diff --git a/tests/test_live_gui_ai_loop_error_path.py b/tests/test_live_gui_ai_loop_error_path.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9afe70f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_live_gui_ai_loop_error_path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+"""
+Live GUI smoke tests for ai_loop_regressions_20260614.
+
+Track: ai_loop_regressions_20260614
+Spec: conductor/tracks/ai_loop_regressions_20260614/spec.md (Phase 2.2)
+
+The full end-to-end live_gui test for FR1 would require mock injection
+into the live_gui subprocess (the patches in this test process do NOT
+propagate to the subprocess). The mock-based FR1 regression coverage
+is at the controller level in test_live_gui_integration_v2.py::
+test_user_request_error_handling (mock_app fixture) and at the unit
+level in test_ai_loop_regressions_20260614.py::test_fr1_*.
+
+This file is a placeholder that verifies the live_gui's basic hook
+plumbing is intact, so we know the integration path exists when
+follow-up work adds subprocess mock injection.
+"""
+import time
+from src.api_hook_client import ApiHookClient
+
+
+def test_live_gui_hooks_respond_for_fr1_substrate(live_gui) -> None:
+ """
+ Smoke test: the live_gui's ai_status field is readable via the Hook
+ API. This is the substrate the FR1 fix writes to on error; verifying
+ it is reachable establishes the integration exists.
+ """
+ client = ApiHookClient()
+ deadline = time.time() + 10.0
+ status = ""
+ while time.time() < deadline:
+  status = client.get_value("ai_status") or ""
+  if status:
+   break
+  time.sleep(0.5)
+ assert status, f"ai_status was not readable via the Hook API. Last seen: {status!r}"