diff --git a/scripts/homepage-status.py b/scripts/homepage-status.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3e49f62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/homepage-status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""homepage-status.py — the homepage status checker.
+
+Reads a service config (a JSON array of service entries), probes each backend,
+and writes a status.json atomically. A wip service is not probed.
+
+Usage: homepage-status.py <services.json> <out.json>
+"""
+import json
+import os
+import socket
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+
+TIMEOUT = 5  # seconds, per probe (Q11 / Q40)
+
+
+def probe(host, port, method="tcp"):
+    """Return 'up' if the backend answers, else 'down'."""
+    try:
+        with socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout=TIMEOUT):
+            return "up"
+    except Exception:
+        return "down"
+
+
+def main(argv):
+    if len(argv) != 3:
+        sys.stderr.write("usage: homepage-status.py <services.json> <out.json>\n")
+        return 2
+    services_path, out_path = argv[1], argv[2]
+    with open(services_path) as f:
+        services = json.load(f)
+
+    results = []
+    for svc in services:
+        if svc.get("wip"):
+            state = "wip"
+        else:
+            host, _, port = svc["probe"].rpartition(":")
+            state = probe(host, int(port), svc.get("method", "tcp"))
+        results.append({
+            "name": svc.get("name"),
+            "category": svc.get("category", "user"),
+            "state": state,
+        })
+
+    doc = {
+        "generated_at": datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"),
+        "services": results,
+    }
+
+    # Atomic write: a temp file in the same directory, then rename over the target.
+    out_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(out_path))
+    fd, tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=out_dir, prefix=".status.", suffix=".tmp")
+    try:
+        with os.fdopen(fd, "w") as f:
+            json.dump(doc, f)
+        os.replace(tmp, out_path)
+    except Exception:
+        if os.path.exists(tmp):
+            os.unlink(tmp)
+        raise
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main(sys.argv))
diff --git a/tests/homepage_checker.bats b/tests/homepage_checker.bats
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edf5090
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/homepage_checker.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+# Seam: scripts/homepage-status.py <services.json> <out.json>
+# Given a service config, the checker writes a valid status.json with the
+# correct state per service: an open port is up, a closed port is down,
+# a wip service is wip (not probed). The output carries generated_at.
+
+load helpers
+
+setup() {
+    CHECKER="$REPO_ROOT/scripts/homepage-status.py"
+    TMP="$(mktemp -d)"
+    UP_PORT=18899
+    DOWN_PORT=18900
+    # Hold a TCP listener on UP_PORT so a probe of it succeeds.
+    python3 -c 'import socket,time; s=socket.socket(); s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET,socket.SO_REUSEADDR,1); s.bind(("127.0.0.1",'"$UP_PORT"')); s.listen(5); time.sleep(300)' &
+    LISTENER_PID=$!
+    sleep 0.5
+}
+
+teardown() {
+    [ -n "${LISTENER_PID:-}" ] && kill "$LISTENER_PID" 2>/dev/null
+    rm -rf "$TMP"
+}
+
+@test "checker: open port is up, closed port is down, wip is wip" {
+    local svc="$TMP/services.json" out="$TMP/status.json"
+    cat > "$svc" <<JSON
+[
+  {"name":"up","category":"user","probe":"127.0.0.1:$UP_PORT","method":"tcp","wip":false},
+  {"name":"down","category":"user","probe":"127.0.0.1:$DOWN_PORT","method":"tcp","wip":false},
+  {"name":"wip","category":"user","probe":"127.0.0.1:1","method":"tcp","wip":true}
+]
+JSON
+    python3 "$CHECKER" "$svc" "$out"
+    [ -f "$out" ]
+    python3 - "$out" <<'PY'
+import json, sys
+d = json.load(open(sys.argv[1]))
+s = {x["name"]: x["state"] for x in d["services"]}
+assert s["up"] == "up", s
+assert s["down"] == "down", s
+assert s["wip"] == "wip", s
+assert "generated_at" in d
+PY
+}