diff --git a/test/liveDetectionFunctionalChain.test.js b/test/liveDetectionFunctionalChain.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5583419
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/liveDetectionFunctionalChain.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+const test = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const Database = require('better-sqlite3');
+const {
+    ensureColumns,
+    LIVE_PROJECTION_COLUMNS,
+    LIVE_PROJECTION_SCHEMA_SQL
+} = require('../server/db/liveProjectionSchema');
+const liveProjection = require('../server/services/liveProjectionService');
+const frontendProjection = require('../public/js/services/liveChannelProjection.js');
+const grouping = require('../public/js/services/channelVariantGrouping.js');
+const { channelListWarning } = require('../public/js/services/layaStatusPresentation.js');
+
+function createFunctionalDb() {
+    const db = new Database(':memory:');
+    db.exec(`
+        CREATE TABLE categories (
+            id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+            source_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
+            category_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+            type TEXT NOT NULL,
+            name TEXT NOT NULL,
+            parent_id TEXT,
+            is_hidden INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+            data JSON
+        );
+        CREATE TABLE playlist_items (
+            id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+            source_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
+            item_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+            type TEXT NOT NULL,
+            name TEXT NOT NULL,
+            category_id TEXT,
+            parent_id TEXT,
+            stream_icon TEXT,
+            stream_url TEXT,
+            container_extension TEXT,
+            rating REAL,
+            year TEXT,
+            added_at TEXT,
+            is_hidden INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+            is_favorite INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+            data JSON
+        );
+        CREATE TABLE favorites (
+            id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+            user_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
+            source_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
+            item_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+            item_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+            created_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
+            UNIQUE(user_id, source_id, item_id, item_type)
+        );
+    `);
+    ensureColumns(db, 'playlist_items', LIVE_PROJECTION_COLUMNS);
+    db.exec(LIVE_PROJECTION_SCHEMA_SQL);
+    return db;
+}
+
+function seedCategory(db, categoryId, name, extra = {}) {
+    db.prepare(`
+        INSERT INTO categories (id, source_id, category_id, type, name, is_hidden, data)
+        VALUES (?, 1, ?, 'live', ?, ?, '{}')
+    `).run(`1:${categoryId}`, categoryId, name, extra.isHidden ? 1 : 0);
+}
+
+function seedChannel(db, itemId, name, categoryId, extra = {}) {
+    db.prepare(`
+        INSERT INTO playlist_items
+            (id, source_id, item_id, type, name, category_id, stream_icon, stream_url, is_hidden, data)
+        VALUES (?, 1, ?, 'live', ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+    `).run(
+        `1:${itemId}`,
+        itemId,
+        name,
+        categoryId,
+        `${itemId}.png`,
+        `https://streams.test/${itemId}.m3u8`,
+        extra.isHidden ? 1 : 0,
+        JSON.stringify({
+            tvgId: extra.tvgId || null,
+            groupTitle: extra.groupTitle || undefined
+        })
+    );
+}
+
+test('functional live detection chain keeps categories and language selection correct after Laya fallback', async () => {
+    const db = createFunctionalDb();
+    seedCategory(db, 'sports-fr', 'Sports France');
+    seedCategory(db, 'sports-uk', 'UK Sports');
+    seedCategory(db, 'events', 'Sports Events');
+    seedChannel(db, 'fr-sd', '|FR| Sports One SD', 'sports-fr', { tvgId: 'sports.one.fr' });
+    seedChannel(db, 'fr-4k-hidden', '|FR| Sports One 4K', 'sports-fr', { isHidden: true, tvgId: 'sports.one.fr.4k' });
+    seedChannel(db, 'en-4k', '|UK| Sports One 4K', 'sports-uk', { tvgId: 'sports.one.uk' });
+    seedChannel(db, 'bein-main', 'beIN Sports 1 HD', 'events');
+    seedChannel(db, 'bein-event', 'Partner beIN Sports 1 Event', 'events');
+    db.prepare(`
+        INSERT INTO favorites (user_id, source_id, item_id, item_type)
+        VALUES (7, 1, 'fr-sd', 'channel')
+    `).run();
+
+    let layaRequests = 0;
+    const state = await liveProjection.rebuildWithSignals(db, {
+        mode: 'hybrid',
+        layaClient: {
+            identityHintBatch: async () => {
+                layaRequests += 1;
+                throw new Error('simulated local AI failure');
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    assert.equal(layaRequests, 1);
+    assert.equal(state.status, 'success');
+    assert.equal(state.error, null);
+
+    const rawRows = db.prepare(`
+        SELECT item_id, logical_channel_id, grouping_fingerprint
+        FROM playlist_items
+        WHERE item_id IN ('fr-sd', 'fr-4k-hidden', 'en-4k')
+        ORDER BY item_id
+    `).all();
+    assert.deepEqual(rawRows.map(row => row.item_id), ['en-4k', 'fr-4k-hidden', 'fr-sd']);
+    assert.equal(new Set(rawRows.map(row => row.logical_channel_id)).size, 1);
+    assert.deepEqual([...new Set(rawRows.map(row => row.grouping_fingerprint))], ['sports one']);
+
+    const apiChannels = liveProjection.getChannels({ includeHidden: true, userId: 7 }, db);
+    const sportsOne = apiChannels.find(channel => channel.fingerprint === 'sports one');
+    assert.ok(sportsOne);
+    assert.deepEqual(
+        sportsOne.variants
+            .map(variant => [variant.id, variant.categoryName, variant.isHidden, variant.isFavorite])
+            .sort((left, right) => left[0].localeCompare(right[0])),
+        [
+            ['en-4k', 'UK Sports', false, false],
+            ['fr-4k-hidden', 'Sports France', true, false],
+            ['fr-sd', 'Sports France', false, true]
+        ]
+    );
+
+    const mapped = frontendProjection.mapResponse({
+        projection: { status: 'success', stale: false },
+        channels: apiChannels
+    }, [{ id: 1, type: 'm3u', name: 'Fixture Provider France' }]);
+    const warning = channelListWarning('hybrid', { modelPresent: true, runtimeAvailable: true }, true);
+    const logical = grouping.groupChannels(mapped.channels, {
+        languageMode: warning ? 'algo' : 'hybrid',
+        preferredLanguage: 'fr',
+        isFavorite: variant => mapped.favorites.has(`${variant.sourceId}:${variant.id}`),
+        isHidden: variant => mapped.hiddenItems.has(`channel:${variant.sourceId}:${variant.streamId || variant.id}`)
+    });
+    const frontendSportsOne = logical.find(channel => channel.fingerprint === 'sports one');
+
+    assert.equal(
+        warning,
+        'Local AI language detection failed. Channels were grouped with Standard matching and remain available.'
+    );
+    assert.ok(frontendSportsOne);
+    assert.equal(frontendSportsOne.variants.length, 3);
+    assert.deepEqual(frontendSportsOne.availableLanguages.map(language => language.code).sort(), ['en', 'fr']);
+    assert.equal(frontendSportsOne.preferredVariant.id, 'fr-sd');
+    assert.equal(frontendSportsOne.preferredVariant.groupTitle, 'Sports France');
+    assert.equal(frontendSportsOne.isFavorite, true);
+    assert.equal(frontendSportsOne.isHidden, false);
+    assert.equal(grouping.orderFlatChannels(logical).length, logical.length);
+});