diff --git a/tests/discourse/functional/_discourse.py b/tests/discourse/functional/_discourse.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e50c25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/discourse/functional/_discourse.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"""Shared discourse test helpers — admin user + API key + JSON HTTP.
+
+The bitnamilegacy/discourse recipe (compose app env) sets ONLY the DB + SMTP vars — it does NOT seed
+an admin user, and Discourse's Admin API requires `Api-Key` + `Api-Username` headers (there is no
+auto-created API key). So the functional tests bootstrap their own admin by running Rails inside the
+`app` container (Discourse ships its Rails env at /opt/bitnami/discourse): find-or-create an admin
+user, then create an ApiKey and print its plaintext `.key` (Discourse returns the plaintext only at
+create time; it's stored hashed). Both the admin user and the key are class-B run-scoped — they live
+only in the per-run app and are destroyed at teardown.
+
+`mint_admin(domain)` returns (api_key, api_username). Each call creates a fresh ApiKey (cheap;
+idempotent enough — the shared deployment's functional tests each mint their own), reusing the same
+admin user across calls. Uses `lifecycle.exec_in_app` (hardened exec with retry).
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", "runner"))
+from harness import lifecycle  # noqa: E402
+
+# Rails snippet (single line): find-or-create an admin, create an ApiKey, print key + username as the
+# last two lines. SecureRandom is available in the Rails runtime. We mark the user active + approved
+# so the API accepts it. created_by_id must be set (ApiKey validates it).
+_BOOTSTRAP_RB = (
+    "u = User.where(admin: true).order(:id).first; "
+    "if u.nil?; "
+    "u = User.create!(username: 'ccciadmin', name: 'CCCI Admin', "
+    "email: 'ccciadmin@ccci.example.com', password: SecureRandom.hex(20), "
+    "active: true, approved: true, trust_level: 1); "
+    "u.update!(admin: true); u.activate; "
+    "end; "
+    "k = ApiKey.create!(description: 'ccci-run', created_by_id: u.id); "
+    "puts 'CCCI_API_KEY=' + k.key; "
+    "puts 'CCCI_API_USER=' + u.username"
+)
+
+
+def mint_admin(domain: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """Bootstrap an admin + fresh API key via Rails in the app container. Returns (api_key, username)."""
+    cmd = (
+        "cd /opt/bitnami/discourse && "
+        f"RAILS_ENV=production bin/rails runner \"{_BOOTSTRAP_RB}\""
+    )
+    out = lifecycle.exec_in_app(domain, ["bash", "-lc", cmd], service="app", timeout=240)
+    key = user = None
+    for line in out.splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if line.startswith("CCCI_API_KEY="):
+            key = line.split("=", 1)[1].strip()
+        elif line.startswith("CCCI_API_USER="):
+            user = line.split("=", 1)[1].strip()
+    assert key and user, (
+        f"could not bootstrap discourse admin/API key; rails output tail:\n{out[-1000:]}"
+    )
+    return key, user
+
+
+def admin_headers(api_key: str, api_username: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    return {"Api-Key": api_key, "Api-Username": api_username}
diff --git a/tests/discourse/functional/test_create_topic.py b/tests/discourse/functional/test_create_topic.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abf7212
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/discourse/functional/test_create_topic.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+"""discourse — Q4.6 recipe-specific functional test (plan §4.3: "create the app's primary object — a
+topic — and read it back").
+
+Exercises Discourse's core forum function end-to-end against the live per-run deploy, via the real
+Admin API:
+  1. Wait for the Admin API to answer (/site.json 200 once Rails is serving).
+  2. Bootstrap an admin + mint an API key (_discourse.mint_admin — the recipe seeds no admin).
+  3. POST /posts.json to create a new topic (title + body carrying a unique marker).
+  4. GET /t/<topic_id>.json to read it back and assert the title round-tripped; GET the post's raw
+     and assert the unique body marker survived.
+
+NOT health-only: a Discourse whose DB/Rails/posting path is broken fails here even though /srv/status
+returns 200. The marker is unique per run, so a stale/echoed response cannot pass.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+import uuid
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", "runner"))
+import _discourse  # noqa: E402
+from harness import http as harness_http  # noqa: E402
+
+
+def test_create_topic_roundtrip(live_app):
+    base = f"https://{live_app}"
+
+    # 1) Admin API ready (Rails serving JSON, not just /srv/status).
+    harness_http.retry_http_get(f"{base}/site.json", expect_status=200, max_wait=120, interval=5)
+
+    # 2) Bootstrap admin + API key (recipe seeds no admin; mint via Rails in the app container).
+    api_key, api_user = _discourse.mint_admin(live_app)
+    hdrs = _discourse.admin_headers(api_key, api_user)
+
+    # 3) Create a topic with a unique marker in title + body (raw must be >= ~20 chars).
+    uniq = uuid.uuid4().hex[:10]
+    title = f"ccci topic {uniq}"
+    marker = f"ccci-body-marker-{uniq}-roundtrip-padding-text"
+    status, body = harness_http.http_post(
+        f"{base}/posts.json",
+        data={"title": title, "raw": marker},
+        headers=hdrs,
+        timeout=60,
+    )
+    assert status in (200, 201) and isinstance(body, dict), (
+        f"create topic failed: HTTP {status}, body={body!r}"
+    )
+    topic_id = body.get("topic_id")
+    assert topic_id, f"create topic returned no topic_id: {body!r}"
+
+    # 4) Read the topic back and assert title + first-post body round-trip.
+    status, got = harness_http.http_get(f"{base}/t/{topic_id}.json", headers=hdrs, timeout=30)
+    assert status == 200 and isinstance(got, dict), f"read topic failed: HTTP {status}, body={got!r}"
+    assert got.get("title") == title, (
+        f"topic title did not round-trip: sent {title!r}, got {got.get('title')!r}"
+    )
+    posts = (got.get("post_stream") or {}).get("posts") or []
+    assert posts, f"topic has no posts on read-back: {got!r}"
+    first_cooked = posts[0].get("cooked", "")
+    assert marker in first_cooked, (
+        f"topic body did not round-trip: marker {marker!r} not in first post {first_cooked!r}"
+    )
diff --git a/tests/discourse/functional/test_site_basic.py b/tests/discourse/functional/test_site_basic.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd8793d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/discourse/functional/test_site_basic.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""discourse — Q4.6 recipe-specific functional test (2nd functional, beyond create-topic + health).
+
+Asserts Discourse's Rails app emits its bootstrap JSON: GET /site.json returns 200 with the
+site-config envelope the Ember SPA needs (categories list + default trust levels). This distinguishes
+"the Discourse Rails backend is up and serving its API" from "a static/error page is served" — a
+wedged backend 5xxs, a misroute 404s. Complements test_create_topic (write path) with a read of the
+app's characteristic site config.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "..", "..", "runner"))
+from harness import http as harness_http  # noqa: E402
+
+
+def test_site_json_has_discourse_config(live_app):
+    status, body = harness_http.retry_http_get(
+        f"https://{live_app}/site.json", expect_status=200, max_wait=120, interval=5
+    )
+    assert status == 200 and isinstance(body, dict), (
+        f"GET /site.json failed: HTTP {status}, body type={type(body).__name__}"
+    )
+    # /site.json carries Discourse-specific structure — `categories` (a list) and `groups` are always
+    # present in a booted Discourse. A non-Discourse 200 (placeholder page) would not parse to this.
+    assert "categories" in body, f"/site.json missing 'categories' key: keys={list(body)[:20]}"
+    assert isinstance(body["categories"], list), (
+        f"/site.json 'categories' not a list: {type(body['categories']).__name__}"
+    )