diff --git a/setup/verify.test.ts b/setup/verify.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1e09acd51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup/verify.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { determineVerifyStatus } from './verify.js';
+
+const healthyBase = {
+  service: 'running' as const,
+  credentials: 'configured',
+  anyChannelConfigured: false,
+  registeredGroups: 1,
+  agentPing: 'ok' as const,
+};
+
+describe('determineVerifyStatus', () => {
+  it('accepts a working CLI-only install', () => {
+    expect(determineVerifyStatus(healthyBase)).toBe('success');
+  });
+
+  it('accepts a messaging-channel install when CLI ping is skipped', () => {
+    expect(
+      determineVerifyStatus({
+        ...healthyBase,
+        anyChannelConfigured: true,
+        agentPing: 'skipped',
+      }),
+    ).toBe('success');
+  });
+
+  it('fails when neither CLI nor messaging channels are usable', () => {
+    expect(
+      determineVerifyStatus({
+        ...healthyBase,
+        agentPing: 'skipped',
+      }),
+    ).toBe('failed');
+  });
+
+  it('fails when the CLI agent does not respond', () => {
+    expect(
+      determineVerifyStatus({
+        ...healthyBase,
+        anyChannelConfigured: true,
+        agentPing: 'no_reply',
+      }),
+    ).toBe('failed');
+  });
+
+  it('fails when no agent groups are registered', () => {
+    expect(
+      determineVerifyStatus({
+        ...healthyBase,
+        registeredGroups: 0,
+      }),
+    ).toBe('failed');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/setup/verify.ts b/setup/verify.ts
index 281b243ce..dbd37e501 100644
--- a/setup/verify.ts
+++ b/setup/verify.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import Database from 'better-sqlite3';
 import { DATA_DIR } from '../src/config.js';
 import { readEnvFile } from '../src/env.js';
 import { log } from '../src/log.js';
-import { pingCliAgent } from './lib/agent-ping.js';
+import { pingCliAgent, type PingResult } from './lib/agent-ping.js';
 import { getLaunchdLabel, getSystemdUnit } from '../src/install-slug.js';
 import {
   getPlatform,
@@ -227,15 +227,15 @@ export async function run(_args: string[]): Promise<void> {
     log.info('Agent ping result', { agentPing });
   }
 
-  // Determine overall status
-  const status =
-    service === 'running' &&
-    credentials !== 'missing' &&
-    anyChannelConfigured &&
-    registeredGroups > 0 &&
-    (agentPing === 'ok' || agentPing === 'skipped')
-      ? 'success'
-      : 'failed';
+  // Determine overall status. A CLI-only install is valid when the local
+  // agent round-trip succeeds; messaging app credentials are optional.
+  const status = determineVerifyStatus({
+    service,
+    credentials,
+    anyChannelConfigured,
+    registeredGroups,
+    agentPing,
+  });
 
   log.info('Verification complete', { status, channelAuth });
 
@@ -255,6 +255,25 @@ export async function run(_args: string[]): Promise<void> {
   if (status === 'failed') process.exit(1);
 }
 
+export function determineVerifyStatus(input: {
+  service: 'not_found' | 'stopped' | 'running' | 'running_other_checkout';
+  credentials: string;
+  anyChannelConfigured: boolean;
+  registeredGroups: number;
+  agentPing: PingResult | 'skipped';
+}): 'success' | 'failed' {
+  const cliAgentResponds = input.agentPing === 'ok';
+  const hasUsableChannel = input.anyChannelConfigured || cliAgentResponds;
+
+  return input.service === 'running' &&
+    input.credentials !== 'missing' &&
+    hasUsableChannel &&
+    input.registeredGroups > 0 &&
+    (cliAgentResponds || input.agentPing === 'skipped')
+    ? 'success'
+    : 'failed';
+}
+
 /**
  * Given a PID, resolve the script path the process is executing (i.e. the
  * first `.js` / `.ts` / `.mjs` arg after `node`). Returns null on any