diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Diagnostics/AuthStoreHealthCheck.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Diagnostics/AuthStoreHealthCheck.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59f1544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Diagnostics/AuthStoreHealthCheck.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Diagnostics.HealthChecks;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server.Security.Authentication;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server.Diagnostics;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Readiness probe: verifies the SQLite authentication store is reachable. The gateway
+/// authenticates every gRPC call against this store, so its reachability gates readiness.
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class AuthStoreHealthCheck : IHealthCheck
+{
+    private readonly AuthSqliteConnectionFactory _connectionFactory;
+
+    public AuthStoreHealthCheck(AuthSqliteConnectionFactory connectionFactory) =>
+        _connectionFactory = connectionFactory ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(connectionFactory));
+
+    public async Task<HealthCheckResult> CheckHealthAsync(
+        HealthCheckContext context,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            await using SqliteConnection connection =
+                await _connectionFactory.OpenConnectionAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await using SqliteCommand command = connection.CreateCommand();
+            command.CommandText = "SELECT 1;";
+            await command.ExecuteScalarAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            return HealthCheckResult.Healthy("Auth store is reachable.");
+        }
+        catch (OperationCanceledException) when (cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)
+        {
+            throw;
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            return HealthCheckResult.Unhealthy("Auth store is unreachable.", ex);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Diagnostics/AuthStoreHealthCheckTests.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Diagnostics/AuthStoreHealthCheckTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a9aa1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Diagnostics/AuthStoreHealthCheckTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Diagnostics.HealthChecks;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server.Configuration;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server.Diagnostics;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server.Security.Authentication;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests.Diagnostics;
+
+public sealed class AuthStoreHealthCheckTests
+{
+    private static AuthSqliteConnectionFactory FactoryFor(string sqlitePath)
+    {
+        // GatewayOptions.Authentication and AuthenticationOptions.SqlitePath are both
+        // init-only, so populate them through object initializers.
+        var options = new GatewayOptions
+        {
+            Authentication = new AuthenticationOptions { SqlitePath = sqlitePath },
+        };
+        return new AuthSqliteConnectionFactory(Options.Create(options));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Healthy_WhenStoreReachable()
+    {
+        var path = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"authcheck-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.db");
+        try
+        {
+            var check = new AuthStoreHealthCheck(FactoryFor(path));
+            var result = await check.CheckHealthAsync(new HealthCheckContext());
+            Assert.Equal(HealthStatus.Healthy, result.Status);
+        }
+        finally { if (File.Exists(path)) File.Delete(path); }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Unhealthy_WhenPathUnusable()
+    {
+        // A regular file used as a parent directory forces the open to fail.
+        var bogus = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"authcheck-{Guid.NewGuid():N}");
+        await File.WriteAllTextAsync(bogus, "x");
+        try
+        {
+            var check = new AuthStoreHealthCheck(FactoryFor(Path.Combine(bogus, "store.db")));
+            var result = await check.CheckHealthAsync(new HealthCheckContext());
+            Assert.Equal(HealthStatus.Unhealthy, result.Status);
+        }
+        finally { if (File.Exists(bogus)) File.Delete(bogus); }
+    }
+}