diff --git a/apps/zerocode/src/main.rs b/apps/zerocode/src/main.rs
index 4ac528f2bcf..5eff84f1773 100644
--- a/apps/zerocode/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/zerocode/src/main.rs
@@ -184,20 +184,34 @@ enum InsecureTlsChoice {
     Abort,
 }
 
-fn confirm_insecure_tls(url: &str) -> anyhow::Result<InsecureTlsChoice> {
-    use std::io::Write as _;
-    eprintln!(
+/// Prompt the operator to accept an insecure-TLS connection to `url`.
+///
+/// Returns the operator's [`InsecureTlsChoice`]:
+/// - [`InsecureTlsChoice::Once`] for `y` / `yes` (connect once, do not persist)
+/// - [`InsecureTlsChoice::Always`] for `a` / `always` (connect and remember this route)
+/// - [`InsecureTlsChoice::Abort`] for everything else (default, empty, `n`, junk)
+///
+/// Reads the operator's answer from `reader` and writes the prompt to
+/// `writer` so tests can inject deterministic input without touching
+/// `stdin` / `stderr`.
+fn confirm_insecure_tls_with<R: std::io::BufRead, W: std::io::Write>(
+    mut reader: R,
+    writer: &mut W,
+    url: &str,
+) -> anyhow::Result<InsecureTlsChoice> {
+    writeln!(
+        writer,
         "\nWARNING: --tls-skip-verify DISABLES TLS certificate verification for\n\
          {url}\nThis connection is UNSAFE on untrusted networks (susceptible to\n\
          man-in-the-middle). Only continue on a trusted network against a\n\
          self-signed cert you control.\n\n\
          You are accepting an UNVERIFIED route, not a trusted peer.\n\
          [y] yes, connect once   [a] always (remember this route)   [N] no, abort"
-    );
-    eprint!("Continue with verification disabled? [y/a/N] ");
-    std::io::stderr().flush().ok();
+    )?;
+    write!(writer, "Continue with verification disabled? [y/a/N] ")?;
+    writer.flush().ok();
     let mut answer = String::new();
-    std::io::stdin().read_line(&mut answer)?;
+    reader.read_line(&mut answer)?;
     match answer.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
         "y" | "yes" => Ok(InsecureTlsChoice::Once),
         "a" | "always" => Ok(InsecureTlsChoice::Always),
@@ -205,6 +219,16 @@ fn confirm_insecure_tls(url: &str) -> anyhow::Result<InsecureTlsChoice> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Production entry point: locks `stdin` and writes the prompt to `stderr`,
+/// delegating to [`confirm_insecure_tls_with`]. Behaviour is identical to
+/// the previous inline implementation — the refactor only adds the
+/// `BufRead` / `Write` seam so the prompt logic can be unit-tested.
+fn confirm_insecure_tls(url: &str) -> anyhow::Result<InsecureTlsChoice> {
+    let stdin = std::io::stdin();
+    let mut stderr = std::io::stderr();
+    confirm_insecure_tls_with(stdin.lock(), &mut stderr, url)
+}
+
 async fn run() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let cli = Cli::parse();
 
@@ -467,3 +491,206 @@ mod connection_tests {
         );
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod confirm_insecure_tls_tests {
+    //! Tests for [`crate::confirm_insecure_tls_with`], the test-seam
+    //! extracted from the original `confirm_insecure_tls(url)` so the
+    //! input → choice mapping and prompt content can be asserted
+    //! deterministically without touching `stdin` / `stderr`.
+    //!
+    //! Acceptance criterion coverage for issue #7693:
+    //! 1. "Insecure TLS cannot be accepted without explicit confirmation"
+    //!    — the empty / `n` / junk / uppercase-`N` / default branches all
+    //!    return [`InsecureTlsChoice::Abort`].
+    //! 2. "Decline/abort paths leave no persisted insecure-TLS choice"
+    //!    — the static-source test
+    //!    [`abort_arm_of_confirm_match_must_not_call_persist`] enforces
+    //!    the structural invariant that the `Abort` arm of the production
+    //!    match in `run()` does not invoke `persist_wss_route_ack`.
+    //! 3. "Mode transition tests cover the quickstart/chat handoff" is
+    //!    covered by the existing `connection_tests::flag_connect_*` /
+    //!    `config_uri_*` / `skip_verify_*` tests; this issue does not
+    //!    change `resolve_wss_target`'s contract.
+    //! 4. "prompt persistence behavior needed to test those transitions
+    //!    deterministically" is covered by the existing
+    //!    `route_acked_membership` / `persist_wss_route_ack_dedups` /
+    //!    `persist_wss_route_ack_preserves_other_sections` tests in
+    //!    `crate::config` — this issue does not duplicate that coverage.
+
+    use super::InsecureTlsChoice::{Abort, Always, Once};
+    use super::*;
+    use std::io::Cursor;
+
+    /// Drive [`confirm_insecure_tls_with`] with a deterministic stdin
+    /// buffer and a fresh output buffer, returning the operator's
+    /// choice and the captured prompt text.
+    fn run(input: &str, url: &str) -> (InsecureTlsChoice, String) {
+        let mut output = Vec::new();
+        let choice = confirm_insecure_tls_with(Cursor::new(input), &mut output, url)
+            .expect("confirm_insecure_tls_with must succeed on plain stdin read");
+        let stderr = String::from_utf8(output).expect("prompt must be valid UTF-8");
+        (choice, stderr)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_y_returns_once() {
+        assert!(matches!(run("y\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Once));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_yes_returns_once() {
+        assert!(matches!(run("yes\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Once));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_a_returns_always() {
+        assert!(matches!(run("a\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Always));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_always_returns_always() {
+        assert!(matches!(run("always\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Always));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_n_returns_abort() {
+        assert!(matches!(run("n\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Abort));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_empty_returns_abort() {
+        // Acceptance: insecure TLS cannot be accepted without explicit
+        // confirmation. An empty stdin (e.g. operator hits enter without
+        // typing) must default-decline.
+        assert!(matches!(run("\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Abort));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_junk_returns_abort() {
+        // Acceptance: unknown input must default to the safe Abort
+        // branch — only `y` / `yes` / `a` / `always` may opt into
+        // verification-disabled transport.
+        assert!(matches!(run("xyz\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Abort));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_input_uppercase_lowercases_before_match() {
+        // The match arm uses `to_ascii_lowercase()` so case variations
+        // resolve identically. This is the seam's contract; pin both
+        // "Once" and "Always" branches to defend against an
+        // accidental case-sensitive refactor.
+        assert!(matches!(run("Y\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Once));
+        assert!(matches!(run("YES\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Once));
+        assert!(matches!(run("ALWAYS\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Always));
+        // Uppercase `N` and `NO` must still resolve to Abort — they
+        // are not in the affirmative set.
+        assert!(matches!(run("N\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Abort));
+        assert!(matches!(run("NO\n", "wss://example.test:1").0, Abort));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn confirm_prompt_writes_url_and_choice_menu_to_writer() {
+        // The operator must see (a) which URL they are accepting
+        // insecure-TLS for, and (b) the `[y/a/N]` choice menu, before
+        // any answer is read. Capture the prompt text and pin both
+        // invariants so a future refactor cannot silently truncate the
+        // warning or the menu.
+        let url = "wss://insecure-host.example:8443";
+        let (_, stderr) = run("n\n", url);
+        assert!(
+            stderr.contains(url),
+            "stderr prompt must contain the URL being confirmed; got: {stderr}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            stderr.contains("[y/a/N]"),
+            "stderr prompt must show the y/a/N choice menu; got: {stderr}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            stderr.contains("WARNING"),
+            "stderr prompt must lead with a WARNING banner so the \
+             operator does not skim past an insecure-TLS confirmation; \
+             got: {stderr}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Static invariant from issue #7693 acceptance criterion 2:
+    /// "Decline/abort paths leave no persisted insecure-TLS choice."
+    ///
+    /// `confirm_insecure_tls` is called from `run()` in a `match` that
+    /// decides whether to invoke `persist_wss_route_ack`. Persisting on
+    /// the `Abort` branch would silently store an insecure-TLS choice
+    /// the operator explicitly declined — a security-sensitive
+    /// regression that no other test in the suite catches.
+    ///
+    /// Rather than spawn the full CLI / daemon / config-dir stack to
+    /// exercise the abort path end-to-end, this test inspects the
+    /// production source of `main.rs` and asserts the `Abort` arm does
+    /// not contain the persist call. This is a structural guard: any
+    /// future move of `persist_wss_route_ack(...)` into the abort arm
+    /// trips this test loudly.
+    #[test]
+    fn abort_arm_of_confirm_match_must_not_call_persist() {
+        const MAIN_SRC: &str = include_str!("main.rs");
+        const MATCH_OPEN: &str = "match confirm_insecure_tls(url)? {";
+        const ABORT_ARM_LABEL: &str = "InsecureTlsChoice::Abort";
+        const PERSIST_CALL: &str = "persist_wss_route_ack(&local_config_dir, url)?";
+
+        let match_open_idx = MAIN_SRC
+            .find(MATCH_OPEN)
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("main.rs must contain a `{MATCH_OPEN}` block"));
+        // Locate the matching closing brace by scanning for the first
+        // `}\n` after the open that is preceded by another `}` at the
+        // same indentation depth. The match block in `run()` is
+        // followed by code at lower indentation, so we use a simple
+        // brace-pair scan: every `{` increments depth, every `}`
+        // decrements, and depth 0 is the close.
+        let after_open = match_open_idx + MATCH_OPEN.len();
+        let mut depth: usize = 1;
+        let mut idx = after_open;
+        let bytes = MAIN_SRC.as_bytes();
+        while idx < bytes.len() {
+            match bytes[idx] {
+                b'{' => depth += 1,
+                b'}' => {
+                    depth -= 1;
+                    if depth == 0 {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                _ => {}
+            }
+            idx += 1;
+        }
+        assert!(
+            depth == 0,
+            "match block in main.rs does not close cleanly (depth={depth} at idx={idx})"
+        );
+        let match_block = &MAIN_SRC[match_open_idx..=idx];
+
+        // Slice just the Abort arm: from `InsecureTlsChoice::Abort` to
+        // the next `=>` (the arm label terminator) or the end of the
+        // block.
+        let abort_label_idx = match_block.find(ABORT_ARM_LABEL).unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            panic!(
+                "main.rs match block must include `{ABORT_ARM_LABEL}` arm; \
+                 got block:\n{match_block}"
+            )
+        });
+        let arm_tail_start = match_block[abort_label_idx..]
+            .find("=>")
+            .map(|i| abort_label_idx + i + "=>".len())
+            .unwrap_or(match_block.len());
+        // The arm body extends to the end of the match block (we slice
+        // up to the closing brace which was at `idx`). Subtract 1 to
+        // exclude the `}` itself.
+        let abort_arm_body = &match_block[arm_tail_start..match_block.len() - 1];
+        assert!(
+            !abort_arm_body.contains(PERSIST_CALL),
+            "Abort arm of `match confirm_insecure_tls(url)?` MUST NOT call \
+             `{PERSIST_CALL}` — persisting on Abort would silently store an \
+             insecure-TLS choice the operator declined. Found in arm body:\n\
+             {abort_arm_body}"
+        );
+    }
+}