diff --git a/.github/workflows/amdsev-initrd-test.yml b/.github/workflows/amdsev-initrd-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b39c343d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/amdsev-initrd-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+name: amdsev-initrd-test
+
+on:
+    push:
+        branches:
+            - main
+        paths:
+            - "misc/AMDSEV/**"
+            - "scripts/build-musl.sh"
+            - ".github/workflows/amdsev-initrd-test.yml"
+
+    pull_request:
+        types: [opened, synchronize, ready_for_review]
+        paths:
+            - "misc/AMDSEV/**"
+            - "scripts/build-musl.sh"
+            - ".github/workflows/amdsev-initrd-test.yml"
+
+concurrency:
+    group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+    cancel-in-progress: true
+
+env:
+    CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+
+jobs:
+    amdsev-initrd-test:
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+        timeout-minutes: 90
+        if: github.event_name == 'push' || (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.draft == false)
+        container:
+            image: ghcr.io/dojoengine/katana-dev:latest
+
+        steps:
+            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              with:
+                  submodules: recursive
+
+            # Workaround for https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/6775
+            - run: git config --global --add safe.directory "*"
+
+            - name: Install dependencies
+              run: |
+                  export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+                  apt-get update
+                  apt-get install -y \
+                      qemu-system-x86 \
+                      cpio \
+                      zstd \
+                      e2fsprogs \
+                      curl \
+                      socat \
+                      musl-tools \
+                      clang \
+                      file
+
+            - name: Add Ubuntu package repo for AMDSEV artifacts
+              run: |
+                  cat >/etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu-noble.list <<'EOF'
+                  deb [trusted=yes] http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble main universe
+                  deb [trusted=yes] http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates main universe
+                  deb [trusted=yes] http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security main universe
+                  EOF
+                  apt-get update
+
+            - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
+              with:
+                  key: ci-${{ github.job }}
+                  shared-key: katana-ci-cache-musl
+
+            - name: Build contract artifacts
+              run: make contracts
+
+            - name: Build required VM components
+              shell: bash
+              run: |
+                  set -euo pipefail
+                  set -a
+                  source misc/AMDSEV/build-config
+                  set +a
+                  export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$(git log -1 --format=%ct)"
+
+                  ./scripts/build-musl.sh
+                  KATANA_BINARY="./target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/performance/katana"
+
+                  ./misc/AMDSEV/build-kernel.sh ./misc/AMDSEV/output/qemu
+                  ./misc/AMDSEV/build-initrd.sh "$KATANA_BINARY" ./misc/AMDSEV/output/qemu/initrd.img "$KERNEL_VERSION"
+
+                  cp "$KATANA_BINARY" ./misc/AMDSEV/output/qemu/katana
+
+            - name: Run isolated initrd tests
+              run: |
+                  ./misc/AMDSEV/test-initrd.sh --output-dir ./misc/AMDSEV/output/qemu --timeout 300
+
+            - name: Upload AMDSEV build output on failure
+              if: failure()
+              uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+              with:
+                  name: amdsev-initrd-output-${{ github.run_id }}
+                  if-no-files-found: ignore
+                  path: |
+                      misc/AMDSEV/output/qemu
diff --git a/misc/AMDSEV/README.md b/misc/AMDSEV/README.md
index 1e17bf731..4234ba875 100644
--- a/misc/AMDSEV/README.md
+++ b/misc/AMDSEV/README.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ If `--katana` is not provided, `build.sh` prompts for confirmation (`y/N`) befor
 | `build-ovmf.sh` | Builds OVMF firmware from AMD's fork with SEV-SNP support |
 | `build-kernel.sh` | Downloads and extracts Ubuntu kernel (`vmlinuz`) |
 | `build-initrd.sh` | Creates minimal initrd with busybox, SEV-SNP modules, and katana |
+| `test-initrd.sh` | Runs isolated initrd boot smoke test in plain QEMU |
 | `build-config` | Pinned versions and checksums for reproducible builds |
 | `start-vm.sh` | Starts a TEE VM with SEV-SNP and launches Katana asynchronously |
 
@@ -155,6 +156,18 @@ The script:
 - Forwards RPC port 5050 to host port 15051
 - Outputs serial log to a temp file and follows it
 
+## Isolated Initrd Testing
+
+Use `test-initrd.sh` for focused initrd boot validation without the full SEV-SNP launch path:
+
+```sh
+# Run plain-QEMU boot smoke test
+./misc/AMDSEV/test-initrd.sh
+
+# Custom timeout/output directory
+./misc/AMDSEV/test-initrd.sh --output-dir ./misc/AMDSEV/output/qemu --timeout 300
+```
+
 ### Launch Measurement Verification
 
 To verify a TEE VM's integrity, compute the expected launch measurement using `snp-digest`:
diff --git a/misc/AMDSEV/build-initrd.sh b/misc/AMDSEV/build-initrd.sh
index 5abf1ac04..f9b54343e 100755
--- a/misc/AMDSEV/build-initrd.sh
+++ b/misc/AMDSEV/build-initrd.sh
@@ -84,8 +84,17 @@ if [[ $# -lt 2 ]] || [[ "${1:-}" == "-h" ]] || [[ "${1:-}" == "--help" ]]; then
     usage
 fi
 
-KATANA_BINARY="$1"
-OUTPUT_INITRD="$2"
+to_abs_path() {
+    local path="$1"
+    if [[ "$path" = /* ]]; then
+        printf '%s\n' "$path"
+    else
+        printf '%s/%s\n' "$(pwd -P)" "$path"
+    fi
+}
+
+KATANA_BINARY="$(to_abs_path "$1")"
+OUTPUT_INITRD="$(to_abs_path "$2")"
 KERNEL_VERSION="${3:-${KERNEL_VERSION:?KERNEL_VERSION must be set or passed as third argument}}"
 OUTPUT_DIR="$(dirname "$OUTPUT_INITRD")"
 
diff --git a/misc/AMDSEV/build-kernel.sh b/misc/AMDSEV/build-kernel.sh
index 6404b54dd..e1d2facce 100755
--- a/misc/AMDSEV/build-kernel.sh
+++ b/misc/AMDSEV/build-kernel.sh
@@ -51,7 +51,16 @@ if [[ $# -lt 1 ]] || [[ "${1:-}" == "-h" ]] || [[ "${1:-}" == "--help" ]]; then
     usage
 fi
 
-DEST="$1"
+to_abs_path() {
+    local path="$1"
+    if [[ "$path" = /* ]]; then
+        printf '%s\n' "$path"
+    else
+        printf '%s/%s\n' "$(pwd -P)" "$path"
+    fi
+}
+
+DEST="$(to_abs_path "$1")"
 
 # Validate required environment variables
 KERNEL_VER="${KERNEL_VERSION:?KERNEL_VERSION not set - source build-config first}"
diff --git a/misc/AMDSEV/test-initrd.sh b/misc/AMDSEV/test-initrd.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..bc25c9b3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/AMDSEV/test-initrd.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,310 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# ==============================================================================
+# TEST-INITRD.SH - Isolated initrd validation for AMDSEV
+# ==============================================================================
+#
+# Runs a focused initrd boot smoke test without requiring the full SEV-SNP
+# launch path. Uses plain QEMU (no OVMF/SEV), starts Katana through the
+# async control channel, and validates RPC readiness.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./test-initrd.sh [OPTIONS]
+#
+# Options:
+#   --output-dir DIR      Boot artifacts directory (default: ./output/qemu)
+#   --host-rpc-port PORT  Host port for forwarded Katana RPC (default: 15052)
+#   --vm-rpc-port PORT    Guest Katana RPC port (default: 5050)
+#   --timeout SEC         Boot wait timeout in seconds (default: 90)
+#   -h, --help            Show usage
+#
+# Environment:
+#   QEMU_BIN         Optional path to qemu-system-x86_64
+#   TEST_DISK_SIZE   Ephemeral test disk size (default: 1G)
+# ==============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+OUTPUT_DIR="${SCRIPT_DIR}/output/qemu"
+INITRD_FILE=""
+KERNEL_FILE=""
+HOST_RPC_PORT=15052
+VM_RPC_PORT=5050
+BOOT_TIMEOUT=90
+TEST_DISK_SIZE="${TEST_DISK_SIZE:-1G}"
+
+TEMP_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/katana-amdsev-initrd-test.XXXXXX)"
+SERIAL_LOG="${TEMP_DIR}/serial.log"
+DISK_IMG="${TEMP_DIR}/test-disk.img"
+CONTROL_SOCKET="${TEMP_DIR}/katana-control.sock"
+QEMU_PID=""
+
+usage() {
+    cat <<USAGE
+Usage: $0 [OPTIONS]
+
+Options:
+  --output-dir DIR      Boot artifacts directory (default: ./output/qemu)
+  --host-rpc-port PORT  Host port for forwarded Katana RPC (default: 15052)
+  --vm-rpc-port PORT    Guest Katana RPC port (default: 5050)
+  --timeout SEC         Boot wait timeout in seconds (default: 90)
+  -h, --help            Show this help
+USAGE
+}
+
+log() {
+    echo "[test-initrd] $*"
+}
+
+warn() {
+    echo "[test-initrd] WARN: $*" >&2
+}
+
+die() {
+    echo "[test-initrd] ERROR: $*" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+require_tool() {
+    local tool="$1"
+    command -v "$tool" >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "Required tool not found: $tool"
+}
+
+print_serial_output() {
+    if [ -f "$SERIAL_LOG" ]; then
+        echo "=== Serial output ===" >&2
+        tail -n 200 "$SERIAL_LOG" >&2 || true
+    fi
+}
+
+assert_qemu_running() {
+    local message="$1"
+    if ! kill -0 "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+        warn "QEMU exited unexpectedly"
+        print_serial_output
+        die "$message"
+    fi
+}
+
+send_control_command() {
+    local cmd="$1"
+    printf '%s\n' "$cmd" | socat -T 5 - UNIX-CONNECT:"$CONTROL_SOCKET" 2>/dev/null | head -n 1 | tr -d '\r'
+}
+
+wait_for_control_channel() {
+    local response=""
+
+    for ((elapsed = 1; elapsed <= BOOT_TIMEOUT; elapsed++)); do
+        assert_qemu_running "Boot smoke test failed"
+
+        if [ -S "$CONTROL_SOCKET" ]; then
+            response="$(send_control_command status || true)"
+            case "$response" in
+                running\ *|stopped\ *)
+                    log "Control channel ready: $response"
+                    return 0
+                    ;;
+            esac
+        fi
+
+        if (( elapsed % 5 == 0 )); then
+            log "Waiting for control channel... (${elapsed}s/${BOOT_TIMEOUT}s)"
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+    warn "Timed out waiting for control channel"
+    print_serial_output
+    die "Boot smoke test timed out"
+}
+
+start_katana_via_control_channel() {
+    local start_cmd="start --http.addr,0.0.0.0,--http.port,${VM_RPC_PORT},--tee.provider,sev-snp"
+    local response=""
+
+    for ((elapsed = 1; elapsed <= BOOT_TIMEOUT; elapsed++)); do
+        assert_qemu_running "Boot smoke test failed"
+
+        response="$(send_control_command "$start_cmd" || true)"
+        case "$response" in
+            ok\ started\ *|err\ already-running\ *)
+                log "Katana start acknowledged: $response"
+                return 0
+                ;;
+        esac
+
+        if (( elapsed % 5 == 0 )); then
+            log "Waiting for Katana start acknowledgement... (${elapsed}s/${BOOT_TIMEOUT}s)"
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+    warn "Timed out waiting for Katana start acknowledgement"
+    print_serial_output
+    die "Boot smoke test timed out"
+}
+
+cleanup() {
+    local exit_code=$?
+
+    if [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill -0 "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+        log "Stopping QEMU (PID $QEMU_PID)..."
+        kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+        for _ in $(seq 1 10); do
+            if ! kill -0 "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+                break
+            fi
+            sleep 0.5
+        done
+
+        if kill -0 "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+            warn "QEMU still running, force killing"
+            kill -9 "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+        fi
+
+        wait "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    fi
+
+    rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"
+    exit "$exit_code"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT INT TERM
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "$1" in
+        --output-dir)
+            OUTPUT_DIR="${2:?Missing value for --output-dir}"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --host-rpc-port)
+            HOST_RPC_PORT="${2:?Missing value for --host-rpc-port}"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --vm-rpc-port)
+            VM_RPC_PORT="${2:?Missing value for --vm-rpc-port}"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --timeout)
+            BOOT_TIMEOUT="${2:?Missing value for --timeout}"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        -h|--help)
+            usage
+            exit 0
+            ;;
+        *)
+            die "Unknown argument: $1"
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+INITRD_FILE="${OUTPUT_DIR}/initrd.img"
+KERNEL_FILE="${OUTPUT_DIR}/vmlinuz"
+
+resolve_qemu_bin() {
+    if [ -n "${QEMU_BIN:-}" ]; then
+        echo "$QEMU_BIN"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if command -v qemu-system-x86_64 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        command -v qemu-system-x86_64
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if [ -x "${OUTPUT_DIR}/bin/qemu-system-x86_64" ]; then
+        echo "${OUTPUT_DIR}/bin/qemu-system-x86_64"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    return 1
+}
+
+run_boot_smoke_test() {
+    local qemu_bin
+    local response=""
+    local ready=0
+
+    log "Running plain-QEMU boot smoke test"
+
+    [ -f "$KERNEL_FILE" ] || die "Kernel not found: $KERNEL_FILE"
+    [ -f "$INITRD_FILE" ] || die "Initrd not found: $INITRD_FILE"
+
+    qemu_bin="$(resolve_qemu_bin)" || die "qemu-system-x86_64 not found (set QEMU_BIN if needed)"
+
+    require_tool curl
+    require_tool mkfs.ext4
+    require_tool truncate
+    require_tool socat
+
+    truncate -s "$TEST_DISK_SIZE" "$DISK_IMG"
+    mkfs.ext4 -q -F "$DISK_IMG"
+
+    KVM_OPTS=()
+    if [ -r /dev/kvm ] && [ -w /dev/kvm ]; then
+        KVM_OPTS=(-enable-kvm -cpu host)
+        log "Using KVM acceleration"
+    else
+        warn "/dev/kvm not accessible; using software emulation"
+        KVM_OPTS=(-cpu max)
+    fi
+
+    "$qemu_bin" \
+        "${KVM_OPTS[@]}" \
+        -m 512M \
+        -smp 1 \
+        -nographic \
+        -serial "file:$SERIAL_LOG" \
+        -kernel "$KERNEL_FILE" \
+        -initrd "$INITRD_FILE" \
+        -append "console=ttyS0" \
+        -device virtio-serial-pci,id=virtio-serial0 \
+        -chardev "socket,id=katanactl,path=${CONTROL_SOCKET},server=on,wait=off" \
+        -device virtserialport,chardev=katanactl,name=org.katana.control.0 \
+        -device virtio-scsi-pci,id=scsi0 \
+        -drive "file=${DISK_IMG},format=raw,if=none,id=disk0,cache=none" \
+        -device scsi-hd,drive=disk0,bus=scsi0.0 \
+        -netdev "user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::${HOST_RPC_PORT}-:${VM_RPC_PORT}" \
+        -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0 \
+        &
+
+    QEMU_PID=$!
+    log "QEMU started with PID $QEMU_PID"
+
+    wait_for_control_channel
+    start_katana_via_control_channel
+
+    for ((elapsed = 1; elapsed <= BOOT_TIMEOUT; elapsed++)); do
+        assert_qemu_running "Boot smoke test failed"
+
+        response="$(curl -s --max-time 2 -X POST \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"starknet_chainId","id":1}' \
+            "http://127.0.0.1:${HOST_RPC_PORT}" || true)"
+
+        if echo "$response" | grep -q '"result"'; then
+            ready=1
+            break
+        fi
+
+        if (( elapsed % 5 == 0 )); then
+            log "Waiting for Katana RPC... (${elapsed}s/${BOOT_TIMEOUT}s)"
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+    if [ "$ready" -ne 1 ]; then
+        warn "Timed out waiting for Katana RPC"
+        print_serial_output
+        die "Boot smoke test timed out"
+    fi
+
+    log "RPC check passed: $response"
+    log "Boot smoke test passed"
+}
+
+log "Output directory: $OUTPUT_DIR"
+run_boot_smoke_test
+
+log "All requested initrd checks passed"