diff --git a/frontend/e2e/nl-search.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/nl-search.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd869582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/e2e/nl-search.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import AxeBuilder from '@axe-core/playwright';
+import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+
+// NL search is mocked at the network boundary — Ollama is not required in CI.
+// CSRF enforcement is bypassed by page.route (the real request is never sent),
+// so it is only verified in manual full-stack runs (see issue #739 DevOps notes).
+const interpretation = {
+	resolvedPersons: [
+		{ id: '11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111', displayName: 'Walter Raddatz' },
+		{ id: '22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222', displayName: 'Emma Raddatz' }
+	],
+	ambiguousPersons: [],
+	dateFrom: '1914-01-01',
+	dateTo: '1918-12-31',
+	keywords: ['krieg'],
+	rawQuery: 'Was hat Walter an Emma im Krieg geschrieben?',
+	keywordsApplied: true
+};
+
+const nlResponse = {
+	result: {
+		items: [],
+		totalElements: 0,
+		pageNumber: 0,
+		pageSize: 20,
+		totalPages: 0,
+		undatedCount: 0
+	},
+	interpretation
+};
+
+test.describe('NL (smart) search — happy path', () => {
+	test('toggle → loading → chips → remove chip re-runs keyword search; axe clean light + dark', async ({
+		page
+	}) => {
+		// Deliberate delay so the loading state is assertable before the response arrives.
+		await page.route('**/api/search/nl', async (route) => {
+			await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 150));
+			await route.fulfill({
+				status: 200,
+				contentType: 'application/json',
+				body: JSON.stringify(nlResponse)
+			});
+		});
+
+		await page.goto('/documents');
+		await page.waitForSelector('[data-hydrated]');
+
+		// Switch to smart mode via the toggle pill (keyword label = "Text").
+		await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Text/ }).click();
+
+		const input = page.getByPlaceholder('Titel, Personen, Tags durchsuchen…');
+		await input.fill('Was hat Walter an Emma im Krieg geschrieben?');
+		await input.press('Enter');
+
+		// Loading panel announced to screen readers.
+		await expect(page.getByText(/Archiv wird befragt/)).toBeVisible();
+
+		// Directional chip (Walter → Emma) + keyword chip render once the fixture resolves.
+		await expect(page.getByText('→')).toBeVisible();
+		await expect(page.getByText('Stichwort: krieg')).toBeVisible();
+
+		// Accessibility — light mode.
+		const lightScan = await new AxeBuilder({ page })
+			.include('[data-testid="smart-search-results"]')
+			.analyze();
+		expect(lightScan.violations).toEqual([]);
+
+		// Accessibility — dark mode.
+		await page.evaluate(() => document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', 'dark'));
+		const darkScan = await new AxeBuilder({ page })
+			.include('[data-testid="smart-search-results"]')
+			.analyze();
+		expect(darkScan.violations).toEqual([]);
+		await page.evaluate(() => document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', 'light'));
+
+		// Removing the keyword chip re-runs a keyword GET with the remaining resolved
+		// params (sender + receiver from the directional pair).
+		await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Filter entfernen: Stichwort: krieg' }).click();
+		await page.waitForURL(/senderId=11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/);
+		await expect(page).toHaveURL(/receiverId=22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222/);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/documents/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/documents/+page.svelte
index 2d287140..b9a2ece5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/documents/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/documents/+page.svelte
@@ -422,48 +422,50 @@ $effect(() => {
 
 	{#if showNlView}
 		<!-- Smart-search results area: loading / error / chips + results / empty / disambiguation. -->
-		{#if nlLoading}
-			<SmartSearchStatus status="loading" />
-		{:else if nlError}
-			<SmartSearchStatus
-				status="error"
-				errorCode={nlError}
-				onSwitchToKeyword={switchToKeywordMode}
-			/>
-		{:else if nlInterpretation}
-			{#key nlInterpretation}
-				<div class="mb-4">
-					{#if nlIsAmbiguous}
-						<DisambiguationPicker
-							persons={nlInterpretation.ambiguousPersons}
-							onSelect={selectDisambiguated}
-						/>
-					{:else}
-						<InterpretationChipRow interpretation={nlInterpretation} onRemoveChip={removeChip} />
-					{/if}
-				</div>
+		<div data-testid="smart-search-results">
+			{#if nlLoading}
+				<SmartSearchStatus status="loading" />
+			{:else if nlError}
+				<SmartSearchStatus
+					status="error"
+					errorCode={nlError}
+					onSwitchToKeyword={switchToKeywordMode}
+				/>
+			{:else if nlInterpretation}
+				{#key nlInterpretation}
+					<div class="mb-4">
+						{#if nlIsAmbiguous}
+							<DisambiguationPicker
+								persons={nlInterpretation.ambiguousPersons}
+								onSelect={selectDisambiguated}
+							/>
+						{:else}
+							<InterpretationChipRow interpretation={nlInterpretation} onRemoveChip={removeChip} />
+						{/if}
+					</div>
 
-				{#if !nlIsAmbiguous}
-					{#if nlHasResults}
-						<p class="mb-3 font-sans text-base text-ink-2">
-							{m.docs_result_count({ count: nlResult?.totalElements ?? 0 })}
-						</p>
-						<DocumentList items={nlResult?.items ?? []} canWrite={data.canWrite} sort={sort} />
-					{:else}
-						<div class="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-3 py-16 text-center">
-							<p class="text-sm font-bold text-ink">{m.search_empty_nl()}</p>
-							<button
-								type="button"
-								onclick={switchToKeywordMode}
-								class="inline-flex min-h-[44px] items-center rounded px-3 py-2 text-sm font-bold text-primary underline underline-offset-4 outline-none hover:text-brand-mint focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
-							>
-								{m.search_empty_retry_keyword()}
-							</button>
-						</div>
+					{#if !nlIsAmbiguous}
+						{#if nlHasResults}
+							<p class="mb-3 font-sans text-base text-ink-2">
+								{m.docs_result_count({ count: nlResult?.totalElements ?? 0 })}
+							</p>
+							<DocumentList items={nlResult?.items ?? []} canWrite={data.canWrite} sort={sort} />
+						{:else}
+							<div class="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-3 py-16 text-center">
+								<p class="text-sm font-bold text-ink">{m.search_empty_nl()}</p>
+								<button
+									type="button"
+									onclick={switchToKeywordMode}
+									class="inline-flex min-h-[44px] items-center rounded px-3 py-2 text-sm font-bold text-primary underline underline-offset-4 outline-none hover:text-brand-mint focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
+								>
+									{m.search_empty_retry_keyword()}
+								</button>
+							</div>
+						{/if}
 					{/if}
-				{/if}
-			{/key}
-		{/if}
+				{/key}
+			{/if}
+		</div>
 	{:else}
 		<div class="mt-3 mb-4 hidden lg:block">
 			<TimelineDensityFilter