diff --git a/contrib/testing/queue-lifecycle-check.sh b/contrib/testing/queue-lifecycle-check.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4d74aee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/testing/queue-lifecycle-check.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Exercise Queue administration, retry preservation, expiry, and DSN creation
+# against a running local Bongo installation.
+
+set -eu
+
+user=${1:-stqqueue}
+domain=${2:-bongo.test}
+queue_tool=${BONGO_QUEUE_TOOL:-/usr/bin/bongo-queuetool}
+store_tool=${BONGO_STORE_TOOL:-/usr/bin/bongo-storetool}
+service=${BONGO_SERVICE:-bongo.service}
+run_as=${BONGO_TEST_RUN_AS:-bongo}
+as_root=${BONGO_TEST_AS_ROOT:-sudo -n}
+
+if [ "$(id -un)" = "$run_as" ]; then
+    as_bongo=
+else
+    as_bongo="sudo -n -u $run_as"
+fi
+
+work=$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/bongo-stq05.XXXXXX")
+chmod 0755 "$work"
+managed_id=
+retry_id=
+expiry_id=
+
+cleanup()
+{
+    status=$?
+    for queue_id in "$managed_id" "$retry_id" "$expiry_id"; do
+        if [ -n "$queue_id" ]; then
+            $as_bongo "$queue_tool" delete "$queue_id" \
+                >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+        fi
+    done
+    rm -rf "$work"
+    exit "$status"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT HUP INT TERM
+
+wait_queue()
+{
+    attempts=30
+    while [ "$attempts" -gt 0 ]; do
+        if $as_bongo "$queue_tool" list >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+        attempts=$((attempts - 1))
+        sleep 1
+    done
+    echo "STQ-05: Queue did not become ready" >&2
+    return 1
+}
+
+queue_contains()
+{
+    $as_bongo "$queue_tool" list |
+        grep -F "$1 " >/dev/null
+}
+
+wait_message()
+{
+    queue_id=$1
+    output=$2
+    attempts=30
+    while [ "$attempts" -gt 0 ]; do
+        if $as_bongo "$queue_tool" message "$queue_id" \
+                >"$output" 2>/dev/null; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+        attempts=$((attempts - 1))
+        sleep 1
+    done
+    echo "STQ-05: queue entry $queue_id did not become readable" >&2
+    return 1
+}
+
+printf '%s\r\n' \
+    "From: STQ-05 <stq05@$domain>" \
+    "To: $user@$domain" \
+    'Subject: STQ-05 queue lifecycle' \
+    'Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:34:56 +0200' \
+    'Message-ID: <stq05-lifecycle@bongo.test>' \
+    '' \
+    'Queue listing, hold, retry, expiry, bounce, and deletion.' \
+    >"$work/message.eml"
+chmod 0644 "$work/message.eml"
+
+# A normal committed entry must be listable, movable to hold, preserved across
+# restart, releasable to an explicit target, and deletable.
+managed_id=$($as_bongo "$queue_tool" hold-local "$work/message.eml" 9)
+case "$managed_id" in
+    009-*) ;;
+    *)
+        echo "STQ-05: unexpected management fixture ID: $managed_id" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+queue_contains "$managed_id"
+
+held_id=$($as_bongo "$queue_tool" hold "$managed_id")
+managed_id=$held_id
+case "$managed_id" in
+    999-*) ;;
+    *)
+        echo "STQ-05: hold did not return a queue-999 ID: $managed_id" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+queue_contains "$managed_id"
+
+$as_root /usr/bin/systemctl restart "$service"
+wait_queue
+queue_contains "$managed_id"
+
+released_id=$($as_bongo "$queue_tool" release "$managed_id" 9)
+managed_id=$released_id
+case "$managed_id" in
+    009-*) ;;
+    *)
+        echo "STQ-05: release did not return a queue-9 ID: $managed_id" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+queue_contains "$managed_id"
+$as_bongo "$queue_tool" delete "$managed_id"
+if queue_contains "$managed_id"; then
+    echo "STQ-05: deleted entry remains in the listing" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+managed_id=
+
+# A failed remote attempt must remain queued without changing the message.
+retry_id=$($as_bongo "$queue_tool" enqueue-remote \
+    "$work/message.eml" "$user@$domain" nobody@retry.invalid 7)
+case "$retry_id" in
+    007-*) ;;
+    *)
+        echo "STQ-05: unexpected retry fixture ID: $retry_id" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+wait_message "$retry_id" "$work/retry-before.eml"
+retry_before=$(sha256sum "$work/retry-before.eml" | awk '{ print $1 }')
+$as_bongo "$queue_tool" flush
+wait_message "$retry_id" "$work/retry-after.eml"
+retry_after=$(sha256sum "$work/retry-after.eml" | awk '{ print $1 }')
+if [ "$retry_before" != "$retry_after" ]; then
+    echo "STQ-05: retry changed the queued message" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+$as_bongo "$queue_tool" delete "$retry_id"
+retry_id=
+
+# Deterministic expiry starts in hold so the normal remote worker cannot race
+# the diagnostic command.  Exactly one DSN must appear in the isolated inbox.
+$as_bongo "$store_tool" -u "$user" \
+    document-list /mail/INBOX >"$work/inbox-before"
+expiry_id=$($as_bongo "$queue_tool" enqueue-remote \
+    "$work/message.eml" "$user@$domain" nobody@retry.invalid 999)
+case "$expiry_id" in
+    999-*) ;;
+    *)
+        echo "STQ-05: unexpected expiry fixture ID: $expiry_id" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+$as_bongo "$queue_tool" expire "$expiry_id" >/dev/null
+expiry_id=
+
+attempts=30
+while [ "$attempts" -gt 0 ]; do
+    $as_bongo "$store_tool" -u "$user" \
+        document-list /mail/INBOX >"$work/inbox-after"
+    awk '{ print $1 }' "$work/inbox-before" | sort -u \
+        >"$work/inbox-before.ids"
+    awk '{ print $1 }' "$work/inbox-after" | sort -u \
+        >"$work/inbox-after.ids"
+    comm -13 "$work/inbox-before.ids" "$work/inbox-after.ids" \
+        >"$work/new.ids"
+    if [ "$(wc -l <"$work/new.ids")" -eq 1 ]; then
+        break
+    fi
+    attempts=$((attempts - 1))
+    sleep 1
+done
+
+if [ "$(wc -l <"$work/new.ids")" -ne 1 ]; then
+    echo "STQ-05: expiry did not create exactly one DSN" >&2
+    diff -u "$work/inbox-before" "$work/inbox-after" >&2 || true
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+document=$(sed -n '1p' "$work/new.ids")
+document_path=$(awk -v id="$document" '$1 == id { print $3 }' \
+    "$work/inbox-after")
+$as_bongo "$store_tool" -u "$user" \
+    document-get "$document_path" - >"$work/dsn.eml"
+
+for expected in \
+    'Subject: Returned mail: Delivery time exceeded' \
+    'Original-recipient: rfc822;nobody@retry.invalid' \
+    'Final-recipient: rfc822;nobody@retry.invalid' \
+    'Action: failed' \
+    'Status: 5.4.7'
+do
+    if ! grep -F "$expected" "$work/dsn.eml" >/dev/null; then
+        echo "STQ-05: generated DSN lacks '$expected'" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+done
+
+printf 'STQ-05 PASS management=hold/restart/release/delete retry-sha256=%s dsn=%s status=5.4.7\n' \
+    "$retry_after" "$document"
diff --git a/docs/release-testing-0.7.md b/docs/release-testing-0.7.md
index ca195ac..b2afd87 100644
--- a/docs/release-testing-0.7.md
+++ b/docs/release-testing-0.7.md
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ inputs and outputs is absent from the ZIP.
 | STQ-02 | Local message survives Queue-to-Store delivery byte-for-byte | [PASS](test-evidence/0.7-r1.md#stq-02) |  |  |
 | STQ-03 | Queue free-space calculation is correct on 32/64-bit and reserves space | [PASS](test-evidence/0.7-r1.md#stq-03) |  |  |
 | STQ-04 | Full-disk and unreadable-spool failures defer safely without mail loss | [PASS](test-evidence/0.7-r1.md#stq-04) |  |  |
-| STQ-05 | Retry, expiry, bounce, listing, hold/release, and deletion |  |  |  |
+| STQ-05 | Retry, expiry, bounce, listing, hold/release, and deletion | [PASS](test-evidence/0.7-r1.md#stq-05) |  |  |
 | STQ-06 | Concurrent delivery/read/move/delete/restart preserves integrity |  |  |  |
 | STQ-07 | Backup/export and restore reproduce mail, metadata, contacts, calendars |  |  |  |
 | STQ-08 | Invalid commands, oversized lines, and unauthorised access fail safely |  |  |  |
diff --git a/docs/test-evidence/0.7-r1.md b/docs/test-evidence/0.7-r1.md
index d231e1f..2767428 100644
--- a/docs/test-evidence/0.7-r1.md
+++ b/docs/test-evidence/0.7-r1.md
@@ -1523,3 +1523,59 @@ Bongo finished active/running as manager PID 1225547 with systemd result
 `success`. The temporary fixture, fill allocation, and failed submission were
 removed; no Store object, external mail, SMTP relay, collector source, or
 LMTP endpoint was used.
+
+## STQ-05
+
+Result: **PASS**
+
+Commit `efc5173d` added deterministic Queue listing, hold/release controls,
+the reserved Queue 999 class, and recovery of held entries across manager
+restarts. It also fixed `QMOVE` to use its parsed destination. Commit
+`69ab7094` added complete remote-delivery fixtures and deterministic expiry
+diagnostics. Commit `1441ab1a` fixed the expired-recipient envelope boundary
+so the generated delivery-status recipient and enhanced status code are
+parsed correctly instead of falling back to a generic internal error. Unit
+tests cover the Queue protocol clients, movement, listing, recovery, expiry,
+and exact bounce-recipient formatting. The complete rebuilt suite passed 86
+of 86 tests in 11.26 seconds.
+
+The commits were pushed to `master`, installed as
+`mail-mta/bongo-9999::bongo` with GCC 15.3.0, and exercised on 2026-07-23:
+
+```sh
+./contrib/testing/queue-lifecycle-check.sh
+```
+
+The repeatable live test first listed a Queue 009 entry, moved it to hold,
+restarted Bongo, and proved that Queue 999 recovery retained it. It released
+the message to Queue 009, listed it there, deleted it, and confirmed that it
+was gone. A remote-delivery fixture for `nobody@retry.invalid` remained in
+Queue 007 after a flush with identical message bytes:
+
+```text
+retry SHA-256  39b785579f9bdc5914216aa84f83cd19ca6014eef95d49e388b1d52f209f26a6
+```
+
+A separate held remote fixture was then expired without racing the normal
+remote worker. It left the Queue and created exactly one new Store object,
+`000000000000001b`, in the isolated `stqqueue` inbox. The multipart delivery
+status notification contained:
+
+```text
+Subject: Returned mail: Delivery time exceeded
+Original-recipient: rfc822;nobody@retry.invalid
+Final-recipient: rfc822;nobody@retry.invalid
+Action: failed
+Status: 5.4.7
+```
+
+The script reported:
+
+```text
+STQ-05 PASS management=hold/restart/release/delete retry-sha256=39b785579f9bdc5914216aa84f83cd19ca6014eef95d49e388b1d52f209f26a6 dsn=000000000000001b status=5.4.7
+```
+
+All temporary Queue entries were removed. The intentionally retained DSN is
+local release evidence; no external mail, SMTP relay, collector source, or
+LMTP endpoint was used. Bongo finished active/running as manager PID 1253396
+with systemd result `success`.