diff --git a/src/tests/backend-new/specs/test-settings-updater-off.test.ts b/src/tests/backend-new/specs/test-settings-updater-off.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1204ac0ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/backend-new/specs/test-settings-updater-off.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// Source-level pin for src/tests/settings.json having `updates.tier: "off"`.
+//
+// Why this exists (#7800):
+//   v2.7.x introduced the pad version-badge — an absolutely-positioned banner
+//   at bottom-right (z-index 9999) that renders when /api/version-status
+//   reports the running core is at least one major behind the latest GitHub
+//   release. It intercepts pointer events on #chaticon (same corner,
+//   z-index 400). Every Playwright spec that clicks the chat icon then
+//   times out.
+//
+//   With `updates.tier: "off"`, `expressCreateServer` in
+//   node/hooks/express/updateStatus.ts short-circuits and never registers
+//   /api/version-status — the client fetch 404s and the badge stays hidden.
+//
+//   This setting is easy to silently revert during a settings reshuffle.
+//   The lint here is cheap insurance: keep the default at "off" so any
+//   downstream plugin that does `cp src/tests/settings.json settings.json`
+//   against this core gets the fix for free.
+//
+// If you genuinely need the updater on for a specific test scenario, set
+// it in that test's local fixture — don't change the shared default.
+
+import {readFileSync} from 'fs';
+import {join} from 'path';
+import {describe, it, expect} from 'vitest';
+
+const repoRoot = join(__dirname, '..', '..', '..', '..');
+const read = (rel: string) => readFileSync(join(repoRoot, rel), 'utf8');
+
+describe('test-settings updater default (#7800)', () => {
+  it('src/tests/settings.json sets updates.tier="off"', () => {
+    const json = JSON.parse(read('src/tests/settings.json'));
+    expect(json.updates, 'updates block must be present').toBeDefined();
+    expect(json.updates.tier).toBe('off');
+  });
+});