diff --git a/apps/api/tests/routes/setup.test.ts b/apps/api/tests/routes/setup.test.ts
index 0942c6e..630f058 100644
--- a/apps/api/tests/routes/setup.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/tests/routes/setup.test.ts
@@ -345,6 +345,12 @@ describe('POST /api/setup/validate/vapid', () => {
   it('returns 200 { ok: true } for a valid VAPID key pair from generate-secrets', async () => {
     process.env.VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY = VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY;
     process.env.VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY = VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY;
+    // Gap 2: the operator-submitted public key (app_config.vapid_public_key) must equal
+    // process.env.VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY for the happy path. Seed the matching row.
+    await db
+      .insert(appConfig)
+      .values({ key: 'vapid_public_key', value: VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY })
+      .onDuplicateKeyUpdate({ set: { value: VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY } });
 
     const app = await getApp();
     const res = await app.fetch(jsonRequest('POST', '/api/setup/validate/vapid'));
@@ -353,6 +359,43 @@ describe('POST /api/setup/validate/vapid', () => {
     expect(body.ok).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  // Gap 2 (major): a wrong wizard-entered public key (e.g. "BH123") must fail the row.
+  // The env VAPID pair is valid, but the submitted key in app_config does not match
+  // process.env.VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY → 400. The response must NEVER contain VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY (T-12-06).
+  it('returns 400 when submitted vapid_public_key does not match process.env.VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY (gap 2)', async () => {
+    process.env.VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY = VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY;
+    process.env.VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY = VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY;
+    // Operator typed a clearly-wrong key — env pair is still structurally valid.
+    await db
+      .insert(appConfig)
+      .values({ key: 'vapid_public_key', value: 'BH123' })
+      .onDuplicateKeyUpdate({ set: { value: 'BH123' } });
+
+    const app = await getApp();
+    const res = await app.fetch(jsonRequest('POST', '/api/setup/validate/vapid'));
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const bodyText = await res.text();
+    const body = JSON.parse(bodyText) as { ok: boolean };
+    expect(body.ok).toBe(false);
+    // T-12-06: VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY must never leak into any response.
+    expect(bodyText).not.toContain(VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY);
+  });
+
+  // Gap 2: without an operator-submitted key there is nothing to compare → 400.
+  it('returns 400 when app_config.vapid_public_key row is absent (no submitted key)', async () => {
+    process.env.VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY = VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY;
+    process.env.VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY = VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY;
+    // No vapid_public_key seeded in app_config (cleaned in afterEach).
+
+    const app = await getApp();
+    const res = await app.fetch(jsonRequest('POST', '/api/setup/validate/vapid'));
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const bodyText = await res.text();
+    const body = JSON.parse(bodyText) as { ok: boolean };
+    expect(body.ok).toBe(false);
+    expect(bodyText).not.toContain(VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY);
+  });
+
   it('returns 400 { ok: false } when VAPID env vars are missing', async () => {
     // VAPID env vars not set (cleared in beforeEach)
     const app = await getApp();