diff --git a/aztec-up/bootstrap.sh b/aztec-up/bootstrap.sh
index 27ecf742257b..50da97b1121d 100755
--- a/aztec-up/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/aztec-up/bootstrap.sh
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ EOF
 }
 
 function test_cmds {
-  for test in amm_flow bridge_and_claim basic_install counter_contract; do
+  for test in amm_flow bridge_and_claim basic_install counter_contract default_scaffold; do
     echo "$hash:TIMEOUT=15m aztec-up/scripts/run_test.sh $test"
   done
 }
diff --git a/aztec-up/test/default_scaffold.sh b/aztec-up/test/default_scaffold.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..d652bdbf8326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aztec-up/test/default_scaffold.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Tests that the default scaffold generated by `aztec new` compiles and passes its tests without any modifications.
+# This catches regressions in the template files produced by setup_workspace.sh (e.g. syntax errors, stale imports,
+# or API changes in aztec-nr) that would otherwise go unnoticed until a user runs `aztec new` themselves.
+
+export LOG_LEVEL=silent
+
+aztec new my_contract
+
+# Verify workspace structure.
+if [ ! -f my_contract/Nargo.toml ]; then
+  echo "Failed to create workspace Nargo.toml."
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [ ! -f my_contract/contract/Nargo.toml ] || [ ! -f my_contract/contract/src/main.nr ]; then
+  echo "Failed to create contract crate."
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [ ! -f my_contract/test/Nargo.toml ] || [ ! -f my_contract/test/src/lib.nr ]; then
+  echo "Failed to create test crate."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+cd my_contract
+
+# This is unfortunate as it makes the test worse but in CI setting the aztec version is 0.0.1 which doesn't exist as
+# a remote git tag, so we need to rewrite dependencies to use local aztec-nr.
+sed -i 's|aztec = .*git.*AztecProtocol/aztec-nr.*|aztec = { path="/home/ubuntu/aztec-packages/noir-projects/aztec-nr/aztec" }|' contract/Nargo.toml test/Nargo.toml
+
+# Compile the default scaffold contract.
+aztec compile
+
+# Run the default scaffold tests.
+aztec test