];
+
+            start = comma + 1;
+            if (comma == fields.length()) break;
+        }
+
+        doc.clear();
+        doc.set(filtered);
+    }
+
     String output;
     serializeJson(doc, output);
 
+    DynamicJsonDocument validatorDoc(4096);
+    deserializeJson(validatorDoc, output);
+    validatorDoc["timestamp"] = 0;
+    if (validatorDoc["system"].is<JsonObject>()) {
+        validatorDoc["system"]["uptime_seconds"] = 0;
+    }
+
+    String validatorPayload;
+    serializeJson(validatorDoc, validatorPayload);
+
+    String etag = statusEtagForPayload(validatorPayload);
+    if (etag != lastStatusValidatorEtag) {
+        lastStatusValidatorEtag = etag;
+        lastStatusModified = formatHttpDateFromUptime(millis() / 1000);
+    }
+
+    server.sendHeader("ETag", etag);
+    server.sendHeader("Last-Modified", lastStatusModified);
+    server.sendHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache");
+
+    String ifNoneMatch = server.header("If-None-Match");
+    String ifModifiedSince = server.header("If-Modified-Since");
+
+    if (ifNoneMatch == etag || ifModifiedSince == lastStatusModified) {
+        server.send(304);
+        return;
+    }
+
     server.send(200, "application/json", output);
 }
 
@@ -2747,6 +2852,9 @@ void setup() {
     server.on("/bms/select", HTTP_POST, handleSelectBms);
 
 
+    const char* statusCacheHeaders[] = {"If-None-Match", "If-Modified-Since"};
+    server.collectHeaders(statusCacheHeaders, 2);
+
     server.begin();
 
     Serial.println("Web Server Started");
diff --git a/tests/test_http_api_contract.py b/tests/test_http_api_contract.py
index 8ef2642..51eb9d9 100644
--- a/tests/test_http_api_contract.py
+++ b/tests/test_http_api_contract.py
@@ -282,3 +282,21 @@ def test_http_error_fixture_and_known_error_codes_are_stable():
         "invalid_relay_action",
     ]:
         assert error_code in source
+
+
+def test_status_endpoint_supports_field_selection_and_cache_headers():
+    source = firmware_source()
+
+    assert 'server.hasArg("fields")' in source
+    assert 'server.arg("fields")' in source
+    assert 'findStatusFieldIndex' in source
+    assert '"invalid_field"' in source
+    assert 'Unknown field' in source
+    assert 'server.send(400, "application/json", errorOutput)' in source
+    assert 'server.sendHeader("ETag", etag)' in source
+    assert 'server.sendHeader("Last-Modified", lastStatusModified)' in source
+    assert 'server.sendHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache")' in source
+    assert 'server.header("If-None-Match")' in source
+    assert 'server.header("If-Modified-Since")' in source
+    assert 'server.send(304)' in source
+    assert 'server.collectHeaders(statusCacheHeaders, 2)' in source