diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f97825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+name: meshtasticator-e2e
+
+# Radio-level end-to-end validation against Meshtasticator's interactive
+# simulator (real MeshtasticD per node + simulated LoRa PHY). Runs on demand
+# until it is validated green on the runner; afterwards switch `on` to also
+# trigger on pull_request touching plugin/ and this workflow.
+#
+# Docker access follows the deployment examples in
+# https://git.ericxliu.me/eric/actions-docker (docker is available to jobs);
+# Meshtasticator's docker mode publishes node TCP API ports (4404+n) from the
+# meshtastic/meshtasticd container and the simulator connects to them on
+# localhost. scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh starts localhost->daemon
+# TCP forwards automatically when DOCKER_HOST is a tcp:// daemon, which is how
+# this job is configured.
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  # pull_request:
+  #   paths:
+  #     - 'plugin/**'
+  #     - 'scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/**'
+  #     - '.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml'
+
+concurrency:
+  # One e2e run at a time: Meshtasticator hardcodes the container/volume name
+  # ("Meshtastic"/"Meshtasticator") on the shared docker daemon.
+  group: meshtasticator-e2e
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  e2e:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 60
+    env:
+      DOCKER_HOST: tcp://docker.local:2375
+      MESHTASTICATOR_COMMIT: 17ceb8231079d87b070abc6132181e4c6b20202d
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Python 3.13 (matches Hermes image)
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.13'
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: pip install uv
+
+      # --- Hermes gateway contract env (mirrors .gitea/workflows/release.yaml) ---
+      - name: Clone pinned Hermes gateway source (deployed image tag)
+        run: |
+          git clone --depth 1 --branch v2026.8.31 \
+            https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git plugin/.hermes-src
+          test "$(git -C plugin/.hermes-src rev-parse HEAD)" = \
+            "29112bef099274229cadff79cdff7bf7b99c4b77"
+
+      - name: Editable install hermes-agent + pytest + plugin (meshtastic client lib)
+        run: |
+          uv venv --python 3.13 plugin/.venv-contract
+          uv pip install --python plugin/.venv-contract/bin/python -e plugin/.hermes-src
+          uv pip install --python plugin/.venv-contract/bin/python pytest
+          uv pip install --python plugin/.venv-contract/bin/python -e plugin
+
+      # --- Simulator env (isolated: meshtasticator pins meshtastic~=2.6.1) ---
+      - name: Clone Meshtasticator at pinned commit
+        run: |
+          git clone https://github.com/meshtastic/meshtasticator.git "$HOME/meshtasticator"
+          git -C "$HOME/meshtasticator" checkout "$MESHTASTICATOR_COMMIT"
+          test "$(git -C "$HOME/meshtasticator" rev-parse HEAD)" = "$MESHTASTICATOR_COMMIT"
+
+      - name: Simulator venv (its own requirements + docker SDK)
+        run: |
+          uv venv --python 3.13 "$HOME/sim-venv"
+          # NOTE: meshtasticator/requirements.txt pins meshtastic~=2.6.1, which
+          # predates the meshtastic/meshtasticd image it talks to and never
+          # observed TX packets (both e2e directions timed out). Install the
+          # simulator's deps but let meshtastic float to the current client —
+          # the version the official firmware_harness uses against the same
+          # meshtasticd simulator mode.
+          uv pip install --python "$HOME/sim-venv/bin/python" \
+            meshtastic numpy matplotlib pandas \
+            'PyPubSub==4.0.3' simpy PyYAML protobuf docker
+
+      - name: Run Meshtasticator e2e suite
+        run: |
+          export MESHTASTICATOR_DIR="$HOME/meshtasticator"
+          export SIM_VENV="$HOME/sim-venv"
+          export E2E_VENV="plugin/.venv-contract"
+          bash scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh --mode docker
+
+      - name: Print simulator log (on failure)
+        if: failure()
+        run: |
+          echo "===== meshtasticator-sim.log (tail) ====="
+          tail -n 400 meshtasticator-sim.log 2>/dev/null || true
+          echo "===== meshtasticator-nodes.log (if any) ====="
+          tail -n 200 meshtasticator-nodes.log 2>/dev/null || true
+          echo "===== docker ps ====="
+          docker ps -a 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py b/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d19278
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py
@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+"""End-to-end tests: hermes-meshtastic adapter against live Meshtasticator nodes.
+
+What these tests validate (the "radio-level" layer no contract test can):
+  * the adapter's real TCP/protobuf handshake against MeshtasticD (the actual
+    device software, not a mock) as run by the Meshtasticator interactive
+    simulator (https://meshtastic.org/docs/software/meshtasticator/),
+  * inbound text reception across the simulated LoRa mesh,
+  * outbound chunked sends arriving at another simulated node,
+  * the whole path: pubsub callback -> MessageEvent construction (real gateway
+    types) -> handle_message dispatch.
+
+What they do NOT validate (out of scope even for Meshtasticator): true RF
+(silicon-level LoRa, real propagation/interference, regulatory duty cycle).
+
+Running
+-------
+  1. On a Linux host (or a machine with Docker): clone meshtastic/meshtasticator
+     and boot the interactive simulator (see scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/).
+  2. Point the plugin's own contract venv at the booted nodes and run:
+       cd plugin && MESHTASTICATOR_E2E=1 E2E_PORTS=4404,4405 \
+         E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX=0 .venv-contract/bin/python -m pytest tests/e2e -q
+
+Environment
+-----------
+  MESHTASTICATOR_E2E  = "1" enables these tests (required; without it the
+                        module skips so ordinary unit/CI runs stay fast).
+  E2E_PORTS           = comma-separated TCP API ports of the simulated nodes
+                        (first = the node the adapter connects to, default 4404).
+  E2E_HOST            = host where the simulator exposes the ports (default 127.0.0.1).
+  E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX   = Meshtastic channel index the adapter listens/sends on
+                        (default 0 = primary channel, matching a stock sim node).
+
+NOTE: this module is an initial scaffold. Structural validation (imports,
+fixtures, flow) passes, but a full green run requires a Linux/Docker host with
+a MeshtasticD build — tracked as the remaining verification step.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+if os.environ.get("MESHTASTICATOR_E2E") != "1":
+    pytest.skip(
+        "set MESHTASTICATOR_E2E=1 to run against Meshtasticator nodes "
+        "(see scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/README.md)",
+        allow_module_level=True,
+    )
+
+# Real Hermes gateway + real Meshtastic client library are required.
+pytest.importorskip("gateway.platforms.base")
+pytest.importorskip("meshtastic.tcp_interface")
+
+from gateway.config import PlatformConfig  # noqa: E402
+from gateway.platform_registry import (  # noqa: E402
+    PlatformEntry,
+    platform_registry,
+)
+
+import hermes_meshtastic  # noqa: E402
+from hermes_meshtastic import adapter as plugin_adapter  # noqa: E402
+
+E2E_HOST = os.environ.get("E2E_HOST", "127.0.0.1")
+E2E_PORTS = [int(p) for p in os.environ.get("E2E_PORTS", "4404,4405").split(",") if p]
+E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX = int(os.environ.get("E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX", "0"))
+assert len(E2E_PORTS) >= 2, "E2E_PORTS needs at least two node ports (adapter + peer)"
+
+NODE0_PORT = E2E_PORTS[0]  # the node our adapter connects to
+NODE1_PORT = E2E_PORTS[1]  # the peer node that sends / observes
+CONNECT_TIMEOUT_S = 30
+RADIO_SETTLE_S = 2
+
+
+def _register_meshtastic_platform():
+    """Register the plugin (mirrors discovery) so Platform('meshtastic') resolves."""
+    if platform_registry.is_registered("meshtastic"):
+        return
+    kwargs = {}
+
+    class _Ctx:
+        def register_platform(self, **kw):
+            kwargs.update(kw)
+
+    hermes_meshtastic.register(_Ctx())
+    platform_registry.register(
+        PlatformEntry(
+            name=kwargs["name"],
+            label=kwargs["label"],
+            adapter_factory=kwargs["adapter_factory"],
+            check_fn=kwargs["check_fn"],
+            required_env=[],
+            max_message_length=kwargs.get("max_message_length", 0),
+            emoji=kwargs.get("emoji", "🔌"),
+            platform_hint=kwargs.get("platform_hint", ""),
+        )
+    )
+
+
+class _ProbeAdapter(plugin_adapter.get_adapter_class()):
+    """MeshtasticAdapter that records inbound MessageEvents instead of
+    dispatching to a Hermes agent handler (no agent runs in these tests)."""
+
+    def __init__(self, config):
+        super().__init__(config)
+        self.received_events = []
+
+    async def handle_message(self, event):
+        self.received_events.append(event)
+        # Intentionally do not call super(): the real base would forward to a
+        # message handler that only exists inside a running Hermes gateway.
+        return None
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def adapter():
+    _register_meshtastic_platform()
+    cfg = PlatformConfig(
+        enabled=True,
+        extra={
+            "host": E2E_HOST,
+            "port": NODE0_PORT,
+            "channel_index": E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX,
+        },
+    )
+    return _ProbeAdapter(cfg)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def loop():
+    """Long-lived event loop in a background thread.
+
+    The adapter mirrors the Hermes gateway contract: connect()/watchdog/
+    handle_message() assume a *running* loop (the gateway's). A per-call
+    asyncio.run() would close the loop right after connect() and strand both
+    the watchdog and inbound dispatch, so the e2e module keeps one loop alive
+    and drives coroutines into it with run_coroutine_threadsafe.
+    """
+    import threading
+
+    _loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=_loop.run_forever, daemon=True)
+    thread.start()
+    try:
+        yield _loop
+    finally:
+        # Cancel leftover tasks (e.g. a watchdog started by a failed connect
+        # whose disconnect teardown never ran) before closing the loop.
+        async def _shutdown():
+            for task in asyncio.all_tasks(_loop):
+                task.cancel()
+
+        try:
+            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(_shutdown(), _loop).result(timeout=5)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        _loop.call_soon_threadsafe(_loop.stop)
+        thread.join(timeout=5)
+
+
+def _run_in_loop(loop, coro, timeout_s=CONNECT_TIMEOUT_S):
+    import concurrent.futures
+
+    try:
+        return asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(coro, loop).result(timeout=timeout_s)
+    except concurrent.futures.TimeoutError:
+        pytest.fail(f"coroutine did not finish within {timeout_s}s")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def node0(adapter, loop):
+    """Connect the adapter to simulated node 0 (retrying while the node's TCP
+    API comes up); disconnect afterwards."""
+    import time
+
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + CONNECT_TIMEOUT_S
+    last_ok = False
+    while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        last_ok = bool(_run_in_loop(loop, adapter.connect()))
+        if last_ok:
+            break
+        time.sleep(3)
+    assert last_ok, (
+        f"adapter failed to connect to simulated node at {E2E_HOST}:{NODE0_PORT} "
+        "(is the simulator running and the node reachable?)"
+    )
+    try:
+        yield adapter
+    finally:
+        try:
+            _run_in_loop(loop, adapter.disconnect(), timeout_s=10)
+        except Exception:  # loop teardown must not mask test failures
+            pass
+
+
+def _wait_for(predicate, timeout_s=15.0, interval_s=0.5, what="condition"):
+    """Poll until *predicate* (callable -> bool) is true, else pytest.fail."""
+    import time
+
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + timeout_s
+    while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        if predicate():
+            return
+        time.sleep(interval_s)
+    pytest.fail(f"timed out waiting for {what}")
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Radio-level flows
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_adapter_receives_broadcast_from_peer(node0):
+    """Peer node 1 broadcasts text over the simulated mesh; the adapter must
+    receive it as a real gateway MessageEvent."""
+    import time
+
+    from meshtastic import tcp_interface
+
+    sent = f"e2e-inbound-{int(time.time())}"
+
+    peer = tcp_interface.TCPInterface(hostname=E2E_HOST, portNumber=NODE1_PORT)
+    try:
+        time.sleep(RADIO_SETTLE_S)
+
+        def _got():
+            return any(getattr(e, "text", None) == sent for e in node0.received_events)
+
+        # Radio delivery is not guaranteed per attempt; retry a few times.
+        # (meshtastic client >=2.8: sendText lives on the Interface, not Node.)
+        for _ in range(3):
+            if _got():
+                break
+            peer.sendText(
+                text=sent, destinationId="^all", channelIndex=E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX
+            )
+            time.sleep(1)
+        _wait_for(_got, timeout_s=25, what="inbound broadcast from peer node")
+    finally:
+        peer.close()
+
+
+def test_adapter_chunked_send_reaches_peer(node0, loop):
+    """A long outbound message must be chunked and arrive at the peer node."""
+    import time
+
+    from meshtastic import tcp_interface
+    from pubsub import pub
+
+    content = " ".join(f"word{n}" for n in range(60))  # well over 180 chars -> chunks
+    received = []
+
+    def _on_receive(packet, interface):
+        decoded = packet.get("decoded", {}) or {}
+        text = decoded.get("text", "")
+        if text:
+            received.append(text)
+
+    peer = tcp_interface.TCPInterface(hostname=E2E_HOST, portNumber=NODE1_PORT)
+    try:
+        time.sleep(RADIO_SETTLE_S)
+        pub.subscribe(_on_receive, "meshtastic.receive.text")
+
+        async def _send():
+            result = await node0.send("channel_e2e", content)
+            assert result.success, f"adapter.send failed: {result.error}"
+
+        _run_in_loop(loop, _send(), timeout_s=60)
+
+        def _all_chunks_arrived():
+            # Adapter frames multi-part sends as "(i/n) <chunk>"; the final
+            # chunk carries the message tail.
+            return any(str(r).rstrip().endswith("word59") for r in received)
+
+        _wait_for(_all_chunks_arrived, timeout_s=45, what="chunked outbound send at peer")
+
+    except Exception as exc:
+        # Fast-fail diagnostics: what arrived at the peer, and what the
+        # simulator itself logged (RF forwarding/routing noise).
+        tail = ""
+        try:
+            sim_log = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "..", "..", "meshtasticator-sim.log")
+            if not os.path.exists(sim_log):
+                sim_log = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "meshtasticator-sim.log")
+            if os.path.exists(sim_log):
+                tail = "\n".join(
+                    open(sim_log, errors="replace").read().splitlines()[-40:]
+                )
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"{exc}\nreceived at peer so far: {received[-10:]!r}\n"
+            f"--- meshtasticator-sim.log tail ---\n{tail}"
+        ) from exc
+    finally:
+        pub.unsubscribe(_on_receive, "meshtastic.receive.text")
+        peer.close()
diff --git a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/README.md b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78e3710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+# Meshtasticator e2e — radio-level validation for hermes-meshtastic
+
+This directory is the **radio-level counterpart** to the contract suite
+(`plugin/tests/contract`). The contract suite guarantees the adapter matches
+the Hermes gateway API; it cannot prove the adapter actually talks to a
+Meshtastic node. These e2e tests boot the
+[Meshtasticator](https://meshtastic.org/docs/software/meshtasticator/)
+interactive simulator — which runs the **real MeshtasticD device software**
+per node with a simulated LoRa PHY — and drive the adapter against a live
+simulated node.
+
+| Layer | Validated by |
+|---|---|
+| Adapter ↔ Hermes gateway API | `plugin/tests/contract` (no deployment) |
+| Adapter ↔ real MeshtasticD TCP/protobuf session | **this suite** |
+| Inbound text across the (simulated) LoRa mesh | **this suite** |
+| Outbound chunked sends arriving at another node | **this suite** |
+| True RF (silicon LoRa, real propagation, duty cycle) | physical radio only |
+
+## Layout
+
+```
+scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/
+  run_e2e.sh                  orchestrator: boots N nodes, runs pytest, tears down
+  tcp_forward.py              localhost->daemon TCP forward (remote docker daemons)
+  README.md                   this file
+plugin/tests/e2e/
+  test_meshtasticator_e2e.py  the e2e assertions (skip-gated)
+.gitea/workflows/
+  meshtasticator-e2e.yaml     on-demand CI job (docker-enabled runner)
+```
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+* **uv** + Python 3.13.
+* A contract venv with the real gateway **and** the plugin (with deps) installed:
+  ```bash
+  scripts/contract-test.sh                 # creates plugin/.venv-contract (hermes-agent pinned)
+  uv pip install --python plugin/.venv-contract/bin/python -e plugin
+  ```
+  (`-e plugin` installs the meshtastic client library the tests also use.)
+* A clone of Meshtasticator: `git clone https://github.com/meshtastic/meshtasticator`
+* Runtime for the simulator — pick one:
+  * **Docker** (simplest, works on macOS/Windows): the simulator pulls the
+    `meshtastic/meshtasticd` image on first run (slow once). Node TCP API ports
+    are published on your docker host's localhost, which is what the simulator
+    itself expects.
+  * **Linux native**: build MeshtasticD's `native` PlatformIO target and pass
+    the build dir with `--program`.
+* Optional but recommended: an isolated simulator venv, because Meshtasticator
+  pins old client libs (`meshtastic~=2.6.1` in its requirements.txt):
+  ```bash
+  uv venv --python 3.13 /tmp/sim-venv
+  uv pip install --python /tmp/sim-venv/bin/python \
+    -r <meshtasticator>/requirements.txt docker
+  export SIM_VENV=/tmp/sim-venv     # else the script uses plain `python3`
+  ```
+
+## Run
+
+```bash
+# Docker mode (default)
+MESHTASTICATOR_DIR=/path/to/meshtasticator \
+  scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
+
+# Linux native mode
+MESHTASTICATOR_DIR=/path/to/meshtasticator \
+  scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh \
+    --mode native --program /path/to/firmware/.pio/build/native
+
+# Tune the scenario
+  ... --nodes 3 --channel-index 0 --host 127.0.0.1
+```
+
+The orchestrator boots the simulator, waits until `N` node TCP API ports accept
+connections (Meshtasticator assigns node *n* → port `4404 + n`), then runs
+`pytest plugin/tests/e2e` with `MESHTASTICATOR_E2E=1`. Simulator output lands in
+`meshtasticator-sim.log` at the repo root.
+
+**Remote docker daemon** (`DOCKER_HOST=tcp://host:2375`): the simulator's own
+control connections assume nodes listen on localhost, so the script starts a
+`tcp_forward.py` per node port (localhost → daemon host) before booting the
+simulator. Nothing is forwarded when the daemon is local (unset/unix
+`DOCKER_HOST`). Readiness is probed on the *upstream* host (the daemon), never
+on the forwarders themselves.
+
+Other headless adaptations the script makes automatically:
+* patches `lib/gui.py` in the pinned Meshtasticator checkout: forces the Agg
+  backend (the code calls `matplotlib.use("TkAgg")` at import) and makes
+  `move_figure()` a no-op when no Tk window manager exists (its unconditional
+  `canvas.manager.window` access crashes under Agg at Graph construction).
+  Only the interactive GUI modes, never used by this harness, are lost,
+* warms the `meshtastic/meshtasticd` image (`docker pull`) before booting the
+  simulator so the pull is not on the simulator's node-boot critical path,
+* feeds the simulator's interactive `cmdloop` from a FIFO held open until
+  teardown — an EOF stdin (e.g. CI) would otherwise make it exit right after
+  booting the nodes.
+
+Without `MESHTASTICATOR_E2E=1` the e2e module skips, so ordinary unit/CI runs
+stay fast and gateway-free.
+
+## CI
+
+`.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml` runs the whole flow on a
+docker-enabled runner (on demand via `workflow_dispatch` until validated, then
+flip on the commented `pull_request` trigger): it builds the Hermes contract
+env (pinned like `release.yaml`), installs the plugin with deps, clones
+Meshtasticator at a pinned commit, installs the simulator's own requirements in
+an isolated venv, and calls `run_e2e.sh --mode docker`. Simulator logs print on
+failure. Only one e2e run at a time (the sim hardcodes the `Meshtastic`
+container/volume name on the shared daemon).
+
+## What the tests do
+
+1. **Inbound**: peer node 1 broadcasts text; the adapter (connected to node 0)
+   must receive it as a real gateway `MessageEvent` (`host/port/channel_index`
+   come from `E2E_PORTS`/`E2E_HOST`/`E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX`).
+2. **Outbound**: the adapter sends a >180-char message; it must be chunked and
+   the final chunk (`(i/n) … word59`) must arrive at peer node 1.
+
+A `_ProbeAdapter` subclass records inbound events instead of dispatching to a
+Hermes agent handler (no agent runs in these tests; dispatch is already covered
+by the contract suite).
+
+## Status / open items (v1 scaffold)
+
+This is an initial, structurally validated scaffold. A full green run still
+needs to happen on a Linux/Docker host with a MeshtasticD build, and these
+items are expected to need iteration there:
+
+* **Node adjacency**: the simulator's default random placement may put nodes out
+  of range. For deterministic tests, seed close-together coordinates (the sim
+  supports `--from-file` with an `out/nodeConfig.yaml`).
+* **Channel semantics**: tests default to channel index 0 (stock primary
+  channel). Mirroring production (channel 1 / private channel) requires
+  configuring matching channels on the simulated nodes.
+* **Reconnect flow**: killing/restarting a single simulated node needs per-node
+  lifecycle control (native mode subprocesses; docker mode currently runs all
+  nodes in one container), so the adapter's watchdog reconnect is **not** yet
+  exercised here. See the watchdog unit coverage in the adapter for now.
+* **CI validation run**: `.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml` is drafted
+  and on-demand only; it still needs a first green run on the docker-enabled
+  runner (topology assumptions: docker reachable from the job, node ports on
+  the job's localhost via the automatic tcp forwards). Trigger it via
+  `workflow_dispatch`, watch the sim log step, and only then enable the
+  `pull_request` trigger.
diff --git a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..df34a94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,297 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Boot N Meshtasticator nodes and run the plugin's radio-level e2e tests
+# (plugin/tests/e2e) against node 0.
+#
+# Meshtasticator's interactive simulator (https://meshtastic.org/docs/software/meshtasticator/)
+# runs the real MeshtasticD device software per node and simulates the LoRa
+# PHY, so these tests exercise the adapter's real TCP/protobuf session,
+# inbound/outbound text flow across the simulated mesh, and chunked sends —
+# without physical radios. It cannot validate silicon-level RF.
+#
+# Prerequisites
+#   * Linux host, OR Docker (macOS/Windows): the simulator auto-falls back to
+#     Docker on non-Linux and can build MeshtasticD itself (`-d`).
+#   * Native Linux mode: build MeshtasticD's 'native' target (PlatformIO,
+#     select 'native') and pass --program <dir containing binary 'program'>.
+#   * uv + python 3.13 for the contract venv (plugin/.venv-contract).
+#
+# Docker on a remote daemon: if DOCKER_HOST points at a tcp:// daemon, the
+# simulator's own control connections assume nodes listen on localhost, so
+# this script starts lightweight localhost->daemon TCP forwarders for the node
+# ports first (scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/tcp_forward.py). Nothing is
+# forwarded when the daemon is local (unset/unix DOCKER_HOST).
+#
+# Usage
+#   MESHTASTICATOR_DIR=/path/to/meshtasticator scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
+#   # docker mode (default):     ... run_e2e.sh --mode docker
+#   # native mode:               ... run_e2e.sh --mode native --program /path/to/firmware/.pio/build/native
+#   # node count / channel:      ... run_e2e.sh --nodes 3 --channel-index 0
+#
+# Environment
+#   MESHTASTICATOR_DIR  path to a clone of github.com/meshtastic/meshtasticator
+#   E2E_VENV            python env with hermes-agent + plugin deps installed
+#                       (default: plugin/.venv-contract — see scripts/contract-test.sh,
+#                       then `uv pip install --python plugin/.venv-contract/bin/python -e plugin`)
+#   SIM_VENV            optional python env holding the simulator's deps
+#                       (meshtasticator/requirements.txt + `pip install docker`);
+#                       defaults to plain `python3`.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)"
+SIM_DIR="${MESHTASTICATOR_DIR:?set MESHTASTICATOR_DIR to a meshtasticator clone}"
+NODES=3
+MODE=docker
+PROGRAM=""
+CHANNEL_INDEX=0
+HOST=127.0.0.1
+VENV="${E2E_VENV:-$REPO_ROOT/plugin/.venv-contract}"
+if [ -n "${SIM_VENV:-}" ]; then
+  SIM_PYTHON="$SIM_VENV/bin/python"
+else
+  SIM_PYTHON="${SIM_PYTHON:-python3}"
+fi
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --nodes) NODES="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+    --mode) MODE="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+    --program) PROGRAM="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+    --channel-index) CHANNEL_INDEX="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+    --host) HOST="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+    *) echo "unknown arg: $1" >&2; exit 2 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "uv required" >&2; exit 1; }
+[ -d "$SIM_DIR" ] || { echo "meshtasticator not found at $SIM_DIR" >&2; exit 1; }
+[ -x "$VENV/bin/python" ] || { echo "e2e venv missing at $VENV (see scripts/contract-test.sh)" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+export MPLBACKEND=Agg   # headless matplotlib (no display needed)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Remote-daemon port forwarding: Meshtasticator talks to nodes on localhost.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+DOCKER_TARGET=""
+if [[ "${DOCKER_HOST:-}" == tcp://* ]]; then
+  DOCKER_TARGET="${DOCKER_HOST#tcp://}"
+  DOCKER_TARGET="${DOCKER_TARGET%%:*}"
+  if [ "$DOCKER_TARGET" = "127.0.0.1" ] || [ "$DOCKER_TARGET" = "localhost" ]; then
+    DOCKER_TARGET=""
+  fi
+fi
+FWD_PIDS=()
+PORT_BASE=4404  # matches meshtasticator lib/interactive.py TCP_PORT_OFFSET
+
+start_forwards() {
+  for ((i = 0; i < NODES; i++)); do
+    port=$((PORT_BASE + i))
+    "$VENV/bin/python" "$REPO_ROOT/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/tcp_forward.py" \
+      --listen "127.0.0.1:$port" --target "$DOCKER_TARGET:$port" >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+    FWD_PIDS+=("$!")
+  done
+  sleep 1
+}
+
+SIM_LOG="$REPO_ROOT/meshtasticator-sim.log"
+# Deterministic topology: random placement may leave nodes out of range
+# (nothing was ever delivered between nodes). Provide a --from-file scenario
+# with all nodes within ~10 m of each other so RF adjacency is guaranteed.
+NODE_CONF_DIR="$SIM_DIR/out"
+mkdir -p "$NODE_CONF_DIR"
+"$VENV/bin/python" - "$NODE_CONF_DIR/nodeConfig.yaml" "$NODES" <<'PY'
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+path, count = sys.argv[1], int(sys.argv[2])
+conf = {}
+for i in range(count):
+    x = float((i - (count - 1) / 2) * 10.0)   # 10 m spacing around the origin
+    conf[i] = {
+        "x": x, "y": 0.0, "z": 1.0,
+        "isRouter": False, "isRepeater": False, "isClientMute": False,
+        "hopLimit": 3, "antennaGain": 0, "neighborInfo": False,
+    }
+Path(path).write_text(
+    "".join(f"{k}:\n" + "".join(f"  {ck}: {cv}\n" for ck, cv in v.items())
+            for k, v in conf.items())
+)
+print(f"wrote deterministic node scenario ({count} nodes) to {path}")
+PY
+SIM_ARGS=("--from-file" -v)   # node count/positions come from nodeConfig.yaml
+if [ "$MODE" = native ]; then
+  [ -n "$PROGRAM" ] && [ -d "$PROGRAM" ] || { echo "--mode native needs --program <dir>" >&2; exit 2; }
+  SIM_ARGS+=(-p "$PROGRAM")
+else
+  SIM_ARGS+=(-d)
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$DOCKER_TARGET" ]; then
+  echo "== remote docker daemon detected ($DOCKER_TARGET): starting localhost port forwards =="
+  start_forwards
+  PROBE_HOST="$DOCKER_TARGET"
+else
+  PROBE_HOST="$HOST"
+fi
+
+# The simulator assumes an interactive Tk desktop: lib/gui.py forces
+# matplotlib.use("TkAgg") at import and move_figure() touches the Tk window
+# manager at Graph construction — both crash headless runs even under
+# MPLBACKEND=Agg. Neutralize them in the pinned checkout (only the interactive
+# GUI modes, never used by this harness, are lost).
+echo "== patching meshtasticator lib/gui.py for headless runs =="
+"$VENV/bin/python" - "$SIM_DIR" <<'PY'
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+gui = Path(sys.argv[1]) / "lib/gui.py"
+src = gui.read_text()
+
+src = src.replace('matplotlib.use("TkAgg")', 'matplotlib.use("Agg")')
+
+old = 'def move_figure(fig, x, y):\n    fig.canvas.manager.window.wm_geometry("+%d+%d" % (x, y))'
+new = ('def move_figure(fig, x, y):\n'
+       '    # Headless (Agg) backends have no Tk window manager.\n'
+       '    try:\n'
+       '        fig.canvas.manager.window.wm_geometry("+%d+%d" % (x, y))\n'
+       '    except AttributeError:\n'
+       '        pass')
+assert old in src, "move_figure source no longer matches the pinned meshtasticator"
+src = src.replace(old, new)
+gui.write_text(src)
+print("patched lib/gui.py")
+
+# --- RF instrumentation (prints land in meshtasticator-sim.log) ---------------
+# Why nothing is delivered between nodes is not yet known; log every packet the
+# sim's per-node interfaces observe so the next failing run explains itself.
+interactive = Path(sys.argv[1]) / "lib" / "interactive.py"
+src = interactive.read_text()
+
+old = '    def on_receive(self, interface, packet):\n'
+new = old + (
+    '        print(f"[sim] on_receive port={getattr(interface, \'portNumber\', None)} '
+    'decoded_keys={list(packet.get(\'decoded\', {}).keys())}")\n'
+)
+assert old in src, "on_receive signature moved in the pinned meshtasticator"
+src = src.replace(old, new, 1)
+
+old = '            pub.subscribe(self.on_receive, "meshtastic.receive.simulator")'
+new = old + (
+    '\n            pub.subscribe('
+    'lambda interface, packet: print(f"[sim-text] port={getattr(interface, \'portNumber\', None)} '
+    'text={packet.get(\'decoded\', {}).get(\'text\')!r}"), "meshtastic.receive.text")'
+)
+assert old in src, "simulator subscription moved in the pinned meshtasticator"
+src = src.replace(old, new, 1)
+
+old = '            rxs, rssis, snrs = self.calc_receivers(transmitter, receivers)'
+new = old + (
+    '\n            print(f"[sim] TX node={transmitter.nodeid} candidates={[n.nodeid for n in receivers]} '
+    'rxs={[n.nodeid for n in rxs]} rssis={rssis}")'
+)
+assert old in src, "calc_receivers call moved in the pinned meshtasticator"
+src = src.replace(old, new, 1)
+
+interactive.write_text(src)
+print("patched lib/interactive.py (RF instrumentation)")
+PY
+
+if [ "$MODE" = docker ]; then
+  # Warm the node image on the (possibly remote) daemon first: the simulator
+  # starts node processes ~4s after the container is created and control
+  # connections must succeed quickly, so the pull cannot sit in that path.
+  echo "== warming meshtastic/meshtasticd image =="
+  docker pull meshtastic/meshtasticd
+fi
+
+echo "== booting Meshtasticator ($MODE) with $NODES node(s) from $SIM_DIR =="
+# The simulator ends in an interactive cmdloop reading stdin; an EOF there
+# (e.g. CI) would make it exit right after booting the nodes. Feed it from a
+# FIFO whose write end this shell keeps open until cleanup.
+SIM_FIFO="$(mktemp -u /tmp/meshtasticator-XXXXXX.fifo)"
+mkfifo "$SIM_FIFO"
+(
+  cd "$SIM_DIR"
+  "$SIM_PYTHON" interactiveSim.py "${SIM_ARGS[@]}" <"$SIM_FIFO" >"$SIM_LOG" 2>&1
+) &
+SIM_PID=$!
+exec 9>"$SIM_FIFO"   # hold the write end open -> sim stdin never hits EOF
+rm -f "$SIM_FIFO"
+
+cleanup() {
+  echo "== tearing down simulator (pid $SIM_PID) =="
+  # Graceful 'exit' through the cmdloop (avoids hundreds of EOF spam lines in
+  # sim.log and lets the sim close its own nodes/container).
+  echo exit >&9 2>/dev/null || true
+  sleep 2
+  exec 9>&- 2>/dev/null || true   # release the FIFO write end (sim stdin EOF)
+  kill "$SIM_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+  wait "$SIM_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+  for pid in "${FWD_PIDS[@]:-}"; do
+    kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+  done
+  if [ "$MODE" = docker ]; then
+    # The sim names its container/volume (auto_remove only fires on stop).
+    docker rm -f Meshtastic >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    docker volume rm Meshtasticator >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  fi
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+echo "== waiting for $NODES node TCP API port(s) to accept connections =="
+READY=""
+for _ in $(seq 1 180); do   # up to ~5 min: docker pulls meshtastic/meshtasticd on first run
+  # Probe the upstream node host (the docker daemon when forwards are active,
+  # localhost otherwise) — probing the forwarders themselves would always pass.
+  READY="$("$VENV/bin/python" - "$PROBE_HOST" "$NODES" <<'PY' || true
+import socket, sys
+host, count = sys.argv[1], int(sys.argv[2])
+found = []
+# Meshtasticator assigns node n -> TCP port starting at 4404 (see
+# lib/interactive.py TCP_PORT_OFFSET); probe a small window to be safe.
+for port in range(4403, 4403 + 16):
+    try:
+        with socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout=0.5):
+            found.append(port)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+    if len(found) >= count:
+        break
+print(",".join(map(str, found[:count])))
+PY
+)"
+  if [ -n "$READY" ]; then
+    break
+  fi
+  sleep 2
+done
+if [ -z "$READY" ]; then
+  echo "error: no Meshtasticator node ports became reachable on $PROBE_HOST (see $SIM_LOG)" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+echo "   node ports: $READY (probed on $PROBE_HOST)"
+
+# Ports accept before the node firmware finished booting inside the container;
+# give meshtasticd a moment to open its TCP API for real.
+echo "== settling (node firmware boot) =="
+sleep 15
+
+echo "== running radio-level e2e tests =="
+(
+  cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+  MESHTASTICATOR_E2E=1 \
+  E2E_HOST="$HOST" \
+  E2E_PORTS="$READY" \
+  E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX="$CHANNEL_INDEX" \
+    "$VENV/bin/python" -m pytest plugin/tests/e2e -q "$@"
+)
+RC=$?
+
+if [ $RC -ne 0 ] && [ "$MODE" = docker ]; then
+  # Capture per-node meshtasticd logs before cleanup removes the container.
+  echo "== dumping node logs (pytest rc=$RC) =="
+  docker exec Meshtastic sh -c 'for f in /home/out_*.log; do echo "----- $f -----"; tail -n 60 "$f" 2>/dev/null; done' \
+    >"$REPO_ROOT/meshtasticator-nodes.log" 2>&1 || true
+  echo "   node logs: $REPO_ROOT/meshtasticator-nodes.log"
+fi
+
+exit $RC
diff --git a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/tcp_forward.py b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/tcp_forward.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b543120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/tcp_forward.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Minimal TCP forwarder used by run_e2e.sh when the Docker daemon is remote.
+
+Meshtasticator's interactive simulator always connects to its simulated nodes
+at localhost:<port> (lib/interactive.py init_communication). On a Gitea
+Actions runner whose Docker daemon is remote (e.g. DOCKER_HOST=tcp://docker.local:2375)
+the container-published node ports live on the *daemon* host, not the job's
+localhost — so we bind 127.0.0.1:<port> in the job and forward to the daemon
+host, restoring the localhost view the simulator (and our e2e tests) expect.
+
+Usage: tcp_forward.py --listen 127.0.0.1:4404 --target docker.local:4404
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import socket
+import threading
+
+
+def _forward(src: socket.socket, dst: socket.socket):
+    try:
+        while True:
+            data = src.recv(65536)
+            if not data:
+                break
+            dst.sendall(data)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+    finally:
+        try:
+            dst.shutdown(socket.SHUT_WR)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+
+
+def _handle(client: socket.socket, target_addr):
+    try:
+        upstream = socket.create_connection(target_addr, timeout=10)
+    except OSError:
+        client.close()
+        return
+    t = threading.Thread(target=_forward, args=(client, upstream), daemon=True)
+    t.start()
+    _forward(upstream, client)
+    client.close()
+    upstream.close()
+
+
+def main():
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    ap.add_argument("--listen", required=True, help="local bind, e.g. 127.0.0.1:4404")
+    ap.add_argument("--target", required=True, help="forward target, e.g. docker.local:4404")
+    args = ap.parse_args()
+
+    lhost, lport = args.listen.rsplit(":", 1)
+    thost, tport = args.target.rsplit(":", 1)
+    target_addr = (thost, int(tport))
+
+    listener = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    listener.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
+    listener.bind((lhost, int(lport)))
+    listener.listen(16)
+    print(f"forwarding {args.listen} -> {args.target}", flush=True)
+
+    while True:
+        client, _ = listener.accept()
+        threading.Thread(target=_handle, args=(client, target_addr), daemon=True).start()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()