diff --git a/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/deployment.yaml b/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/deployment.yaml
index f8bd07e0..8ee3a2b1 100644
--- a/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/deployment.yaml
@@ -55,10 +55,8 @@ spec:
             requests: {cpu: 10m, memory: 16Mi}
             limits: {cpu: 100m, memory: 64Mi}
           readinessProbe:
-            exec:
-              command: [python, -c, "import socket; socket.create_connection(('127.0.0.1', 8081), 2).close()"]
-            # Starting an interpreter under the ARM CPU quota can exceed the
-            # default one-second exec timeout, even when the listener is healthy.
+            # Probe through nginx; the receipt listener remains loopback-only.
+            httpGet: {path: /healthz, port: 8080}
             timeoutSeconds: 5
             periodSeconds: 15
           volumeMounts:
diff --git a/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/nginx.conf b/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/nginx.conf
index f4025d97..6ec27a74 100644
--- a/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/nginx.conf
+++ b/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/nginx.conf
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ http {
     location = /lesavka-av-test { return 308 /av-test/; }
     location = /lesavka-av-test/ { return 308 /av-test/; }
     location = /lesavka-av-test/index.html { return 308 /av-test/; }
+    # Kubelet checks the running listener without spawning Python each time.
+    # This path is outside the observer's public ingress prefixes.
+    location = /healthz {
+      proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8081/healthz;
+      proxy_connect_timeout 2s;
+      proxy_read_timeout 2s;
+      proxy_pass_request_headers off;
+    }
     location = /av-test { return 308 /av-test/; }
     location = /av-test/ {
       if ($request_method !~ ^(GET|HEAD)$) { return 405; }
diff --git a/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/report-service/server.py b/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/report-service/server.py
index 7f4074fa..58d546bf 100644
--- a/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/report-service/server.py
+++ b/services/bstein-dev-home/av-observer/report-service/server.py
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ class Handler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
             self.wfile.write(body)
 
     def do_GET(self):
+        """Answer the internal readiness check without reading receipt state."""
+        if self.path == "/healthz":
+            return self.reply(204)
         self.reply(405)
 
     do_HEAD = do_GET
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_av_observer_health.py b/testing/tests/test_av_observer_health.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..565c5d26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/tests/test_av_observer_health.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""Exercise readiness over HTTP without exposing receipt operations or content."""
+
+import importlib.util
+from pathlib import Path
+import threading
+import urllib.error
+import urllib.request
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def test_health_is_read_only_and_does_not_open_other_get_paths(monkeypatch, capfd):
+    """A real listener answers health, keeps API GET closed, and emits no logs."""
+    source = (Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "services/bstein-dev-home"
+              / "av-observer/report-service/server.py")
+    monkeypatch.syspath_prepend(str(source.parent))
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("observer_health_server", source)
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    # An object without receipt methods fails if health ever accesses that state.
+    server = module.Server(("127.0.0.1", 0), "https://example.invalid", object())
+    worker = threading.Thread(target=server.serve_forever, daemon=True)
+    worker.start()
+    client = urllib.request.build_opener(urllib.request.ProxyHandler({}))
+    root = f"http://127.0.0.1:{server.server_port}"
+    try:
+        with client.open(root + "/healthz", timeout=2) as response:
+            assert response.status == 204
+            assert response.read() == b""
+        with pytest.raises(urllib.error.HTTPError) as error:
+            client.open(root + "/av-test/api/start", timeout=2)
+        assert error.value.code == 405
+        with pytest.raises(urllib.error.HTTPError) as error:
+            client.open(urllib.request.Request(root + "/av-test/api/start", data=b"{}"), timeout=2)
+        assert error.value.code == 403
+    finally:
+        server.shutdown()
+        server.server_close()
+        worker.join(timeout=2)
+    captured = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert not captured.out and not captured.err