diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ba02015..b0f2441 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Comic Sol
 
+[![Tests](https://github.com/wenn-id/comicsol/actions/workflows/tests.yml/badge.svg?branch=main)](https://github.com/wenn-id/comicsol/actions/workflows/tests.yml)
+[![Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/wenn-id/comicsol?include_prereleases&label=release)](https://github.com/wenn-id/comicsol/releases)
+[![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/wenn-id/comicsol)](LICENSE)
+[![Python](https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-3.11-3776AB?logo=python&logoColor=white)](https://www.python.org/)
+[![MCP tools](https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP_tools-17-brightgreen)](#mcp-server-optional)
+[![Platforms](https://img.shields.io/badge/platforms-Linux%20%7C%20macOS%20%7C%20Windows-blue)](docs/install.md)
+
 Comic Sol is an installable Codex Skill and portable Python CLI that turns a short prompt, pasted story,
 or `.txt`/`.md` file into an original manga/anime comic. One natural-language
 invocation drives planning, character consistency, image generation, visual QA,
diff --git a/tests/test_validation.py b/tests/test_validation.py
index d66f9f0..617ef6d 100644
--- a/tests/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/test_validation.py
@@ -961,6 +961,37 @@ def test_public_surface_uses_the_canonical_independent_repository(self):
         for name in ("CONTRIBUTING.md", "SECURITY.md"):
             self.assertTrue((ROOT / name).is_file(), name)
 
+    def test_readme_badges_report_live_project_contracts(self):
+        readme = self.readme()
+        preamble, separator, _ = readme.partition("Comic Sol is an installable")
+        self.assertTrue(separator, "README product introduction is missing")
+        badges = set(re.findall(r"\[!\[([^]]+)\]\(([^)]+)\)\]\(([^)]+)\)", preamble))
+        expected = {
+            (
+                "Tests",
+                "https://github.com/wenn-id/comicsol/actions/workflows/tests.yml/badge.svg?branch=main",
+                "https://github.com/wenn-id/comicsol/actions/workflows/tests.yml",
+            ),
+            (
+                "Release",
+                "https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/wenn-id/comicsol?include_prereleases&label=release",
+                "https://github.com/wenn-id/comicsol/releases",
+            ),
+            ("License", "https://img.shields.io/github/license/wenn-id/comicsol", "LICENSE"),
+            (
+                "Python",
+                "https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-3.11-3776AB?logo=python&logoColor=white",
+                "https://www.python.org/",
+            ),
+            ("MCP tools", "https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP_tools-17-brightgreen", "#mcp-server-optional"),
+            (
+                "Platforms",
+                "https://img.shields.io/badge/platforms-Linux%20%7C%20macOS%20%7C%20Windows-blue",
+                "docs/install.md",
+            ),
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(expected, badges)
+
     def test_package_files_install_and_artifact_contract_are_documented(self):
         for name in ("LICENSE", "README.md", "SKILL.md"):
             self.assertTrue((ROOT / name).is_file(), name)