diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e0192c4..3c68b7a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ All write operations return a sealed `Fat12Result` (`Ok`, `NotFound`, `NameConfl
 `DiskFull`, `InvalidName`, ...); unrecoverable I/O or verify faults roll back and surface
 as exceptions after the volume has been restored to its pre-operation bytes.
 
+This round-trip is exercised by the build (`ReadmeExampleTest`) so the snippet stays in
+sync with the public API.
+
 ## Claims and the tests that substantiate them
 
 The engine makes three substantiable correctness claims. Each maps to specific `:core`
diff --git a/core/src/test/kotlin/com/ams/fat12ex/core/ReadmeExampleTest.kt b/core/src/test/kotlin/com/ams/fat12ex/core/ReadmeExampleTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..38ca1f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/kotlin/com/ams/fat12ex/core/ReadmeExampleTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+package com.ams.fat12ex.core
+
+import com.ams.fat12ex.core.testutil.InMemoryBlockDevice
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertArrayEquals
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertInstanceOf
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+
+/**
+ * Executes the README "Usage example" round-trip against the build so the
+ * documented snippet cannot silently bit-rot as the public API evolves.
+ *
+ * Mirrors the README flow: format -> open -> writeFile("/HELLO.TXT") ->
+ * list("/") -> readFile("/HELLO.TXT"), asserting the round-tripped bytes equal
+ * "hello fat12". Uses the in-memory device fixture at the README's 1.44 MB
+ * floppy geometry (2880 * 512-byte sectors) in place of the snippet's
+ * hand-written MemoryBlockDevice.
+ */
+class ReadmeExampleTest {
+
+    @Test
+    fun readmeUsageExample_roundTrips() {
+        // A minimal in-memory BlockDevice at 1.44 MB floppy geometry.
+        val device = InMemoryBlockDevice(blockSize = 512, blocks = 2880L).also { it.init() }
+        val volume = Fat12Volume(device)
+
+        // Format a fresh FAT12 volume, then open it.
+        volume.format("DEMO")
+        assertInstanceOf(Fat12Result.Ok::class.java, volume.open())
+
+        // Atomic, verify-after-write streaming write of a file into the root directory.
+        val payload = "hello fat12".toByteArray()
+        val write = volume.writeFile("/HELLO.TXT", sequenceOf(payload))
+        assertInstanceOf(Fat12Result.Ok::class.java, write)
+
+        // List the root directory — HELLO.TXT must be present at the written size.
+        val listing = volume.list("/")
+        assertInstanceOf(Fat12Result.Ok::class.java, listing)
+        val entry = (listing as Fat12Result.Ok).value
+            .firstOrNull { it.name.equals("HELLO.TXT", ignoreCase = true) }
+        assertTrue(entry != null, "HELLO.TXT must appear in the root listing")
+        assertEquals(payload.size.toLong(), entry!!.size)
+
+        // Read the file back — the raw bytes must round-trip exactly (the README's
+        // String(read.value) decode is the human-facing view of that same payload).
+        val read = volume.readFile("/HELLO.TXT")
+        assertInstanceOf(Fat12Result.Ok::class.java, read)
+        val readBytes = (read as Fat12Result.Ok).value
+        assertArrayEquals(payload, readBytes)
+        assertEquals("hello fat12", String(readBytes))
+
+        volume.close()
+    }
+}