diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/search/NlpPropertiesTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/search/NlpPropertiesTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb527066
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/search/NlpPropertiesTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package org.raddatz.familienarchiv.search;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.EnableConfigurationProperties;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.context.runner.ApplicationContextRunner;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+class NlpPropertiesTest {
+
+    @EnableConfigurationProperties(NlpProperties.class)
+    static class TestConfig {}
+
+    private final ApplicationContextRunner runner = new ApplicationContextRunner()
+            .withUserConfiguration(TestConfig.class);
+
+    @Test
+    void failsWhenBaseUrlMissing() {
+        runner.run(context -> assertThat(context).hasFailed());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void bindsBaseUrlAndDefaults() {
+        runner.withPropertyValues("app.nlp.base-url=http://nlp:8001")
+                .run(context -> {
+                    assertThat(context).hasNotFailed();
+                    NlpProperties props = context.getBean(NlpProperties.class);
+                    assertThat(props.getBaseUrl()).isEqualTo("http://nlp:8001");
+                    assertThat(props.getTimeoutSeconds()).isEqualTo(5);
+                    assertThat(props.getHealthCheckTimeoutSeconds()).isEqualTo(2);
+                });
+    }
+}