diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/admin/SystemSettingsClient.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/admin/SystemSettingsClient.tsx
index f1e5f83..aeaf39a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/admin/SystemSettingsClient.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/admin/SystemSettingsClient.tsx
@@ -257,6 +257,12 @@ export function SystemSettingsClient() {
     },
   });
 
+  const [geminiTestResult, setGeminiTestResult] = useState<{ ok: boolean; model?: string; error?: string } | null>(null);
+  const testGeminiMut = trpc.settings.testGeminiConnection.useMutation({
+    onSuccess: (data) => setGeminiTestResult(data as any),
+    onError: (err) => setGeminiTestResult({ ok: false, error: err.message }),
+  });
+
   function handleSaveSmtp() {
     saveSmtpMutation.mutate({
       smtpHost: smtpHost || undefined,
@@ -1187,7 +1193,7 @@ export function SystemSettingsClient() {
           </div>
         )}
 
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-3 pt-1">
+        <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3 pt-1">
           <button
             type="button"
             className={PRIMARY_BUTTON_CLASS}
@@ -1196,10 +1202,31 @@ export function SystemSettingsClient() {
           >
             {saveImageMutation.isPending ? "Saving..." : "Save Image Settings"}
           </button>
+          {imageProvider === "gemini" && (
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              className="px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200 rounded-lg hover:bg-gray-50 dark:hover:bg-gray-700 text-sm font-medium disabled:opacity-50"
+              disabled={testGeminiMut.isPending}
+              onClick={() => testGeminiMut.mutate()}
+            >
+              {testGeminiMut.isPending ? "Testing..." : "Test Gemini"}
+            </button>
+          )}
           {imageSaved && (
             <span className="text-sm font-medium text-green-600 dark:text-green-400">Saved</span>
           )}
         </div>
+        {geminiTestResult && (
+          <div className={`mt-3 rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-sm ${
+            geminiTestResult.ok
+              ? "bg-green-50 text-green-700 border border-green-200 dark:bg-green-900/20 dark:text-green-300 dark:border-green-800"
+              : "bg-red-50 text-red-700 border border-red-200 dark:bg-red-900/20 dark:text-red-300 dark:border-red-800"
+          }`}>
+            {geminiTestResult.ok
+              ? `Gemini image generation works! Model: ${(geminiTestResult as any).model}`
+              : `Test failed: ${(geminiTestResult as any).error}`}
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
 
       {/* ── SMTP / Email ──────────────────────────────────────────── */}
diff --git a/packages/api/src/router/settings.ts b/packages/api/src/router/settings.ts
index 9aa2f0d..d1ddba5 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/router/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/router/settings.ts
@@ -319,6 +319,48 @@ export const settingsRouter = createTRPCRouter({
     return result;
   }),
 
+  testGeminiConnection: adminProcedure.mutation(async ({ ctx }) => {
+    const settings = await ctx.db.systemSettings.findUnique({
+      where: { id: "singleton" },
+      select: { geminiApiKey: true, geminiModel: true },
+    });
+
+    if (!settings?.geminiApiKey) {
+      return { ok: false, error: "Gemini API key is not configured." };
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const { generateGeminiImage } = await import("../gemini-client.js");
+      const model = settings.geminiModel ?? "gemini-2.0-flash-preview-image-generation";
+
+      // Generate a tiny test image with a simple prompt
+      const dataUrl = await generateGeminiImage(
+        settings.geminiApiKey,
+        "A simple blue circle on white background, minimal, 256x256",
+        model,
+      );
+
+      const hasImage = dataUrl.startsWith("data:image/");
+
+      void createAuditEntry({
+        db: ctx.db,
+        entityType: "SystemSettings",
+        entityId: "singleton",
+        entityName: "Gemini Connection Test",
+        action: "UPDATE",
+        userId: ctx.dbUser?.id,
+        after: { testResult: hasImage ? "success" : "failed" },
+        source: "ui",
+        summary: hasImage ? "Gemini image generation test succeeded" : "Gemini test returned no image",
+      });
+
+      return { ok: hasImage, model, preview: hasImage ? dataUrl.slice(0, 100) + "..." : undefined };
+    } catch (err) {
+      const { parseGeminiError } = await import("../gemini-client.js");
+      return { ok: false, error: parseGeminiError(err) };
+    }
+  }),
+
   getAiConfigured: protectedProcedure.query(async ({ ctx }) => {
     const settings = await ctx.db.systemSettings.findUnique({
       where: { id: "singleton" },