diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_cli_exit_status.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_cli_exit_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..79be890e91a3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_cli_exit_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+"""Regression coverage for Kanban CLI process exit status propagation."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).parents[2]
+
+
+def _run_hermes(home: Path, *args: str, marker: bool = False) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]:
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    env["HERMES_HOME"] = str(home)
+    env["HERMES_KANBAN_HOME"] = str(home)
+    for name in (
+        "HERMES_KANBAN_BOARD",
+        "HERMES_KANBAN_DB",
+        "HERMES_KANBAN_WORKSPACES_ROOT",
+    ):
+        env.pop(name, None)
+    env["PYTHONPATH"] = str(ROOT) + os.pathsep + env.get("PYTHONPATH", "")
+    if marker:
+        env["HERMES_DELEGATED_CHILD_CONTEXT"] = "1"
+    else:
+        env.pop("HERMES_DELEGATED_CHILD_CONTEXT", None)
+    return subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-m", "hermes_cli.main", *args],
+        cwd=ROOT,
+        env=env,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+        timeout=30,
+    )
+
+
+def test_delegated_child_kanban_cli_refusal_returns_nonzero_exit_status(tmp_path):
+    """A printed Kanban mutation refusal must not look like CLI success."""
+    home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    home.mkdir()
+
+    created = _run_hermes(home, "kanban", "create", "exit status probe", "--json")
+    assert created.returncode == 0, created.stderr
+    task_id = json.loads(created.stdout)["id"]
+
+    refused = _run_hermes(
+        home,
+        "kanban",
+        "comment",
+        task_id,
+        "must be refused",
+        marker=True,
+    )
+
+    assert refused.returncode == 1
+    assert "delegate_task child contexts cannot mutate Kanban tasks via the CLI" in refused.stderr