diff --git a/examples/minimal/README.md b/examples/minimal/README.md
index feee7bf..878c13a 100644
--- a/examples/minimal/README.md
+++ b/examples/minimal/README.md
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ A three-hop delegation chain and a minimal runtime config.
 
 ## Files
 
-- `ca2a-config.yaml`: minimal runtime config (software-only, advisory).
+- `ca2a-config.yaml`: minimal runtime config (software-only, enforcing).
 - `chain.json`: a valid delegation chain, `admin` narrowing to `read+write` to `read`. Regenerate with `python scripts/gen_example_chain.py`.
 
 ## Verify
 
 ```bash
-ca2a verify-chain --chain chain.json --trusted-root-issuer <trusted-root-issuer-hex>
+ca2a verify-chain --chain chain.json --trusted-root-issuer eda38c446da3db3eba68852ca9869260c36badd48b2cab16ec8d8faf607eb162
 ca2a validate-config --config ca2a-config.yaml
 ```
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_example_minimal.py b/tests/unit/test_example_minimal.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ebc6b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_example_minimal.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+"""Verify that the minimal example documentation commands verify and validate cleanly."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from ca2a_runtime.cli import main
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+EXAMPLE_DIR = REPO_ROOT / "examples" / "minimal"
+CHAIN_PATH = EXAMPLE_DIR / "chain.json"
+CONFIG_PATH = EXAMPLE_DIR / "ca2a-config.yaml"
+TRUSTED_ROOT_KEY = "eda38c446da3db3eba68852ca9869260c36badd48b2cab16ec8d8faf607eb162"
+
+
+def test_minimal_chain_verifies(capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]) -> None:
+    """The verify-chain command documented in examples/minimal/README.md must pass."""
+    exit_code = main(
+        [
+            "verify-chain",
+            "--chain",
+            str(CHAIN_PATH),
+            "--trusted-root-issuer",
+            TRUSTED_ROOT_KEY,
+        ]
+    )
+    assert exit_code == 0
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    payload = json.loads(out)
+    assert payload.get("verified") is True
+    assert payload.get("hops") == 3
+    assert payload.get("leaf_scope") == ["cap:read"]
+
+
+def test_minimal_config_validates(capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]) -> None:
+    """The validate-config command documented in examples/minimal/README.md must confirm enforcing mode."""
+    exit_code = main(
+        [
+            "validate-config",
+            "--config",
+            str(CONFIG_PATH),
+        ]
+    )
+    assert exit_code == 0
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "ok: provider=software-only enforcement=enforcing" in out