diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d05f3d7..ea15731 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     "make:dynamic": "npm run build:fortran:dynamic && electron-forge make",
     "make:flatpak": "npm run build:fortran && FORGE_FLATPAK=1 electron-forge make --targets=@electron-forge/maker-flatpak",
     "build:wsl2": "bash packaging/wsl2/build-wsl2.sh",
-    "test:wsl-runtime": "node tests/wsl-runtime.test.js",
+    "test:wsl-runtime": "node tests/wsl-runtime.test.js && node tests/runtime-gate.test.js",
     "checksums:md5": "sh -c 'for d in out/make/deb/x64 out/make/rpm/x64 out/make/flatpak/x86_64; do [ -d \"$d\" ] || continue; for f in \"$d\"/*; do [ -f \"$f\" ] || continue; case \"$f\" in *.deb|*.rpm|*.flatpak) base=$(basename \"$f\"); (cd \"$d\" && md5sum \"$base\" > \"$base.md5\");; esac; done; done'",
     "checksums:sha256": "sh -c 'for d in out/make/deb/x64 out/make/rpm/x64 out/make/flatpak/x86_64; do [ -d \"$d\" ] || continue; for f in \"$d\"/*; do [ -f \"$f\" ] || continue; case \"$f\" in *.deb|*.rpm|*.flatpak) base=$(basename \"$f\"); (cd \"$d\" && sha256sum \"$base\" > \"$base.sha256\");; esac; done; done'",
     "checksums": "npm run checksums:md5 && npm run checksums:sha256"
diff --git a/packaging/wsl2/README.md b/packaging/wsl2/README.md
index 2141b31..71175d1 100644
--- a/packaging/wsl2/README.md
+++ b/packaging/wsl2/README.md
@@ -77,13 +77,38 @@ lets the renderer detect the bundled runtime and route through WSL.
 ## Tests
 
 ```sh
-npm run test:wsl-runtime     # tests/wsl-runtime.test.js
+npm run test:wsl-runtime     # tests/wsl-runtime.test.js + tests/runtime-gate.test.js
 ```
 
-Covers the pure main-process module (with an injected `wsl.exe` spawner) and the
-renderer-side launch translation, including inertness on Linux.
+Covers the pure main-process module (with an injected `wsl.exe` spawner), the
+renderer-side launch translation, including inertness on Linux, and that the
+scan pipeline awaits the runtime gate before launching the engine.
 
-## Open items
+## Manual remote-session smoke test
+
+The engine path is a console process and never touches the display, so it cannot
+misroute a window the way the file dialogs could. It is still worth checking once
+on a real Windows host, and especially over SSH/RDP, since that is how the
+workbench is often driven remotely. After the first-run import, verify:
+
+1. The import succeeded and the engine runs in the distribution:
+
+   ```powershell
+   wsl -d trimspNL-runtime -- /opt/trimsp-runtime/bin/trimspNL
+   ```
+
+   Expected: the `Usage: trimspNL <run_basename> [ranlux|pcg32|xoshiro]` banner.
+
+2. Over a remote session (SSH/RDP, not just a local console), launch the app, set
+   a Work Folder on a Windows drive, and click Run. Expected: `<prefix>_E*_.rge`
+   and `_Seq_Results.dat` appear in that folder, proving both the path
+   translation and the `wsl.exe` spawn work without a local display.
+
+3. The status bar first shows "Preparing the bundled engine runtime (first run
+   only)..." and the run then proceeds, proving the runtime gate waited for the
+   import rather than racing it.
+
+### Open items
 
 - The rootfs is built from `almalinux:8`. Adjust `BASE_IMAGE` if the engine is
   rebuilt against a different baseline.
diff --git a/tests/runtime-gate.test.js b/tests/runtime-gate.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e6d984
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/runtime-gate.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+// Checks the shared scan pipeline is wired to the shell's runtime gate.
+//
+// On Windows the bundled WSL2 engine is imported on first run, so a Run must
+// wait for the gate before launching the engine. This test guards two things
+// without needing a Windows host:
+//   1. the behaviour of ensureRuntimeGateReady() against stub gates;
+//   2. that startSequence() actually awaits it, so a future refactor cannot
+//      silently drop the gate and race the import.
+//
+// Run with: node tests/runtime-gate.test.js
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+const libPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'TrimSPlib.js');
+const src = fs.readFileSync(libPath, 'utf8');
+
+function grab(re) {
+    const m = src.match(re);
+    if (!m) {
+        throw new Error('pattern not found in ' + libPath + ': ' + re);
+    }
+    return m[0];
+}
+
+// Lift the real ensureRuntimeGateReady() so its shipped code is exercised.
+const gateSource = grab(/async function ensureRuntimeGateReady\s*\([^)]*\)\s*\{[\s\S]*?\n\}/m);
+
+let statusCalls = [];
+let stubWindow = {};
+
+const factory = new Function('window', 'updateStatusBar',
+    gateSource + '\nreturn ensureRuntimeGateReady;');
+
+function makeGateFn() {
+    statusCalls = [];
+    return factory(stubWindow, function (payload) { statusCalls.push(payload); });
+}
+
+let passed = 0;
+let failed = 0;
+function check(name, ok, detail) {
+    if (ok) { passed++; } else { failed++; }
+    console.log((ok ? 'PASS  ' : 'FAIL  ') + name.padEnd(46) + (detail || ''));
+}
+
+async function main() {
+    // 1. No gate installed (web/standalone) -> proceed, no status write.
+    stubWindow = {};
+    let gate = makeGateFn();
+    let result = await gate('Run');
+    check('no gate: proceeds', result === true && statusCalls.length === 0);
+
+    // 2. Gate resolves true -> proceed.
+    stubWindow = { TrimSPRuntimeGate: { ready: () => Promise.resolve(true) } };
+    gate = makeGateFn();
+    result = await gate('Run');
+    check('gate ready: proceeds', result === true);
+
+    // 3. Gate resolves false -> blocked and message surfaced.
+    stubWindow = {
+        TrimSPRuntimeGate: {
+            ready: () => Promise.resolve(false),
+            message: () => 'Check that WSL2 is installed, then try again.'
+        }
+    };
+    gate = makeGateFn();
+    result = await gate('Run');
+    check('gate not ready: blocked', result === false);
+    check('gate not ready: status shown',
+        statusCalls.length === 1
+        && /runtime is not ready/.test(statusCalls[0].run)
+        && /WSL2 is installed/.test(statusCalls[0].run),
+        statusCalls.length ? '"' + statusCalls[0].run + '"' : 'no status');
+
+    // 4. Gate that throws -> treated as not ready, not an unhandled rejection.
+    stubWindow = {
+        TrimSPRuntimeGate: {
+            ready: () => Promise.reject(new Error('boom')),
+            message: () => 'failed'
+        }
+    };
+    gate = makeGateFn();
+    result = await gate('Run');
+    check('gate throwing: blocked', result === false && statusCalls.length === 1);
+
+    // 5. startSequence must await the gate before running the engine.
+    const startSequence = grab(/async function startSequence\s*\([^)]*\)\s*\{[\s\S]*?\n\}/m);
+    const guardIndex = startSequence.indexOf('ensureRuntimeGateReady');
+    const launchIndex = startSequence.indexOf('runSimulationSequence');
+    check('startSequence awaits gate',
+        guardIndex !== -1,
+        guardIndex !== -1 ? '' : 'no ensureRuntimeGateReady() call');
+    check('gate checked before launch',
+        guardIndex !== -1 && launchIndex !== -1 && guardIndex < launchIndex);
+
+    console.log('\n' + passed + ' passed, ' + failed + ' failed');
+    process.exit(failed ? 1 : 0);
+}
+
+main();