diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index c79b9ed..6632b92 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@
 # project CMakeLists.txt does not grow with each test group.
 
 add_subdirectory(afp)
+add_subdirectory(salvage)
diff --git a/tests/salvage/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/salvage/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..919cb0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/salvage/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Optional NetWare salvage/deleted-entry smoke-test helpers.
+#
+# The first helper is a layout contract test for the upcoming recycle-backed
+# nwsalvage backend.  It has no ncpfs dependency and does not require a running
+# mars_nwe server.
+
+set(SALVAGE_LAYOUT_SMOKE_SCRIPT
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/salvage_layout_smoke.sh
+)
+
+add_custom_command(
+    OUTPUT ${SALVAGE_LAYOUT_SMOKE_SCRIPT}
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different
+        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/salvage_layout_smoke.sh
+        ${SALVAGE_LAYOUT_SMOKE_SCRIPT}
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env chmod +x ${SALVAGE_LAYOUT_SMOKE_SCRIPT}
+    DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/salvage_layout_smoke.sh
+    COMMENT "Copying salvage layout smoke helper"
+    VERBATIM
+)
+
+add_custom_target(salvage_layout_smoke ALL
+    DEPENDS ${SALVAGE_LAYOUT_SMOKE_SCRIPT}
+)
+
+set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY ADDITIONAL_CLEAN_FILES
+    ${SALVAGE_LAYOUT_SMOKE_SCRIPT}
+)
diff --git a/tests/salvage/README.md b/tests/salvage/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c1b4b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/salvage/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Salvage smoke tests
+
+This directory is reserved for NetWare salvage/deleted-entry coverage.  The
+backend is intentionally shared by NCP salvage calls and the later AFP `0x13`
+`Get Macintosh Info On Deleted Files` adapter; AFP must not grow a parallel
+local deleted-file scanner.
+
+The first executable coverage is layout-only.  It records the repository
+contract before `src/nwsalvage.c` exists:
+
+- deleted file payloads live below the recycle repository,
+- per-object JSON metadata lives below the salvage repository,
+- there is no large per-directory index file,
+- stale JSON metadata is detectable when the matching recycle payload is gone.
+
+Default repository names come from the `nwserv.conf`/`nw.ini` template options:
+
+```text
+48 1
+49 .recycle .salvage
+```
+
+Expected layout for a deleted `SYS:PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI` owned by `SUPERVISOR`:
+
+```text
+SYS/.recycle/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI
+SYS/.salvage/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI.json
+```
+
+Future runtime tests should add direct coverage for:
+
+- `NCP 0x2222 / 22 / 27` Scan Salvageable Files (old),
+- `NCP 0x2222 / 87 / 16` Scan Salvageable Files,
+- `NCP 0x2222 / 87 / 17` Recover Salvageable File,
+- `NCP 0x2222 / 87 / 18` Purge Salvageable File,
+- AFP `0x13` as a thin adapter over the shared salvage backend.
diff --git a/tests/salvage/salvage_layout_smoke.sh b/tests/salvage/salvage_layout_smoke.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b3d023e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/salvage/salvage_layout_smoke.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Validate the planned recycle-backed salvage metadata layout without requiring
+# a running mars_nwe server.  This is a contract test for the upcoming
+# nwsalvage backend, not an implementation of the backend itself.
+
+set -u
+
+ROOT=""
+RECYCLE_NAME=".recycle"
+SALVAGE_NAME=".salvage"
+KEEP_ROOT=0
+
+usage() {
+    cat <<USAGE
+Usage: $0 [options]
+
+Options:
+  --root DIR              Use DIR as the temporary test root
+  --repo-names R S        Recycle and salvage repository names (default: $RECYCLE_NAME $SALVAGE_NAME)
+  --keep-root             Do not remove the generated temporary root
+  -h, --help              Show this help
+
+The smoke creates a mock SYS tree, moves one deleted-file payload below the
+recycle repository, writes one JSON metadata object below the salvage repository,
+and verifies that stale JSON can be detected after the recycle payload vanishes.
+USAGE
+}
+
+fail() {
+    echo "FAIL: $*" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+    case "$1" in
+        --root)
+            ROOT=$2; shift 2 ;;
+        --repo-names)
+            RECYCLE_NAME=$2; SALVAGE_NAME=$3; shift 3 ;;
+        --keep-root)
+            KEEP_ROOT=1; shift ;;
+        -h|--help)
+            usage; exit 0 ;;
+        *)
+            usage >&2; fail "unknown option: $1" ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [ -z "$ROOT" ]; then
+    ROOT=$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/mars-salvage-layout.XXXXXX") || exit 1
+else
+    mkdir -p "$ROOT" || exit 1
+fi
+
+cleanup() {
+    if [ "$KEEP_ROOT" -eq 0 ]; then
+        rm -rf "$ROOT"
+    else
+        echo "kept test root: $ROOT"
+    fi
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+SYS="$ROOT/SYS"
+LIVE_FILE="$SYS/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI"
+RECYCLE_FILE="$SYS/$RECYCLE_NAME/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI"
+SALVAGE_JSON="$SYS/$SALVAGE_NAME/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI.json"
+FLAT_INDEX="$SYS/$SALVAGE_NAME/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/.index.json"
+
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "$LIVE_FILE")" || exit 1
+printf 'sample payload\n' > "$LIVE_FILE" || exit 1
+
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "$RECYCLE_FILE")" "$(dirname "$SALVAGE_JSON")" || exit 1
+mv "$LIVE_FILE" "$RECYCLE_FILE" || exit 1
+cat > "$SALVAGE_JSON" <<JSON
+{
+  "volume": "SYS",
+  "owner": "SUPERVISOR",
+  "original_path": "PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI",
+  "recycle_path": "$RECYCLE_NAME/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI"
+}
+JSON
+
+[ -f "$RECYCLE_FILE" ] || fail "missing recycle payload: $RECYCLE_FILE"
+[ -f "$SALVAGE_JSON" ] || fail "missing per-object JSON metadata: $SALVAGE_JSON"
+[ ! -e "$FLAT_INDEX" ] || fail "unexpected per-directory index file: $FLAT_INDEX"
+
+grep -q '"original_path": "PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI"' "$SALVAGE_JSON" || \
+    fail "metadata does not record original path"
+grep -q '"recycle_path": "'"$RECYCLE_NAME"'/SUPERVISOR/PUBLIC/PMDFLTS.INI"' "$SALVAGE_JSON" || \
+    fail "metadata does not record recycle payload path"
+
+rm -f "$RECYCLE_FILE" || exit 1
+[ ! -f "$RECYCLE_FILE" ] || fail "recycle payload still exists after purge simulation"
+[ -f "$SALVAGE_JSON" ] || fail "stale JSON should still be present before cleanup"
+
+echo "stale metadata detected: $SALVAGE_JSON -> missing $RECYCLE_FILE"
+echo "salvage layout smoke passed"