diff --git a/tests/test_cli_sync_status.py b/tests/test_cli_sync_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..481761b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli_sync_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from sourceos_syncd.cli import main
+from sourceos_syncd.receipt_store import ReceiptStore
+
+RECENT_ISO = "2026-06-16T12:00:00+00:00"
+
+
+def _write_receipt(store: ReceiptStore, outcome: str, issued_at: str = RECENT_ISO) -> None:
+    store.write_receipt({
+        "id": "receipt:test-abc",
+        "issuedAt": issued_at,
+        "outcome": outcome,
+        "version": "1.2",
+    })
+
+
+def _run(args: list[str]) -> tuple[int, dict]:
+    import io, sys
+    buf = io.StringIO()
+    with patch("sys.stdout", buf):
+        rc = main(args)
+    return rc, json.loads(buf.getvalue())
+
+
+# ── empty store ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_status_empty_store_no_daemon(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    with patch("subprocess.run", side_effect=FileNotFoundError):
+        rc, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["daemon"] == "unknown"
+    assert out["currentVersion"] is None
+    assert out["lastReceipt"] is None
+    assert out["storeReceipts"] == 0
+    # daemon not active → not healthy
+    assert out["healthy"] is False
+    assert rc == 1
+
+
+# ── daemon active, receipt applied ──────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_status_healthy(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    _write_receipt(store, "applied")
+    store.write_current_version("1.2")
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "active\n"
+        mock_sp.return_value.returncode = 0
+        rc, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["daemon"] == "active"
+    assert out["currentVersion"] == "1.2"
+    assert out["lastReceipt"]["outcome"] == "applied"
+    assert out["storeReceipts"] == 1
+    assert out["healthy"] is True
+    assert rc == 0
+
+
+# ── outcome variants ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("outcome", ["dry_run", "planned", "no_change"])
+def test_status_healthy_for_non_applied_good_outcomes(outcome: str, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    _write_receipt(store, outcome)
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "active\n"
+        mock_sp.return_value.returncode = 0
+        rc, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["healthy"] is True
+    assert rc == 0
+
+
+def test_status_unhealthy_on_failed_outcome(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    _write_receipt(store, "failed")
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "active\n"
+        mock_sp.return_value.returncode = 0
+        rc, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["healthy"] is False
+    assert rc == 1
+
+
+def test_status_unhealthy_when_daemon_inactive(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    _write_receipt(store, "applied")
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "inactive\n"
+        mock_sp.return_value.returncode = 3
+        rc, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["daemon"] == "inactive"
+    assert out["healthy"] is False
+    assert rc == 1
+
+
+# ── last receipt summary fields ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_status_receipt_age_seconds_is_non_negative(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    _write_receipt(store, "applied", issued_at=RECENT_ISO)
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "active\n"
+        _, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    age = out["lastReceipt"]["ageSeconds"]
+    assert isinstance(age, int)
+    assert age >= 0
+
+
+def test_status_receipt_bad_timestamp_does_not_crash(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    store.write_receipt({"id": "receipt:x", "issuedAt": "not-a-date", "outcome": "applied"})
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "active\n"
+        rc, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["lastReceipt"]["ageSeconds"] is None
+    assert out["lastReceipt"]["outcome"] == "applied"
+
+
+# ── multiple receipts ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_status_store_receipts_counts_all(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = ReceiptStore(root=str(tmp_path))
+    for i in range(5):
+        store.write_receipt({
+            "id": f"receipt:test-{i:04d}",
+            "issuedAt": f"2026-06-16T12:0{i}:00+00:00",
+            "outcome": "applied",
+        })
+
+    with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.return_value.stdout = "active\n"
+        _, out = _run(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+
+    assert out["storeReceipts"] == 5
+
+
+# ── compact vs pretty output ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_status_pretty_output_is_indented(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    import io, sys
+    buf = io.StringIO()
+    with patch("subprocess.run", side_effect=FileNotFoundError):
+        with patch("sys.stdout", buf):
+            main(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path)])
+    raw = buf.getvalue()
+    # pretty JSON has newlines inside the object
+    assert "\n" in raw
+
+
+def test_status_compact_output_is_single_line(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    import io, sys
+    buf = io.StringIO()
+    with patch("subprocess.run", side_effect=FileNotFoundError):
+        with patch("sys.stdout", buf):
+            main(["sync", "status", "--store-root", str(tmp_path), "--compact"])
+    raw = buf.getvalue().strip()
+    assert "\n" not in raw