diff --git a/crates/chanora_audio/tests/poisoned_mutex_survival.rs b/crates/chanora_audio/tests/poisoned_mutex_survival.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ba285b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/chanora_audio/tests/poisoned_mutex_survival.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+//! Poisoned-mutex survival test for audio callbacks (TODO-016).
+//!
+//! Verifies that the `unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())` recovery
+//! pattern used throughout chanora_audio produces usable values
+//! rather than panicking when a mutex is poisoned.
+
+use std::panic;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+/// Simulates a simple config guard behind a mutex, matching the
+/// pattern used by `audio_processing_config` in the engine.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+struct DummyConfig {
+    gain: f32,
+    muted: bool,
+}
+
+impl Default for DummyConfig {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            gain: 1.0,
+            muted: false,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Poisons a `Mutex<T>` by panicking while holding its lock,
+/// then catches the panic so the test can continue.
+fn poison_mutex<T: Default>(mx: &Mutex<T>) {
+    let _ = panic::catch_unwind(panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
+        let _guard = mx.lock().unwrap();
+        panic!("deliberate poison");
+    }));
+}
+
+/// Helper that mirrors the exact recovery pattern used in production:
+/// `lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())`.
+fn recover<T>(mx: &Mutex<T>) -> std::sync::MutexGuard<'_, T> {
+    mx.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Test 1: Basic poison recovery returns the inner value.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#[test]
+fn poison_recovery_returns_inner_value() {
+    let mx = Mutex::new(DummyConfig::default());
+    {
+        let mut g = mx.lock().unwrap();
+        g.gain = 0.5;
+        g.muted = true;
+    }
+    poison_mutex(&mx);
+    assert!(mx.is_poisoned());
+
+    let guard = recover(&mx);
+    assert_eq!(guard.gain, 0.5);
+    assert!(guard.muted);
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Test 2: Recovered guard is mutable and usable (simulates an audio
+// callback writing silence to the output buffer after recovery).
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#[test]
+fn recovered_guard_is_mutable() {
+    let mx: Mutex<Vec<f32>> = Mutex::new(vec![0.0; 256]);
+    {
+        let mut g = mx.lock().unwrap();
+        g.fill(0.75);
+    }
+    poison_mutex(&mx);
+
+    {
+        let mut guard = recover(&mx);
+        guard.fill(0.0);
+    }
+
+    let guard = recover(&mx);
+    assert!(guard.iter().all(|&s| s == 0.0), "expected silence after recovery");
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Test 3: Multi-lock scenario — recover from a poisoned mutex, mutate
+// it, and verify subsequent reads see the updated state.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#[test]
+fn recovered_state_persists_across_locks() {
+    let mx = Mutex::new(42u32);
+    poison_mutex(&mx);
+
+    *recover(&mx) = 99;
+
+    assert_eq!(*recover(&mx), 99);
+    assert!(mx.is_poisoned(), "mutex stays poisoned but remains usable");
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Test 4: Arc<Mutex<T>> pattern — mirrors the audio engine's shared
+// state where multiple callbacks hold Arc clones.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#[test]
+fn shared_arc_mutex_recovery() {
+    let mx = Arc::new(Mutex::new(DummyConfig::default()));
+    {
+        let mut g = mx.lock().unwrap();
+        g.gain = 0.8;
+    }
+    poison_mutex(&mx);
+
+    let mx2 = Arc::clone(&mx);
+    let guard = mx2.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
+    assert_eq!(guard.gain, 0.8);
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Test 5: Snapshot-then-clone pattern — mirrors the engine's
+// `audio_processing_config_snapshot()` which clones through the guard.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#[test]
+fn snapshot_clone_through_poisoned_mutex() {
+    let mx = Mutex::new(DummyConfig {
+        gain: 0.42,
+        muted: true,
+    });
+    poison_mutex(&mx);
+
+    let snapshot = mx.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).clone();
+    assert_eq!(snapshot.gain, 0.42);
+    assert!(snapshot.muted);
+
+    let snapshot2 = mx.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).clone();
+    assert_eq!(snapshot, snapshot2);
+}