diff --git a/tests/proxy_behavior/management/conftest.py b/tests/proxy_behavior/management/conftest.py
index be89d6a9dc9..7deab9ba5d7 100644
--- a/tests/proxy_behavior/management/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/proxy_behavior/management/conftest.py
@@ -34,16 +34,25 @@ def _write_minimal_proxy_config() -> str:
 
 @pytest_asyncio.fixture(scope="session")
 async def proxy_app():
+    """Boot the proxy app once per session with the real FastAPI lifespan.
+
+    httpx 0.28's ASGITransport does not run the lifespan handler, so we enter
+    ``proxy_startup_event`` (the @asynccontextmanager registered as the app's
+    lifespan) directly. That handler is where ``prisma_client`` is connected
+    and the rest of the startup wiring runs.
+    """
     from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import (
         app,
         cleanup_router_config_variables,
         initialize,
+        proxy_startup_event,
     )
 
     cleanup_router_config_variables()
     config_path = _write_minimal_proxy_config()
     await initialize(config=config_path)
-    yield app
+    async with proxy_startup_event(app):
+        yield app
 
 
 @pytest_asyncio.fixture(scope="session")
diff --git a/tests/proxy_behavior/management/test_smoke.py b/tests/proxy_behavior/management/test_smoke.py
index 0481bf74f98..dbabd120d0a 100644
--- a/tests/proxy_behavior/management/test_smoke.py
+++ b/tests/proxy_behavior/management/test_smoke.py
@@ -1,6 +1,54 @@
 """Smoke tests proving the harness boots and talks to the proxy app."""
 
+import pytest
+
+from .conftest import MASTER_KEY
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.asyncio(loop_scope="session")
+
 
 async def test_liveliness(proxy_client):
     resp = await proxy_client.get("/health/liveliness")
     assert resp.status_code == 200
+
+
+async def test_key_generate_lands_in_db(proxy_client):
+    """De-risk gate: prove the harness exercises the full stack end-to-end.
+
+    A successful ``/key/generate`` requires:
+      * the FastAPI lifespan ran (``proxy_startup_event``),
+      * ``prisma_client`` connected,
+      * ``user_api_key_auth`` accepted the master key,
+      * the real ``generate_key_helper_fn`` wrote a hashed row to
+        ``LiteLLM_VerificationToken``.
+
+    All four collapse to a single 200 + ``sk-`` token check here, with a
+    follow-up prisma read to prove the row landed (and that the token is the
+    hashed form, not the cleartext returned over the wire).
+    """
+    from litellm.proxy import proxy_server
+    from litellm.proxy.utils import hash_token
+
+    assert (
+        proxy_server.prisma_client is not None
+    ), "FastAPI lifespan did not connect prisma — harness is wrong."
+
+    resp = await proxy_client.post(
+        "/key/generate",
+        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {MASTER_KEY}"},
+        json={},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.text
+    body = resp.json()
+    cleartext_key = body["key"]
+    assert cleartext_key.startswith("sk-")
+
+    hashed = hash_token(cleartext_key)
+    row = await proxy_server.prisma_client.db.litellm_verificationtoken.find_unique(
+        where={"token": hashed}
+    )
+    assert row is not None, "Generated key did not land in LiteLLM_VerificationToken"
+    assert row.token == hashed
+    assert (
+        row.token != cleartext_key
+    ), "Cleartext token stored — credential boundary broken"