diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index ea5d461e..a90ccf9c 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,26 @@ jobs:
           name: unit-test-screenshots
           path: frontend/test-results/screenshots/
 
+  # ─── Backend Unit & Slice Tests ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # Pure Mockito + WebMvcTest — no DB or S3 needed.
+  backend-unit-tests:
+    name: Backend Unit Tests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: '21'
+          distribution: temurin
+          cache: maven
+
+      - name: Run backend tests
+        run: |
+          chmod +x mvnw
+          ./mvnw clean test
+        working-directory: backend
+
   # ─── E2E Tests ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
   # Needs: PostgreSQL + MinIO (via docker-compose) + Spring Boot + SvelteKit dev server.
   # Test data is seeded by DataInitializer on first startup (admin user + e2e profile data).