diff --git a/hh/smoke.sh b/hh/smoke.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b59d8d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hh/smoke.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# hack-house smoke test ⛧
+# Exercises the full use-case path end to end against a live server:
+#   rust unit tests → SRP self-test → boot server → rust client handshake +
+#   round-trip → cross-language (python decrypts what the rust client sent).
+# Run from anywhere:  hh/smoke.sh
+set -uo pipefail
+
+HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"   # .../hh
+ROOT="$(cd "$HERE/.." && pwd)"          # repo root
+PY="$ROOT/.venv/bin/python"
+BIN="$HERE/target/debug/hack-house"
+PORT="${PORT:-4199}"
+PW="${PW:-labtest}"
+
+fail() { echo "✖ SMOKE FAIL: $1"; exit 1; }
+
+echo "── 1/5 rust unit tests (srp vectors + fernet interop) ──"
+( cd "$HERE" && cargo test --quiet ) || fail "cargo test"
+
+echo "── 2/5 build + SRP self-test (Rust SRP ≡ Python srp) ──"
+( cd "$HERE" && cargo build --quiet ) || fail "cargo build"
+"$BIN" selftest | grep -q "selftest passed" || fail "selftest"
+
+echo "── 3/5 boot server on :$PORT ──"
+"$PY" "$ROOT/cmd_chat.py" serve 127.0.0.1 "$PORT" --password "$PW" --no-tls \
+    >/tmp/hh-smoke-srv.log 2>&1 &
+SRV=$!
+trap 'kill $SRV 2>/dev/null' EXIT
+for _ in $(seq 1 20); do
+    curl -s --max-time 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/health" 2>/dev/null | grep -q '"status":"ok"' && break
+    sleep 1
+done
+curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/health" 2>/dev/null | grep -q '"status":"ok"' || fail "server did not come up"
+
+echo "── 4/5 rust client: SRP auth + encrypted round-trip ──"
+"$BIN" handshake 127.0.0.1 "$PORT" smoke-rust --password "$PW" --no-tls \
+    | tee /tmp/hh-smoke-rust.log | grep -q "round-trip ✓" || fail "rust handshake/round-trip"
+
+echo "── 5/5 cross-language: python decrypts the rust-sent message ──"
+"$PY" - "$PORT" "$PW" <<'PYEOF' || fail "python cross-language read"
+import sys, asyncio, base64, json
+import srp, requests, websockets
+from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
+from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.kdf.hkdf import HKDF
+from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import hashes
+srp.rfc5054_enable()
+port, pw = sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2].encode()
+base, wsb = f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}", f"ws://127.0.0.1:{port}"
+
+async def main():
+    usr = srp.User(b"chat", pw, hash_alg=srp.SHA256)
+    _, A = usr.start_authentication()
+    r = requests.post(f"{base}/srp/init",
+                      json={"username": "smoke-py", "A": base64.b64encode(A).decode()}).json()
+    uid = r["user_id"]
+    B, salt, rs = (base64.b64decode(r[k]) for k in ("B", "salt", "room_salt"))
+    M = usr.process_challenge(salt, B)
+    v = requests.post(f"{base}/srp/verify",
+                      json={"user_id": uid, "username": "smoke-py",
+                            "M": base64.b64encode(M).decode()}).json()
+    room = Fernet(base64.urlsafe_b64encode(
+        HKDF(algorithm=hashes.SHA256(), length=32, salt=rs,
+             info=b"cmd-chat-room-key").derive(pw)))
+    async with websockets.connect(f"{wsb}/ws/chat?user_id={uid}&ws_token={v['ws_token']}") as ws:
+        data = json.loads(await asyncio.wait_for(ws.recv(), 5))
+        msgs = [room.decrypt(m["text"].encode()).decode()
+                for m in data.get("messages", []) if m.get("text")]
+        hits = [m for m in msgs if "house is open" in m]
+        assert hits, f"rust-sent message not found/decryptable: {msgs!r}"
+        print("  ✓ python decrypted rust-sent message:", hits)
+
+asyncio.run(main())
+PYEOF
+
+echo
+echo "✓ SMOKE PASS — crypto · SRP · fernet · cross-language relay all green ⛧"
diff --git a/hh/src/net.rs b/hh/src/net.rs
index f101076..12057d9 100644
--- a/hh/src/net.rs
+++ b/hh/src/net.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ use tokio_tungstenite::{MaybeTlsStream, WebSocketStream};
 type Ws = WebSocketStream<MaybeTlsStream<TcpStream>>;
 
 pub struct Session {
-    pub user_id: String,
     pub username: String,
     pub room: Arc<fernet::Fernet>,
     pub ws_url: String,
@@ -79,7 +78,6 @@ pub fn authenticate(
         format!("{ws_scheme}://{ip}:{port}/ws/chat?user_id={user_id}&ws_token={ws_token}");
 
     Ok(Session {
-        user_id,
         username: user.to_string(),
         room: Arc::new(fernet),
         ws_url,
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index dad0516..8d79aec 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def app():
     app.ctx.admin_token = "test-admin-token"
     from cmd_chat.server.helpers import RateLimiter
     app.ctx.rate_limiter = RateLimiter(max_requests=100, window_seconds=60)
+    app.ctx.max_users = 4
     app.ctx.cleanup_task = None
 
     register_routes(app)
diff --git a/tests/test_coven.py b/tests/test_coven.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81775fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_coven.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""Use-case tests for the hack-house multi-user coven features (capacity cap,
+roster, username + slot lifecycle). In-process via sanic-testing.
+"""
+import base64
+import json
+
+import srp
+
+from cmd_chat.server.models import UserSession
+from cmd_chat.server.views import _roster_frame
+
+
+def _add_member(app, name):
+    """Seat a verified member directly in the session store."""
+    app.ctx.session_store.add(
+        UserSession(user_id=f"id-{name}", ip="127.0.0.1", username=name)
+    )
+
+
+def _init(test_client, name):
+    """Run /srp/init for a fresh username (just the first handshake leg)."""
+    usr = srp.User(b"chat", b"testpassword")
+    _, A = usr.start_authentication()
+    return test_client.post(
+        "/srp/init",
+        json={"username": name, "A": base64.b64encode(A).decode()},
+    )
+
+
+class TestCovenCapacity:
+    def test_accepts_up_to_capacity(self, app, test_client):
+        app.ctx.max_users = 4
+        for n in ("a", "b", "c"):
+            _add_member(app, n)
+        # 4th seat is still available
+        _, resp = _init(test_client, "fourth")
+        assert resp.status == 200
+
+    def test_rejects_when_full(self, app, test_client):
+        app.ctx.max_users = 4
+        for n in ("a", "b", "c", "d"):
+            _add_member(app, n)
+        _, resp = _init(test_client, "fifth")
+        assert resp.status == 409
+        assert "full" in resp.json["error"].lower()
+
+    def test_capacity_is_configurable(self, app, test_client):
+        app.ctx.max_users = 2
+        for n in ("a", "b"):
+            _add_member(app, n)
+        _, resp = _init(test_client, "third")
+        assert resp.status == 409
+
+
+class TestUsernames:
+    def test_duplicate_username_rejected(self, app, test_client):
+        _add_member(app, "ghost")
+        _, resp = _init(test_client, "ghost")
+        assert resp.status == 409
+        assert "taken" in resp.json["error"].lower()
+
+
+class TestRoster:
+    def test_roster_frame_contents(self, app):
+        _add_member(app, "alice")
+        _add_member(app, "bob")
+        frame = json.loads(_roster_frame(app))
+        assert frame["type"] == "roster"
+        assert frame["capacity"] == app.ctx.max_users
+        assert {u["username"] for u in frame["users"]} == {"alice", "bob"}
+        assert all("user_id" in u for u in frame["users"])
+
+
+class TestSlotLifecycle:
+    def test_disconnect_frees_slot_and_username(self, app, test_client):
+        app.ctx.max_users = 1
+        _add_member(app, "ghost")
+        assert app.ctx.session_store.username_exists("ghost")
+        # full room rejects a newcomer
+        _, resp = _init(test_client, "intruder")
+        assert resp.status == 409
+
+        # the disconnect path removes the session (frees slot + name)
+        app.ctx.session_store.remove("id-ghost")
+        assert not app.ctx.session_store.username_exists("ghost")
+        assert app.ctx.session_store.count() == 0
+
+        # name is reusable and the slot is open again
+        _, resp = _init(test_client, "ghost")
+        assert resp.status == 200