diff --git a/tests/lifecycle/run-gate.sh b/tests/lifecycle/run-gate.sh
index fe1fad7f..4310e9b4 100755
--- a/tests/lifecycle/run-gate.sh
+++ b/tests/lifecycle/run-gate.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 # Env:
 #   ARCHY_ITERATIONS                    (default: 5)
 #   ARCHY_FAIL_FAST=1                   stop on first failed iteration
+#   ARCHY_GATE_CASCADE=1                after the 5× loop, run ONE cascade pass
+#                                       (uninstall→no-ghost→reinstall a throwaway
+#                                       app); requires ARCHY_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=1
 #   plus everything run.sh / lib/rpc.bash respects
 #     (ARCHY_PASSWORD, ARCHY_HOST, ARCHY_SCHEME, ARCHY_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE,
 #      ARCHY_ALLOW_CASCADE_DESTRUCTIVE, ARCHY_ALLOW_NOAUTH)
@@ -20,6 +23,10 @@
 # Suggested release-gate invocation:
 #   ARCHY_PASSWORD=password123 ARCHY_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=1 \
 #     tests/lifecycle/run-gate.sh
+#
+# Release-gate WITH the cascade tier (uninstall/reinstall regression guard):
+#   ARCHY_PASSWORD=password123 ARCHY_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=1 ARCHY_GATE_CASCADE=1 \
+#     tests/lifecycle/run-gate.sh
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -100,6 +107,27 @@ for i in $(seq 1 "$ITER"); do
   ./setup-teardown.sh
 done
 
+# Optional CASCADE pass — uninstall → no-ghost → reinstall of a throwaway app
+# (default grafana, via cascade-uninstall.bats). Run ONCE, not folded into the
+# 5× loop on purpose: uninstall/reinstall every iteration would balloon runtime
+# and re-pull images. One pass gates the #13 ghost / #14 reinstall-stop /
+# uninstall-hang class (the bug fixed in 71cc9ac4). Opt-in so default gate
+# behavior is unchanged; counts into the pass/fail tally.
+if [[ "${ARCHY_GATE_CASCADE:-0}" == "1" && "${ARCHY_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE:-0}" == "1" ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "═══ CASCADE pass (1×) ═══"
+  settle_stack
+  if ARCHY_ALLOW_CASCADE_DESTRUCTIVE=1 ./run.sh cascade-uninstall; then
+    passed=$((passed + 1))
+    echo "── CASCADE: PASS ──"
+  else
+    failed=$((failed + 1))
+    failures+=("cascade")
+    echo "── CASCADE: FAIL ──"
+  fi
+  ./setup-teardown.sh
+fi
+
 end=$(date +%s)
 
 echo