diff --git a/HellionChat/Plugin.cs b/HellionChat/Plugin.cs
index 74464d6..b486c8f 100755
--- a/HellionChat/Plugin.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Plugin.cs
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ public sealed class Plugin : IAsyncDalamudPlugin
                 new SelfTests.ThemeSwitchSelfTestStep(this),
                 new SelfTests.FontManagerCtorSmokeStep(this),
                 new SelfTests.FontPushSmokeStep(this),
+                new SelfTests.WizardStateSmokeStep(this),
             ]);
 
             if (!Config.FirstRunCompleted)
diff --git a/HellionChat/SelfTests/WizardStateSmokeStep.cs b/HellionChat/SelfTests/WizardStateSmokeStep.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fc3d20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/HellionChat/SelfTests/WizardStateSmokeStep.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Dalamud.Bindings.ImGui;
+using Dalamud.Plugin.SelfTest;
+using HellionChat.Code;
+using HellionChat.Ui;
+
+namespace HellionChat.SelfTests;
+
+// Drives the FirstRunWizard state machine through every step and
+// commits a no-op pending state (Variant 1), then re-runs picking
+// Roleplay on Step 2 and skipping Step 3 (Variant 2). Verifies
+// that the staged-commit path does not throw under any combination
+// of Pending* values and that CommitPending leaves Config in a
+// readable shape. Variant 2's Roleplay commit would normally
+// mutate the six PrivacyFilter / Retention fields ApplyRoleplay
+// touches, so the step snapshots them before Variant 2 runs and
+// CleanUp() restores them — the self-test stays idempotent across
+// repeated /xlperf runs and does not overwrite an active privacy
+// profile.
+internal sealed class WizardStateSmokeStep : ISelfTestStep
+{
+    private readonly Plugin plugin;
+
+    // Snapshot slots for the six Configuration fields ApplyRoleplay
+    // writes in Variant 2. Populated right before Variant 2 mutates
+    // Config, consumed by CleanUp(). Reference-typed snapshots
+    // (HashSet, Dictionary) capture the existing slot by reference,
+    // which is safe because ApplyRoleplay reassigns the slot with
+    // a fresh instance instead of mutating in place.
+    private bool? snapshotPrivacyFilterEnabled;
+    private HashSet<ChatType>? snapshotPrivacyPersistChannels;
+    private bool? snapshotPrivacyPersistUnknownChannels;
+    private bool? snapshotRetentionEnabled;
+    private int? snapshotRetentionDefaultDays;
+    private Dictionary<ChatType, int>? snapshotRetentionPerChannelDays;
+
+    public WizardStateSmokeStep(Plugin plugin)
+    {
+        this.plugin = plugin;
+    }
+
+    public string Name => "Hellion Chat - FirstRunWizard state smoke";
+
+    public SelfTestStepResult RunStep()
+    {
+        var wizard = this.plugin.FirstRunWizard;
+        if (wizard is null)
+        {
+            ImGui.Text("Plugin.FirstRunWizard is null");
+            return SelfTestStepResult.Fail;
+        }
+
+        try
+        {
+            // Variant 1: no-op CommitPending. Walks the state machine and
+            // verifies the empty-pending write-back path does not throw.
+            wizard.TestOnly_AdvanceTo(1);
+            wizard.TestOnly_AdvanceTo(2);
+            wizard.TestOnly_AdvanceTo(3);
+            wizard.TestOnly_AdvanceTo(4);
+            wizard.CommitPending();
+
+            // Variant 2: skip Step 3 explicitly. Picks Roleplay on Step 2,
+            // jumps straight to Step 4 (no Step-3 entry → no seed for
+            // LoadPreviousSession / FilterIncludePreviousSessions), commits,
+            // and asserts the two coupled history toggles remained on their
+            // pre-test value. Pins the null-semantics from Spec Z.176 so a
+            // regression in CommitPending that started writing seeded
+            // recommendations unconditionally would surface here.
+            // CommitPending → ApplyRoleplay overwrites six privacy /
+            // retention fields, so snapshot them first and let CleanUp
+            // restore them after the assert. Keeps /xlperf idempotent.
+            this.snapshotPrivacyFilterEnabled = Plugin.Config.PrivacyFilterEnabled;
+            this.snapshotPrivacyPersistChannels = Plugin.Config.PrivacyPersistChannels;
+            this.snapshotPrivacyPersistUnknownChannels = Plugin.Config.PrivacyPersistUnknownChannels;
+            this.snapshotRetentionEnabled = Plugin.Config.RetentionEnabled;
+            this.snapshotRetentionDefaultDays = Plugin.Config.RetentionDefaultDays;
+            this.snapshotRetentionPerChannelDays = Plugin.Config.RetentionPerChannelDays;
+
+            var loadPrevBefore = Plugin.Config.LoadPreviousSession;
+            var filterPrevBefore = Plugin.Config.FilterIncludePreviousSessions;
+            wizard.TestOnly_AdvanceTo(2);
+            wizard.TestOnly_SetPendingProfile(FirstRunWizard.PrivacyProfile.Roleplay);
+            wizard.TestOnly_AdvanceTo(4);
+            wizard.CommitPending();
+            if (Plugin.Config.LoadPreviousSession != loadPrevBefore)
+            {
+                ImGui.Text("Skip-Step-3 path overwrote LoadPreviousSession");
+                return SelfTestStepResult.Fail;
+            }
+            if (Plugin.Config.FilterIncludePreviousSessions != filterPrevBefore)
+            {
+                ImGui.Text("Skip-Step-3 path overwrote FilterIncludePreviousSessions");
+                return SelfTestStepResult.Fail;
+            }
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            ImGui.Text($"Wizard state smoke threw: {ex.GetType().Name}: {ex.Message}");
+            return SelfTestStepResult.Fail;
+        }
+
+        return SelfTestStepResult.Pass;
+    }
+
+    public void CleanUp()
+    {
+        // Restore the six Variant-2 snapshots so back-to-back /xlperf
+        // runs don't drift the active privacy profile. If Variant 2
+        // never ran (Variant 1 threw early), the slots stay null and
+        // restore is a no-op. After restore the slots are nulled so a
+        // future RunStep starts fresh.
+        if (this.snapshotPrivacyFilterEnabled is { } privacyFilter)
+            Plugin.Config.PrivacyFilterEnabled = privacyFilter;
+        if (this.snapshotPrivacyPersistChannels is { } persistChannels)
+            Plugin.Config.PrivacyPersistChannels = persistChannels;
+        if (this.snapshotPrivacyPersistUnknownChannels is { } persistUnknown)
+            Plugin.Config.PrivacyPersistUnknownChannels = persistUnknown;
+        if (this.snapshotRetentionEnabled is { } retentionEnabled)
+            Plugin.Config.RetentionEnabled = retentionEnabled;
+        if (this.snapshotRetentionDefaultDays is { } retentionDays)
+            Plugin.Config.RetentionDefaultDays = retentionDays;
+        if (this.snapshotRetentionPerChannelDays is { } retentionPolicy)
+            Plugin.Config.RetentionPerChannelDays = retentionPolicy;
+
+        this.snapshotPrivacyFilterEnabled = null;
+        this.snapshotPrivacyPersistChannels = null;
+        this.snapshotPrivacyPersistUnknownChannels = null;
+        this.snapshotRetentionEnabled = null;
+        this.snapshotRetentionDefaultDays = null;
+        this.snapshotRetentionPerChannelDays = null;
+    }
+}