diff --git a/system/drivers/usb-hid/keyboard.zig b/system/drivers/usb-hid/keyboard.zig
index cbb95cb..325b92d 100644
--- a/system/drivers/usb-hid/keyboard.zig
+++ b/system/drivers/usb-hid/keyboard.zig
@@ -148,6 +148,15 @@ pub fn main(init: runtime.process.Init) void {
                             .character = character,
                             .modifiers = modifier_word,
                         });
+                        // Echo the character to the log — a simple end-to-end
+                        // keyboard check on real hardware: type a known phrase,
+                        // then read it back from usb-hid-keyboard.log (or watch
+                        // it appear live on screen in a -Ddiagnose boot, where
+                        // the kernel console is a log sink). Printable ASCII and
+                        // newline only; other keys are left to the input service.
+                        if (character == '\n' or (character >= 0x20 and character < 0x7F)) {
+                            _ = runtime.system.write(&[1]u8{@intCast(character)});
+                        }
                     }
                 },
                 .released => {
diff --git a/test/qemu_test.py b/test/qemu_test.py
index 66308ba..e321ec8 100644
--- a/test/qemu_test.py
+++ b/test/qemu_test.py
@@ -461,6 +461,21 @@ CASES = [
      # usb-kbd/usb-mouse ride the default boot xHCI bus (see qemu_args).
      "expect": r"(?=[\s\S]*usb-hid-keyboard: ok)(?=[\s\S]*usb-hid-mouse: ok)",
      "fail":   r"DANOS-TEST-RESULT: FAIL"},
+    # Keyboard echo: inject a known phrase via QMP send-key; the usb-hid-keyboard
+    # driver decodes it and echoes each character to the log (the simple
+    # real-hardware keyboard check — type a phrase, read it back off the stick,
+    # or watch it live on screen in a -Ddiagnose boot). Proves the whole path:
+    # HID report -> decode -> layout -> character.
+    {"name": "usb-key-echo",
+     "build_case": "usb-hid",
+     "smp":    4,
+     "timeout": 150,
+     "qmp_sequence": [
+         {"delay": 8, "command": "send-key", "arguments": {"keys": [{"type": "qcode", "data": c}]}}
+         for c in ["k", "e", "y", "t", "e", "s", "t"]
+     ],
+     "expect": r"keytest",
+     "fail":   r"DANOS-TEST-RESULT: FAIL"},
     # USB hub (B4a/B4b, docs/usb-hub.md): a USB2 hub on the xHCI bus with a
     # keyboard behind it (a STATIC boot topology — no hot-plug event needed).
     # B4a: the hub enumerates and powers its downstream ports. B4b extends the