diff --git a/src/timmy/cli.py b/src/timmy/cli.py
index 958325f..6d195e1 100644
--- a/src/timmy/cli.py
+++ b/src/timmy/cli.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import typer
 
 from timmy.agent import create_timmy
+from timmy.prompts import TIMMY_STATUS_PROMPT
 
 app = typer.Typer(help="Timmy — sovereign AI agent")
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ def chat(message: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Message to send")):
 def status():
     """Print Timmy's operational status."""
     timmy = create_timmy()
-    timmy.print_response("Brief status report — one sentence.", stream=False)
+    timmy.print_response(TIMMY_STATUS_PROMPT, stream=False)
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e649fd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+from typer.testing import CliRunner
+
+from timmy.cli import app
+from timmy.prompts import TIMMY_STATUS_PROMPT
+
+runner = CliRunner()
+
+
+def test_status_uses_status_prompt():
+    """status command must pass TIMMY_STATUS_PROMPT to the agent."""
+    mock_timmy = MagicMock()
+
+    with patch("timmy.cli.create_timmy", return_value=mock_timmy):
+        runner.invoke(app, ["status"])
+
+    mock_timmy.print_response.assert_called_once_with(TIMMY_STATUS_PROMPT, stream=False)
+
+
+def test_status_does_not_use_inline_string():
+    """status command must not pass the old inline hardcoded string."""
+    mock_timmy = MagicMock()
+
+    with patch("timmy.cli.create_timmy", return_value=mock_timmy):
+        runner.invoke(app, ["status"])
+
+    call_args = mock_timmy.print_response.call_args
+    assert call_args[0][0] != "Brief status report — one sentence."