diff --git a/Game/tests/control_plane_smoke.gd b/Game/tests/control_plane_smoke.gd
index 0a3d108d..6ac53be7 100644
--- a/Game/tests/control_plane_smoke.gd
+++ b/Game/tests/control_plane_smoke.gd
@@ -65,10 +65,12 @@ func _on_request_succeeded(operation: String, payload: Dictionary) -> void:
 		return
 	match operation:
 		"steam_session":
-			print("SMOKE: logged in as %s, creating a queue ticket..." % ControlPlaneClient.player_id)
-			var err := ControlPlaneClient.queue_create(_ticket_id, "casual", "smoke-build", 1)
+			print("SMOKE: logged in as %s, fetching ranked profile (expect none yet)..." % ControlPlaneClient.player_id)
+			var err := ControlPlaneClient.fetch_ranked_profile()
 			if err != OK:
-				_finish(false, "queue_create() failed to start: %s" % error_string(err))
+				_finish(false, "fetch_ranked_profile() failed to start: %s" % error_string(err))
+		"ranked_profile":
+			_finish(false, "a brand-new testkit identity unexpectedly already has a ranked profile: %s" % payload)
 		"queue_create":
 			if payload.get("ticket_id", "") != _ticket_id or payload.get("state", "") != "QUEUED":
 				_finish(false, "unexpected queue_create payload: %s" % payload)
@@ -123,6 +125,15 @@ func _send_cancel_once_idle() -> void:
 func _on_request_failed(operation: String, http_code: int, detail: String) -> void:
 	if _finished:
 		return
+	if operation == "ranked_profile" and http_code == HTTPClient.RESPONSE_NOT_FOUND:
+		# Expected: a brand-new testkit identity has no ratings row yet, and
+		# the real store adapter reports that the same way the in-memory
+		# fallback it replaced always did -- not found, not an error.
+		print("SMOKE: ranked profile correctly reports not found, creating a queue ticket...")
+		var err := ControlPlaneClient.queue_create(_ticket_id, "casual", "smoke-build", 1)
+		if err != OK:
+			_finish(false, "queue_create() failed to start: %s" % error_string(err))
+		return
 	_finish(false, "%s failed: http=%d detail=%s" % [operation, http_code, detail])