diff --git a/internal/adapters/transcribe/live_test.go b/internal/adapters/transcribe/live_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc48bab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/adapters/transcribe/live_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package transcribe_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"git.d-ma.be/mathias/tapir/internal/adapters/transcribe"
+)
+
+// TestGateway_LiveGateway is an opt-in check against the REAL gateway, because
+// the httptest fake above can only prove what we think the gateway accepts. It
+// is skipped unless TAPIR_LIVE_WAV names a 16 kHz mono WAV and the gateway
+// coordinates are set:
+//
+//	TAPIR_LIVE_WAV=/path/a.wav TAPIR_LIVE_GATEWAY_URL=http://koala:30401/v1 \
+//	TAPIR_LIVE_MODEL=iguana/kb-whisper op run --env-file ~/.op-env -- \
+//	  go test ./internal/adapters/transcribe -run LiveGateway -v
+//
+// Use SYNTHETIC audio only: this repo is public and the gateway may be a cloud
+// endpoint (#33).
+func TestGateway_LiveGateway(t *testing.T) {
+	wav := os.Getenv("TAPIR_LIVE_WAV")
+	url := os.Getenv("TAPIR_LIVE_GATEWAY_URL")
+	if wav == "" || url == "" {
+		t.Skip("set TAPIR_LIVE_WAV and TAPIR_LIVE_GATEWAY_URL to run against the real gateway")
+	}
+	model := os.Getenv("TAPIR_LIVE_MODEL")
+	if model == "" {
+		model = "iguana/kb-whisper"
+	}
+	key := os.Getenv("LITELLM_MASTER_KEY")
+	require.NotEmpty(t, key, "LITELLM_MASTER_KEY must be set (via op run)")
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 25*time.Minute)
+	defer cancel()
+	got, err := transcribe.NewGateway(url, key, model, &http.Client{}).Transcribe(ctx, wav)
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, got.Text)
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, got.Segments)
+	assert.Equal(t, model, got.Endpoint)
+	t.Logf("endpoint=%s audio_s=%.1f segments=%d chars=%d", got.Endpoint, got.AudioSeconds, len(got.Segments), len(got.Text))
+}