diff --git a/scripts/reset-dev-env.sh b/scripts/reset-dev-env.sh
index 6c33275ed..5fe04829f 100755
--- a/scripts/reset-dev-env.sh
+++ b/scripts/reset-dev-env.sh
@@ -255,84 +255,5 @@ echo "==> Building and importing LB image"
 cd "$PROJECT_ROOT" && make build-lb-agent
 "$PROJECT_ROOT/scripts/build-system-image.sh" "$PROJECT_ROOT/scripts/images/lb.conf" --import --quiet
 
-# --- SSH key (generated as invoking user, not root) ---
-SSH_KEY="$INVOKING_HOME/.ssh/spinifex-key"
-if [ ! -f "$SSH_KEY.pub" ]; then
-    echo "==> Generating SSH key pair ($SSH_KEY)"
-    sudo -u "$INVOKING_USER" mkdir -p "$INVOKING_HOME/.ssh"
-    sudo -u "$INVOKING_USER" ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f "$SSH_KEY" -N ""
-fi
-
-export AWS_PROFILE=spinifex
-
-echo "==> Importing SSH key"
-aws ec2 import-key-pair --key-name spinifex-key \
-    --public-key-material "fileb://$SSH_KEY.pub"
-aws ec2 describe-key-pairs
-
-# --- Import AMI ---
-echo "==> Importing AMI"
-LOCAL_IMAGE="$INVOKING_HOME/images/ubuntu-24.04.img"
-ARCH=$(uname -m)
-case "$ARCH" in
-    x86_64)
-        IMG_ARCH="x86_64"
-        IMAGE_NAME="ubuntu-24.04-x86_64"
-        ;;
-    aarch64|arm64)
-        IMG_ARCH="arm64"
-        IMAGE_NAME="ubuntu-24.04-arm64"
-        ;;
-    *)
-        echo "  Warning: unknown arch $ARCH, defaulting to x86_64"
-        IMG_ARCH="x86_64"
-        IMAGE_NAME="ubuntu-24.04-x86_64"
-        ;;
-esac
-
-if [ -f "$LOCAL_IMAGE" ]; then
-    echo "  Using local image: $LOCAL_IMAGE"
-    sudo /usr/local/bin/spx admin images import \
-        --file "$LOCAL_IMAGE" --distro ubuntu --version 24.04 --arch "$IMG_ARCH"
-else
-    echo "  Downloading image: $IMAGE_NAME"
-    sudo /usr/local/bin/spx admin images import --name "$IMAGE_NAME"
-fi
-
-# --- Smoke-test instance ---
-echo "==> Launching smoke-test instance"
-if grep -q 'AuthenticAMD' /proc/cpuinfo; then
-    INSTANCE_TYPE="t3a.small"
-else
-    INSTANCE_TYPE="t3.small"
-fi
-
-AMI_ID=$(aws ec2 describe-images --query "Images[0].ImageId" --output text)
-if [ -z "$AMI_ID" ] || [ "$AMI_ID" = "None" ]; then
-    echo "❌ No AMI found, skipping instance launch"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-SUBNET_ID=$(aws ec2 describe-subnets \
-    --query "Subnets[0].SubnetId" --output text 2>/dev/null)
-if [ -z "$SUBNET_ID" ] || [ "$SUBNET_ID" = "None" ]; then
-    SUBNET_ID=$(aws ec2 describe-subnets --query "Subnets[0].SubnetId" --output text)
-fi
-if [ -z "$SUBNET_ID" ] || [ "$SUBNET_ID" = "None" ]; then
-    echo "❌ No subnet found, skipping instance launch"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-echo "  AMI: $AMI_ID"
-echo "  Instance type: $INSTANCE_TYPE"
-echo "  Subnet: $SUBNET_ID"
-
-INSTANCE_ID=$(aws ec2 run-instances \
-    --image-id "$AMI_ID" \
-    --instance-type "$INSTANCE_TYPE" \
-    --key-name spinifex-key \
-    --subnet-id "$SUBNET_ID" \
-    --count 1 \
-    --query 'Instances[0].InstanceId' --output text)
-
-echo "✅ Reset complete — instance $INSTANCE_ID launched ($INSTANCE_TYPE)"
+# --- Smoke test ---
+sudo -u "$INVOKING_USER" "$SCRIPT_DIR/smoke-test.sh"
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-test.sh b/scripts/smoke-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5c494b2bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/smoke-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# smoke-test.sh — Bare-bones smoke test for a running Spinifex node.
+#
+# Imports an SSH keypair, imports the Ubuntu AMI, and launches a single
+# instance to verify the platform is functional end-to-end.
+#
+# Assumes services are running and AWS_PROFILE=spinifex is configured
+# by a prior 'spx admin init'.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+export AWS_PROFILE=spinifex
+
+# --- Wait for EC2 daemon to subscribe to NATS ---
+# Port 3000 (UI) becomes ready before the daemon finishes initialising.
+# Poll describe-key-pairs until it doesn't return InternalError.
+echo "==> Waiting for EC2 daemon to be ready"
+DAEMON_TIMEOUT=60
+DAEMON_ELAPSED=0
+while [ $DAEMON_ELAPSED -lt $DAEMON_TIMEOUT ]; do
+    if aws ec2 describe-key-pairs --output text >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        break
+    fi
+    sleep 2
+    DAEMON_ELAPSED=$((DAEMON_ELAPSED + 2))
+done
+if [ $DAEMON_ELAPSED -ge $DAEMON_TIMEOUT ]; then
+    echo "❌ EC2 daemon not ready after ${DAEMON_TIMEOUT}s"
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "   EC2 daemon ready after ${DAEMON_ELAPSED}s"
+
+# --- SSH key ---
+SSH_KEY="$HOME/.ssh/spinifex-key"
+if [ ! -f "$SSH_KEY.pub" ]; then
+    echo "==> Generating SSH key pair"
+    mkdir -p "$HOME/.ssh"
+    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f "$SSH_KEY" -N ""
+fi
+
+echo "==> Importing SSH key"
+aws ec2 import-key-pair --key-name spinifex-key \
+    --public-key-material "fileb://$SSH_KEY.pub"
+aws ec2 describe-key-pairs
+
+# --- Import AMI ---
+echo "==> Importing AMI"
+LOCAL_IMAGE="$HOME/images/ubuntu-24.04.img"
+ARCH=$(uname -m)
+case "$ARCH" in
+    x86_64)        IMG_ARCH="x86_64"; IMAGE_NAME="ubuntu-24.04-x86_64" ;;
+    aarch64|arm64) IMG_ARCH="arm64";  IMAGE_NAME="ubuntu-24.04-arm64"  ;;
+    *)
+        echo "  Warning: unknown arch $ARCH, defaulting to x86_64"
+        IMG_ARCH="x86_64"; IMAGE_NAME="ubuntu-24.04-x86_64"
+        ;;
+esac
+
+if [ -f "$LOCAL_IMAGE" ]; then
+    echo "  Using local image: $LOCAL_IMAGE"
+    sudo /usr/local/bin/spx admin images import \
+        --file "$LOCAL_IMAGE" --distro ubuntu --version 24.04 --arch "$IMG_ARCH"
+else
+    echo "  Downloading image: $IMAGE_NAME"
+    sudo /usr/local/bin/spx admin images import --name "$IMAGE_NAME"
+fi
+
+# --- Launch smoke-test instance ---
+echo "==> Launching smoke-test instance"
+if grep -q 'AuthenticAMD' /proc/cpuinfo; then
+    INSTANCE_TYPE="t3a.small"
+else
+    INSTANCE_TYPE="t3.small"
+fi
+
+AMI_ID=$(aws ec2 describe-images --query "Images[0].ImageId" --output text)
+if [ -z "$AMI_ID" ] || [ "$AMI_ID" = "None" ]; then
+    echo "❌ No AMI found"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+SUBNET_ID=$(aws ec2 describe-subnets --query "Subnets[0].SubnetId" --output text)
+if [ -z "$SUBNET_ID" ] || [ "$SUBNET_ID" = "None" ]; then
+    echo "❌ No subnet found"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "  AMI: $AMI_ID  type: $INSTANCE_TYPE  subnet: $SUBNET_ID"
+
+INSTANCE_ID=$(aws ec2 run-instances \
+    --image-id "$AMI_ID" \
+    --instance-type "$INSTANCE_TYPE" \
+    --key-name spinifex-key \
+    --subnet-id "$SUBNET_ID" \
+    --count 1 \
+    --query 'Instances[0].InstanceId' --output text)
+
+echo "✅ Smoke test passed — instance $INSTANCE_ID launched ($INSTANCE_TYPE)"