diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-daemon-lifecycle.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-daemon-lifecycle.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0255f03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-daemon-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/**
+ * E2E: daemon start / status / stop lifecycle against the in-process test harness.
+ *
+ * Does not invoke the `stop` CLI while the harness PID file points at the current process
+ * (that would SIGTERM the test runner). After `status` shows running, we stop the kernel
+ * and remove `nerve.pid`, then assert `status` reports not running; `afterEach` tears down
+ * the temp HOME.
+ */
+
+import { existsSync, unlinkSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { type TestDaemonHandle, runCli, startTestDaemon, stopTestDaemon } from "./e2e-harness.js";
+
+describe("e2e daemon lifecycle", () => {
+  let daemon: TestDaemonHandle | null = null;
+  let kernelAlreadyStopped = false;
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    const h = daemon;
+    const skipKernel = kernelAlreadyStopped;
+    daemon = null;
+    kernelAlreadyStopped = false;
+    if (h === null) return;
+    await Promise.race([
+      stopTestDaemon(h, skipKernel),
+      new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
+        setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("stopTestDaemon timed out after 10s")), 10_000),
+      ),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it(
+    "nerve.pid + kernel up, status running, then stopped + pid cleared, status not running",
+    { timeout: 30_000 },
+    async () => {
+      daemon = await startTestDaemon();
+
+      const pidPath = join(daemon.nerveRoot, "nerve.pid");
+      expect(existsSync(pidPath)).toBe(true);
+
+      const health = daemon.kernel.getHealth();
+      expect(health.activeGroups).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(daemon.kernel.getWorkerPid("e2e")).not.toBeNull();
+      expect(existsSync(daemon.socketPath)).toBe(true);
+
+      const statusUp = await runCli(daemon, ["daemon", "status"]);
+      expect(statusUp.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(statusUp.stdout).toContain("running");
+      expect(statusUp.stdout).toContain("✅ Nerve daemon is running.");
+
+      const statusTopLevel = await runCli(daemon, ["status"]);
+      expect(statusTopLevel.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(statusTopLevel.stdout).toContain("running");
+
+      await daemon.kernel.stop();
+      kernelAlreadyStopped = true;
+      unlinkSync(pidPath);
+
+      expect(existsSync(pidPath)).toBe(false);
+      expect(existsSync(daemon.socketPath)).toBe(false);
+
+      const statusDown = await runCli(daemon, ["daemon", "status"]);
+      expect(statusDown.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(statusDown.stdout).toContain("not running");
+      expect(statusDown.stdout).toContain("😴 Nerve daemon is not running.");
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-harness.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-harness.ts
index e89f042..f863f47 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-harness.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/e2e-harness.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,11 @@ import { createKernel } from "@uncaged/nerve-daemon";
 import type { Kernel } from "@uncaged/nerve-daemon";
 import { defineCommand, runCommand } from "citty";
 
+import { daemonCommand } from "../commands/daemon.js";
+import { logsCommand } from "../commands/logs.js";
 import { senseCommand } from "../commands/sense.js";
+import { statusCommand } from "../commands/status.js";
+import { stopCommand } from "../commands/stop.js";
 
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 const nerveDaemonRoot = dirname(require.resolve("@uncaged/nerve-daemon/package.json"));
@@ -90,6 +94,10 @@ const e2eRootCommand = defineCommand({
   meta: { name: "nerve", description: "e2e" },
   subCommands: {
     sense: senseCommand,
+    logs: logsCommand,
+    daemon: daemonCommand,
+    status: statusCommand,
+    stop: stopCommand,
   },
 });
 
@@ -186,9 +194,19 @@ export async function startTestDaemon(
   return { fakeHome, nerveRoot, socketPath, kernel };
 }
 
-/** Stops the kernel (workers + IPC) and removes the temp HOME tree. */
-export async function stopTestDaemon(handle: TestDaemonHandle): Promise<void> {
-  await handle.kernel.stop();
+/**
+ * Stops the kernel (workers + IPC) and removes the temp HOME tree.
+ *
+ * @param kernelAlreadyStopped — pass `true` when the test already called `kernel.stop()`
+ *   (e.g. daemon lifecycle e2e); only the temp directory is removed.
+ */
+export async function stopTestDaemon(
+  handle: TestDaemonHandle,
+  kernelAlreadyStopped = false,
+): Promise<void> {
+  if (!kernelAlreadyStopped) {
+    await handle.kernel.stop();
+  }
   try {
     rmSync(handle.fakeHome, { recursive: true, force: true });
   } catch {
@@ -235,10 +253,10 @@ function patchWriteStream(stream: NodeJS.WriteStream, sink: string[]): () => voi
 }
 
 /**
- * Runs `nerve <args>` for the subset wired here (`sense` subcommands), with
- * `process.env.HOME` pointing at `handle.fakeHome` so `getNerveRoot()` resolves to the
- * test workspace. Captures stdout/stderr; sets `exitCode` when `process.exit` is invoked
- * or on thrown errors.
+ * Runs `nerve <args>` for the subset wired in `e2eRootCommand` (`sense`, `logs`, `daemon`,
+ * top-level `status` / `stop`), with `process.env.HOME` pointing at `handle.fakeHome` so
+ * `getNerveRoot()` resolves to the test workspace. Captures stdout/stderr; sets `exitCode`
+ * when `process.exit` is invoked or on thrown errors.
  */
 export async function runCli(handle: TestDaemonHandle, args: string[]): Promise<CliRunResult> {
   const stdoutChunks: string[] = [];