diff --git a/examples/9-router-qa-dry-run.js b/examples/9-router-qa-dry-run.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49fc100
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/9-router-qa-dry-run.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/**
+ * Example 9: Router QA Dry Run
+ *
+ * Demonstrates how to validate a fallback routing setup without calling any
+ * real LLM APIs. This is useful before release checks, CI smoke tests, or
+ * onboarding a new fallback chain.
+ *
+ * Prerequisites:
+ *   npm install tokenfirewall
+ */
+
+let tokenfirewall;
+
+try {
+  tokenfirewall = require("tokenfirewall");
+} catch (error) {
+  if (error.code !== "MODULE_NOT_FOUND") {
+    throw error;
+  }
+  tokenfirewall = require("../dist/index.js");
+}
+
+const {
+  createModelRouter,
+  disableModelRouter,
+  isCrossProviderEnabled,
+  registerApiKeys,
+} = tokenfirewall;
+
+// Register placeholder keys so provider configuration is shaped like
+// production, without making network calls in this dry run.
+registerApiKeys({
+  openai: "test-openai-key",
+  anthropic: "test-anthropic-key",
+  gemini: "test-gemini-key",
+});
+
+const router = createModelRouter({
+  strategy: "fallback",
+  fallbackMap: {
+    "gpt-4o": ["claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022", "gemini-2.5-pro"],
+    "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022": ["gpt-4o-mini"],
+  },
+  maxRetries: 2,
+  enableCrossProvider: true,
+});
+
+console.log("Router strategy:", router.getStrategy());
+console.log("Max retries:", router.getMaxRetries());
+console.log("Cross-provider enabled:", isCrossProviderEnabled());
+
+const firstDecision = router.handleFailure({
+  error: { status: 429, message: "rate limited" },
+  originalModel: "gpt-4o",
+  provider: "openai",
+  requestBody: {
+    model: "gpt-4o",
+    messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Summarize this release plan." }],
+  },
+  retryCount: 0,
+  attemptedModels: ["gpt-4o"],
+});
+
+console.log("\nFirst retry decision:");
+console.log(firstDecision);
+
+const secondDecision = router.handleFailure({
+  error: { status: 503, message: "provider unavailable" },
+  originalModel: "gpt-4o",
+  provider: "anthropic",
+  requestBody: {
+    model: "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
+    messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Summarize this release plan." }],
+  },
+  retryCount: 1,
+  attemptedModels: ["gpt-4o", "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022"],
+});
+
+console.log("\nSecond retry decision:");
+console.log(secondDecision);
+
+disableModelRouter();
+console.log("\nRouter disabled:", !isCrossProviderEnabled());
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index 006828c..8c3d46b 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # TokenFirewall Examples
 
-This directory contains practical examples showing how to use tokenfirewall in real-world scenarios.
+This directory contains nine practical examples showing how to use tokenfirewall in real-world scenarios.
 
 ## Quick Start
 
@@ -152,6 +152,26 @@ node examples/8-cross-provider-fallback.js
 
 ---
 
+### 9. Router QA Dry Run (`9-router-qa-dry-run.js`)
+**What it shows:**
+- Validating fallback router configuration without real API calls
+- Registering placeholder provider keys for deterministic smoke tests
+- Simulating rate-limit and provider-unavailable failures
+- Inspecting retry decisions and cross-provider router state
+
+**Best for:** CI smoke checks, release QA, and safely testing fallback chains before using live provider keys
+
+**Run:**
+```bash
+node examples/9-router-qa-dry-run.js
+```
+
+**Prerequisites:**
+- Run `npm run build` first when executing from a local checkout
+- No real provider API keys are required
+
+---
+
 ## Common Patterns
 
 ### Pattern 1: Block Mode (Strict Budget)