diff --git a/src/tests/cli-status.test.ts b/src/tests/cli-status.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b51a8f12e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/cli-status.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, test } from "vitest";
+import { renderLiveStatus } from "../cli-status.ts";
+
+const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+
+function makeProject(): string {
+	const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "sf-cli-status-"));
+	tempDirs.push(dir);
+	return dir;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+	for (const dir of tempDirs) rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	tempDirs.length = 0;
+});
+
+function snapshot() {
+	return {
+		state: {
+			activeMilestone: { id: "M001", title: "Milestone" },
+			activeSlice: { id: "S01", title: "Slice" },
+			activeTask: { id: "T01", title: "Task" },
+			phase: "executing",
+			nextAction: "execute",
+		},
+		next: {
+			action: "dispatch",
+			unitType: "execute-task",
+			unitId: "M001/S01/T01",
+		},
+		cost: { total: 0, workers: [] },
+	};
+}
+
+test("renderLiveStatus_when_solver_state_exists_includes_solver_line", () => {
+	const project = makeProject();
+	const solverDir = join(project, ".sf/runtime/autonomous-solver");
+	mkdirSync(solverDir, { recursive: true });
+	writeFileSync(
+		join(solverDir, "active.json"),
+		`${JSON.stringify({
+			unitType: "execute-task",
+			unitId: "M001/S01/T01",
+			iteration: 3,
+			maxIterations: 12,
+			latestCheckpoint: {
+				outcome: "continue",
+				summary: "Implementation remains.",
+				remainingItems: ["Finish enforcement", "Run build"],
+			},
+		})}\n`,
+	);
+
+	const rendered = renderLiveStatus(snapshot() as any, {
+		basePath: project,
+		model: null,
+		recentEvents: [],
+	});
+
+	assert.match(rendered, /Solver:/);
+	assert.match(rendered, /execute-task M001\/S01\/T01/);
+	assert.match(rendered, /iter 3\/12/);
+	assert.match(rendered, /2 remaining/);
+});