diff --git a/scripts/da-integration/alt_mysql_restore_payload.sh b/scripts/da-integration/alt_mysql_restore_payload.sh
index 0fc7954..759a591 100644
--- a/scripts/da-integration/alt_mysql_restore_payload.sh
+++ b/scripts/da-integration/alt_mysql_restore_payload.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ set -Eeuo pipefail
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 PLUGIN_DIR="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
 COMMON_FILE="$PLUGIN_DIR/scripts/setup/mysql_common.sh"
-SETTINGS_FILE="$PLUGIN_DIR/plugin-settings.conf"
+SETTINGS_FILE="${DA_ALT_MYSQL_SETTINGS_FILE:-$PLUGIN_DIR/plugin-settings.conf}"
 LOG_FILE="${DA_ALT_MYSQL_RESTORE_LOG:-$PLUGIN_DIR/data/logs/da-restore.log}"
 DA_USER=""
 PAYLOAD_DIR=""
diff --git a/tests/alt_mysql_restore_payload_test.sh b/tests/alt_mysql_restore_payload_test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a764a02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/alt_mysql_restore_payload_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+PLUGIN_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+SCRIPT="$PLUGIN_DIR/scripts/da-integration/alt_mysql_restore_payload.sh"
+TMP_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$TMP_DIR"' EXIT
+
+fail() {
+  echo "FAIL: $*" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+sha256_of() {
+  if command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    sha256sum "$1" | awk '{print $1}'
+  else
+    shasum -a 256 "$1" | awk '{print $1}'
+  fi
+}
+
+# --- Fake alt-mariadb client binaries + credentials, isolated from the real system ---
+# The stub tracks a simple "existing databases" state file so CREATE/DROP
+# DATABASE during the test actually affects what a later existence check sees.
+mkdir -p "$TMP_DIR/mariadb/bin"
+cat > "$TMP_DIR/mariadb/bin/mariadb" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+STATE_FILE="${FAKE_DB_STATE_FILE:?FAKE_DB_STATE_FILE must be set}"
+
+sql=""
+mode=""
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case "$arg" in
+    -e) mode="sql" ;;
+    -Nse) mode="sql" ;;
+    --database=*|--user=*|--socket=*|--host=*|--port=*|--protocol=*) ;;
+    *)
+      if [ "$mode" = "sql" ]; then
+        sql="$arg"
+        mode=""
+      fi
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ -n "$sql" ]; then
+  case "$sql" in
+    *"SELECT 1 FROM information_schema.SCHEMATA"*)
+      name="$(printf '%s' "$sql" | sed -n "s/.*SCHEMA_NAME='\([^']*\)'.*/\1/p")"
+      grep -qx "$name" "$STATE_FILE" 2>/dev/null && echo 1
+      ;;
+    *"DROP DATABASE"*)
+      name="$(printf '%s' "$sql" | sed -n 's/.*DATABASE[^`]*`\([A-Za-z0-9_]*\)`.*/\1/p')"
+      if [ -n "$name" ]; then
+        grep -vx "$name" "$STATE_FILE" > "$STATE_FILE.tmp" 2>/dev/null || true
+        mv -f "$STATE_FILE.tmp" "$STATE_FILE"
+      fi
+      ;;
+    *"CREATE DATABASE"*)
+      name="$(printf '%s' "$sql" | sed -n 's/.*DATABASE[^`]*`\([A-Za-z0-9_]*\)`.*/\1/p')"
+      [ -n "$name" ] && echo "$name" >> "$STATE_FILE"
+      ;;
+  esac
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# No -e/-Nse: reading an import from stdin
+cat >/dev/null
+if [ "${FAKE_MYSQL_IMPORT_FAIL:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+  echo "fake mariadb: simulated import failure" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+exit 0
+STUB
+chmod 755 "$TMP_DIR/mariadb/bin/mariadb"
+
+cat > "$TMP_DIR/mariadb/bin/mariadb-dump" <<'STUB'
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "-- fake rollback dump"
+echo "SELECT 1;"
+exit 0
+STUB
+chmod 755 "$TMP_DIR/mariadb/bin/mariadb-dump"
+
+cat > "$TMP_DIR/alt-mysql.conf" <<EOF
+host=
+passwd=secret
+port=4407
+socket=$TMP_DIR/data/mariadb.sock
+user=da_admin
+EOF
+
+cat > "$TMP_DIR/settings.conf" <<EOF
+MYSQL_PLUGIN_CREDENTIALS_FILE=$TMP_DIR/alt-mysql.conf
+MYSQL_PLUGIN_CLIENT_BIN_DIR=$TMP_DIR/mariadb/bin
+EOF
+
+# --- Build a valid manifest + payload files ---
+build_payload() {
+  local payload_dir="$1" db_name="$2"
+  mkdir -p "$payload_dir/databases" "$payload_dir/grants" "$payload_dir/metadata"
+  printf 'CREATE TABLE t (id INT);\n' > "$payload_dir/databases/${db_name}.sql"
+  gzip -9 -f "$payload_dir/databases/${db_name}.sql"
+  printf '%s\n' '-- users' | gzip -9 > "$payload_dir/grants/users.sql.gz"
+  printf '%s\n' '-- grants' | gzip -9 > "$payload_dir/grants/grants.sql.gz"
+  local sha
+  sha="$(sha256_of "$payload_dir/databases/${db_name}.sql.gz")"
+  cat > "$payload_dir/manifest.json" <<JSON
+{
+  "format": "da-alt-mysql-v1",
+  "created_at": "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+  "da_user": "demo",
+  "databases": [
+    { "name": "${db_name}", "file": "databases/${db_name}.sql.gz", "sha256": "${sha}" }
+  ]
+}
+JSON
+}
+
+run_restore() {
+  local db_state
+  db_state="$(mktemp)"
+  printf '%s\n' "${FAKE_EXISTING_DBS:-}" | tr ',' '\n' | sed '/^$/d' > "$db_state"
+
+  DA_ALT_MYSQL_SETTINGS_FILE="$TMP_DIR/settings.conf" \
+  DA_ALT_MYSQL_RESTORE_LOG="$TMP_DIR/restore.log" \
+  FAKE_DB_STATE_FILE="$db_state" \
+  bash "$SCRIPT" "$@"
+}
+
+# --- Scenario 1: checksum mismatch must be rejected before any restore happens ---
+PAYLOAD1="$TMP_DIR/payload1"
+build_payload "$PAYLOAD1" "demo_app"
+echo 'CORRUPTED CONTENT' > "$PAYLOAD1/databases/demo_app.sql.gz"
+
+OUTPUT1="$(run_restore --user demo --payload "$PAYLOAD1" --overwrite allow 2>&1)" && fail "checksum mismatch must cause a non-zero exit, output: $OUTPUT1"
+echo "$OUTPUT1" | grep -qi "checksum mismatch" \
+  || fail "expected a checksum mismatch error, got: $OUTPUT1"
+[ ! -f "$TMP_DIR/restore.log" ] || ! grep -qi "restoring user definitions" "$TMP_DIR/restore.log" \
+  || fail "restore must not proceed past checksum verification on mismatch"
+
+# --- Scenario 2: overwrite=deny must refuse to touch an existing database ---
+PAYLOAD2="$TMP_DIR/payload2"
+build_payload "$PAYLOAD2" "demo_existing"
+
+OUTPUT2="$(FAKE_EXISTING_DBS="demo_existing" run_restore --user demo --payload "$PAYLOAD2" --overwrite deny 2>&1)" && fail "overwrite=deny must reject an existing database, output: $OUTPUT2"
+echo "$OUTPUT2" | grep -qi "overwrite is denied" \
+  || fail "expected an overwrite-denied error, got: $OUTPUT2"
+
+# --- Scenario 3: happy path - valid checksum, no conflict, overwrite=allow ---
+PAYLOAD3="$TMP_DIR/payload3"
+build_payload "$PAYLOAD3" "demo_new"
+
+run_restore --user demo --payload "$PAYLOAD3" --overwrite allow >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+  || fail "a valid payload with no conflicts and overwrite=allow should succeed"
+grep -qi "restore payload completed" "$TMP_DIR/restore.log" \
+  || fail "expected the restore to log completion"
+
+echo "alt_mysql_restore_payload_test: OK"
diff --git a/tests/da_integration_install_test.sh b/tests/da_integration_install_test.sh
index 3fb5d3a..8622d5c 100644
--- a/tests/da_integration_install_test.sh
+++ b/tests/da_integration_install_test.sh
@@ -27,9 +27,19 @@ grep -Fq "managed by DirectAdmin MySQL plugin hook dispatcher" "$TMP_DIR/custom/
 [ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/user_backup_compress_pre.sh.d/10-alt-mysql.sh" ] || fail "alt backup hook link missing"
 [ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/user_restore_post_pre_cleanup.sh.d/10-alt-mysql.sh" ] || fail "alt restore hook link missing"
 [ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_create_pre.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-block-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB blocker link missing"
+[ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_delete_pre.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-block-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB delete blocker link missing"
+[ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_user_password_change_pre.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-block-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB password-change blocker link missing"
+[ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_user_create_post.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-observe-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB user-create observer link missing"
+[ -L "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_destroy_user_post.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-observe-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB user-destroy observer link missing"
 
 DA_CUSTOM_HOOK_DIR="$TMP_DIR/custom" bash "$INSTALLER" uninstall >/dev/null
 [ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/user_backup_compress_pre.sh.d/10-alt-mysql.sh" ] || fail "alt backup hook link not removed"
+[ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/user_restore_post_pre_cleanup.sh.d/10-alt-mysql.sh" ] || fail "alt restore hook link not removed"
+[ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_create_pre.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-block-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB blocker link not removed"
+[ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_delete_pre.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-block-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB delete blocker link not removed"
+[ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_user_password_change_pre.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-block-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB password-change blocker link not removed"
+[ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_user_create_post.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-observe-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB user-create observer link not removed"
+[ ! -e "$TMP_DIR/custom/database_destroy_user_post.sh.d/20-alt-mysql-observe-native-db.sh" ] || fail "native DB user-destroy observer link not removed"
 [ -f "$TMP_DIR/custom/user_backup_compress_pre.sh.d/00-existing.sh" ] || fail "preserved existing hook should remain"
 
 echo "da_integration_install_test: OK"