diff --git a/.kiro/specs/xce-test-rc-file/tasks.md b/.kiro/specs/xce-test-rc-file/tasks.md
index ba03fe6d..459a580f 100644
--- a/.kiro/specs/xce-test-rc-file/tasks.md
+++ b/.kiro/specs/xce-test-rc-file/tasks.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   - _Requirements: 2.1, 2.2_
   - _Boundary: test.c::options[]/parse_opt_
 
-- [ ] 2.2 Wire rc-file loading into xce_test startup for both interactive and scripted sessions
+- [x] 2.2 Wire rc-file loading into xce_test startup for both interactive and scripted sessions
   - After xce_test determines whether the session is interactive or scripted and before it reads the first line of its normal session, resolve and load the rc file unless the skip flag was given, using the session's existing command-execution path as the per-line runner
   - When rc-file loading signals a stop, exit using the session's existing pass/fail exit-code convention without entering the normal session loop
   - Observable: a valid rc file's settings/context are visible once the normal session begins, in both a piped run and an interactive run; the same is confirmed absent when the skip flag is given
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/test.c b/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
index e79df2d2..ce20b631 100644
--- a/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "snapdiff.h"    /* byte-level checkpoint-file comparator (cmd_snapdiff) */
 #include "snapverify.h"  /* offline checkpoint-file structural validator (cmd_snapverify) */
 #include "configcompare.h"  /* cross-member active-config comparator (cmd_configcompare) */
+#include "rcfile.h"      /* startup rc-file path resolution + loading (xce-test-rc-file task 2.2) */
 #include "resval_typeresolve.h" /* resval_resolve_type (resource-value-verification task 2.1) */
 #include "xce/cluster.h" /* xce_parse_peers, xce_cluster_config_t */
 #include "xce/types.h"
@@ -4485,6 +4486,28 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     g_interactive       = isatty(STDIN_FILENO);
     g_continue_on_error = g_interactive ? 1 : 0;
 
+    /* xce-test-rc-file task 2.2: auto-load $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/xce_test/rc (or
+     * $HOME/.config/xce_test/rc) before the read loop starts, for both
+     * interactive and scripted sessions alike -- unless --norc was given.
+     * A missing/unresolvable rc file is silent (Req 1.3); a failing rc-file
+     * line is handled entirely by preprocess_and_run's existing abort/continue
+     * accounting (Req 3) -- an abort short-circuits straight to the same
+     * exit-code convention used at the bottom of this function, skipping the
+     * read loop entirely (Req 1.4/3.3). */
+    if (!arguments.norc) {
+        char* rcpath = rcfile_resolve_path();
+
+        if (rcpath != NULL) {
+            int rcrc = rcfile_load(rcpath, preprocess_and_run);
+
+            free(rcpath);
+
+            if (rcrc) {
+                return g_session_failed ? 1 : 0;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     while (!done) {
         char* s;
         int   rc;