diff --git a/test/e2e/live_test.go b/test/e2e/live_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63c25cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/live_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+//go:build e2e && live
+
+package e2e
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"image"
+	"image/color"
+	"image/png"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
+)
+
+// TestLiveSolveGrid drives the whole stack against a real vision model: it
+// launches the built MCP server, speaks MCP over stdio, and asserts the model
+// selects the solid-red tile row of a generated grid. Opt-in only: requires
+// build tags e2e,live AND CAPTCHA_E2E_LIVE=1, plus ambient LLM provider/model
+// config which is inherited by the child via cmd.Environ().
+func TestLiveSolveGrid(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv("CAPTCHA_E2E_LIVE") != "1" {
+		t.Skip("CAPTCHA_E2E_LIVE != 1; skipping live LLM e2e")
+	}
+	if os.Getenv("CAPTCHA_LLM_PROVIDER") == "" || os.Getenv("CAPTCHA_LLM_MODEL") == "" {
+		t.Skip("CAPTCHA_LLM_PROVIDER / CAPTCHA_LLM_MODEL not set; skipping live LLM e2e")
+	}
+
+	const (
+		size = 300
+		rows = 3
+		cols = 3
+	)
+	b64 := genRedTopRowPNG(t, size)
+
+	cmd := exec.Command("../../bin/captcha-solver-mcp")
+	cmd.Env = cmd.Environ()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 120*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	client := mcp.NewClient(&mcp.Implementation{Name: "e2e-live", Version: "v0"}, nil)
+	session, err := client.Connect(ctx, &mcp.CommandTransport{Command: cmd}, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("connect: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = session.Close() }()
+
+	res, err := session.CallTool(ctx, &mcp.CallToolParams{
+		Name: "solve_grid_captcha",
+		Arguments: map[string]any{
+			"screenshot":   b64,
+			"instruction":  "Select every tile that is solid red.",
+			"rows":         rows,
+			"cols":         cols,
+			"image_width":  size,
+			"image_height": size,
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("call: %v", err)
+	}
+	if res.IsError {
+		t.Fatalf("tool returned error: %+v", res.Content)
+	}
+
+	raw, err := json.Marshal(res.StructuredContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("marshal structured: %v", err)
+	}
+	var out struct {
+		Tiles      []int   `json:"tiles"`
+		Confidence float64 `json:"confidence"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &out); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal %q: %v", raw, err)
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("model returned tiles=%v confidence=%.3f", out.Tiles, out.Confidence)
+
+	if !tilesContain(out.Tiles, 0, 1, 2) {
+		t.Fatalf("tiles %v missing red row {0,1,2}", out.Tiles)
+	}
+	for _, got := range out.Tiles {
+		if got != 0 && got != 1 && got != 2 {
+			t.Logf("model selected extra (non-red) tile %d", got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// genRedTopRowPNG builds a sizeXsize PNG whose top third (tiles 0,1,2) is solid
+// bright red and the rest light gray, then returns it base64-encoded.
+func genRedTopRowPNG(t *testing.T, size int) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	red := color.RGBA{R: 220, G: 30, B: 30, A: 255}
+	gray := color.RGBA{R: 200, G: 200, B: 200, A: 255}
+	img := image.NewRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, size, size))
+	topRow := size / 3
+	for y := 0; y < size; y++ {
+		c := gray
+		if y < topRow {
+			c = red
+		}
+		for x := 0; x < size; x++ {
+			img.Set(x, y, c)
+		}
+	}
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	if err := png.Encode(&buf, img); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("png encode: %v", err)
+	}
+	return base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(buf.Bytes())
+}
+
+// tilesContain reports whether got contains every value in want.
+func tilesContain(got []int, want ...int) bool {
+	set := make(map[int]struct{}, len(got))
+	for _, g := range got {
+		set[g] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	for _, w := range want {
+		if _, ok := set[w]; !ok {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}