diff --git a/tests/medication-content-first.dom.test.tsx b/tests/medication-content-first.dom.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f53bb38f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/medication-content-first.dom.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { ReactElement } from "react";
+
+import { MedicationRecordPage } from "@/components/clinical-dashboard/medication-record-page";
+import { PatientProfileProvider } from "@/components/clinical-dashboard/patient-profile-context";
+import { medicationIdentityBadges, type MedicationGovernance } from "@/lib/medication-badges";
+import { loadMedicationSnapshot } from "@/lib/medication-snapshot";
+import type { MedicationRecord } from "@/lib/medications";
+
+type DetailState = {
+  data: { record: MedicationRecord } | null;
+  loading: boolean;
+  error: string | null;
+};
+
+// Mutable holder so each test can drive the mocked detail hook.
+const hook = vi.hoisted(() => ({ detail: null as unknown as DetailState }));
+vi.mock("@/components/clinical-dashboard/use-medication-catalog", () => ({
+  useMedicationDetail: () => hook.detail,
+  useMedicationCatalog: () => ({ data: null, loading: false, error: null }),
+}));
+
+// Partial mock: keep every real export (the detail body renders normally) but wrap
+// medicationIdentityBadges in a spy that still calls through, so we can assert the
+// exact governance MedicationRecordPage hands down — robust against badge rendering,
+// ordering, and BadgeCluster overflow.
+vi.mock("@/lib/medication-badges", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/lib/medication-badges")>();
+  return { ...actual, medicationIdentityBadges: vi.fn(actual.medicationIdentityBadges) };
+});
+const badgesSpy = vi.mocked(medicationIdentityBadges);
+
+const record = loadMedicationSnapshot()[0];
+const liveRecord: MedicationRecord = { ...record, name: `${record.name} (live)` };
+
+// The detail body renders PatientProfilePanel, which reads the sessionStorage-backed
+// patient-profile context — provide the real provider so the tree renders faithfully.
+function renderPage(ui: ReactElement) {
+  return render(ui, { wrapper: PatientProfileProvider });
+}
+
+describe("MedicationRecordPage content-first fallback", () => {
+  it("paints the fallback record immediately during loading instead of the skeleton", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: null, loading: true, error: null };
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="example" fallbackRecord={record} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: record.name })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/Loading medication reference/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("swaps in the live record once the fetch resolves", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: { record: liveRecord }, loading: false, error: null };
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="example" fallbackRecord={record} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: liveRecord.name })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("shows the skeleton while loading when there is no fallback (owner-only slug)", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: null, loading: true, error: null };
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="owner-only" />);
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Loading medication reference/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("shows the error/not-found state when there is no fallback and the fetch fails", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: null, loading: false, error: "Could not load medication." };
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="owner-only" />);
+    expect(screen.getByText("Could not load medication.")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps showing fallback content when the live fetch fails (graceful content-first)", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: null, loading: false, error: "boom" };
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="example" fallbackRecord={record} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: record.name })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("boom")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  const fallbackGovernance: MedicationGovernance = { sourceStatus: "current", validationStatus: "approved" };
+
+  it("presents the SSR fallback governance to the record while the live fetch is loading", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: null, loading: true, error: null };
+    badgesSpy.mockClear();
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="example" fallbackRecord={record} fallbackGovernance={fallbackGovernance} />);
+    // Loading with no error → the fixture-derived fallback governance is shown.
+    expect(badgesSpy.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1]).toEqual(fallbackGovernance);
+  });
+
+  it("drops the fallback governance (not authoritative) once the live fetch fails", () => {
+    hook.detail = { data: null, loading: false, error: "boom" };
+    badgesSpy.mockClear();
+    renderPage(<MedicationRecordPage slug="example" fallbackRecord={record} fallbackGovernance={fallbackGovernance} />);
+    // A failed fetch means the authoritative status is unknown, so governance must
+    // NOT keep presenting the fixture value — this is the `error ? undefined : ...`
+    // guard, and the test fails if that error check is dropped.
+    expect(badgesSpy.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1]).toBeUndefined();
+    // ...while the record content itself still renders (graceful content-first).
+    expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: record.name })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/registry-content-first.dom.test.tsx b/tests/registry-content-first.dom.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..96c1a243
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/registry-content-first.dom.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { RegistryRecordLoader } from "@/components/registry-record-loader";
+import { serviceRecords, type ServiceRecord } from "@/lib/services";
+import type { RegistryRecordResult } from "@/lib/use-registry-records";
+
+// Mutable holder so each test can drive the mocked hook's returned state.
+const hook = vi.hoisted(() => ({ state: null as unknown as RegistryRecordResult }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/use-registry-records", () => ({
+  useRegistryRecord: () => hook.state,
+}));
+
+const baseRecord = serviceRecords[0];
+
+function serviceRecord(locallyVerified: boolean): ServiceRecord {
+  return { ...baseRecord, verification: { ...baseRecord.verification, locallyVerified } };
+}
+
+function loaderState(overrides: Partial<RegistryRecordResult>): RegistryRecordResult {
+  return {
+    status: "loading",
+    record: null,
+    linkedDocuments: [],
+    demoMode: false,
+    governance: null,
+    refetch: vi.fn(),
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+// Render-prop that surfaces the verified flag + title the loader hands down, so
+// the tests can assert exactly what content-first rendered.
+function child(record: ServiceRecord) {
+  return (
+    <div data-testid="child">
+      lv:{String(record.verification?.locallyVerified)}|{record.title}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+describe("RegistryRecordLoader content-first fallback", () => {
+  it("paints the public fixture immediately during loading instead of a spinner", () => {
+    hook.state = loaderState({ status: "loading" });
+    render(
+      <RegistryRecordLoader kind="service" slug="example" fallbackRecord={serviceRecord(false)}>
+        {child}
+      </RegistryRecordLoader>,
+    );
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("child")).toHaveTextContent(baseRecord.title);
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/Loading service record/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("neutralizes a stale 'locally verified' flag during the provisional paint", () => {
+    hook.state = loaderState({ status: "loading" });
+    render(
+      <RegistryRecordLoader kind="service" slug="example" fallbackRecord={serviceRecord(true)}>
+        {child}
+      </RegistryRecordLoader>,
+    );
+    // Fixture claims verified=true, but the pre-reconciliation paint must show false
+    // so a stale authoritative-looking badge can't flash in.
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("child")).toHaveTextContent("lv:false");
+  });
+
+  it("reconciles the verified flag from authoritative governance when ready", () => {
+    hook.state = loaderState({
+      status: "ready",
+      record: serviceRecord(true),
+      governance: { sourceStatus: "current", validationStatus: "unverified" },
+    });
+    const { rerender } = render(
+      <RegistryRecordLoader kind="service" slug="example">
+        {child}
+      </RegistryRecordLoader>,
+    );
+    // Fixture verified=true, but authoritative governance says unverified -> false.
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("child")).toHaveTextContent("lv:false");
+
+    hook.state = loaderState({
+      status: "ready",
+      record: serviceRecord(false),
+      governance: { sourceStatus: "current", validationStatus: "locally_reviewed" },
+    });
+    rerender(
+      <RegistryRecordLoader kind="service" slug="example">
+        {child}
+      </RegistryRecordLoader>,
+    );
+    // Authoritative governance says reviewed -> true (reconciled up).
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("child")).toHaveTextContent("lv:true");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the spinner for owner-only slugs with no fixture fallback", () => {
+    hook.state = loaderState({ status: "loading" });
+    render(
+      <RegistryRecordLoader kind="service" slug="owner-only">
+        {child}
+      </RegistryRecordLoader>,
+    );
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Loading service record/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("child")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});