diff --git a/packages/chess/e2e/layouts.spec.ts b/packages/chess/e2e/layouts.spec.ts
index 2319359..557a4a1 100644
--- a/packages/chess/e2e/layouts.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/chess/e2e/layouts.spec.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ test.describe('LayoutPicker (lobby)', () => {
 
   test('picker includes every expected premade', async ({ page }) => {
     const picker = page.getByTestId('layout-picker');
-    // All premades + Custom entry.
+    // All premades + Custom entry. "Empty" is intentionally absent —
+    // it's a test fixture only, not a selectable starting position
+    // (fails validation, serves no player need).
     for (const id of [
       'classic',
       'dunsany',
@@ -81,10 +83,10 @@ test.describe('LayoutPicker (lobby)', () => {
       'horde',
       'knightmate',
       'chess960',
-      'empty',
     ]) {
       await expect(picker.locator(`option[value="${id}"]`)).toHaveCount(1);
     }
+    await expect(picker.locator('option[value="empty"]')).toHaveCount(0);
     await expect(picker.locator('option[value="__custom__"]')).toHaveCount(1);
   });
 
@@ -284,32 +286,6 @@ test.describe('Solo play — layout selection reaches the engine', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  test('Empty layout Play Solo is disabled (no king = cannot create game)', async ({
-    page,
-  }) => {
-    // The Empty layout has 0 pieces; the validator requires at least 1
-    // king per side. This test documents current behavior: the Play
-    // Solo button happily routes to /game regardless, but the engine
-    // opens with zero pieces (equivalent to validateLayout errors
-    // surfacing only on the multiplayer path, not solo). This is a
-    // deliberate design call — solo mode lets users poke at any
-    // layout including broken ones.
-    //
-    // If / when we add pre-flight validation for solo too, flip this
-    // test to assert a blocked CTA.
-    await page.goto('/');
-    await page.getByTestId('layout-picker').selectOption('empty');
-    await page.locator('[data-action="play-solo"]').click();
-    await page.waitForURL('**/game');
-
-    // Board renders but is devoid of pieces.
-    await expect(
-      page.locator('[data-square="e1"] [data-piece]'),
-    ).toHaveCount(0);
-    await expect(
-      page.locator('[data-square="e8"] [data-piece]'),
-    ).toHaveCount(0);
-  });
 });
 
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/packages/chess/src/layouts/empty.ts b/packages/chess/src/layouts/empty.ts
index 8590353..29670de 100644
--- a/packages/chess/src/layouts/empty.ts
+++ b/packages/chess/src/layouts/empty.ts
@@ -1,27 +1,28 @@
 /**
- * Layout: Empty board (sandbox).
+ * Layout: Empty board (internal test fixture).
  *
- * Zero pieces. Useful as:
- *   - The "base" of the custom layout editor — open this and the
- *     board is blank; drag pieces from the palette to compose.
- *   - A test fixture for engine code that shouldn't assume any
- *     pieces exist.
+ * Zero pieces. NOT registered in LAYOUT_REGISTRY — it fails the
+ * validator (requires ≥ 1 king per side) so exposing it in the
+ * lobby picker would be a dead-end UX: the server would reject
+ * Create Room, and solo play would drop the user onto a blank
+ * board with nothing to click.
  *
- * An empty layout will NOT validate for game-play (the validator
- * requires one king per side). The lobby's Create Room button stays
- * disabled when the editor commits an empty layout; the editor
- * surfaces the validation error explicitly.
+ * The "blank canvas" use case is handled by the LayoutEditor's
+ * Custom… flow — the editor already opens from an empty piece
+ * list and lets the user compose freely.
+ *
+ * EMPTY_LAYOUT stays exported for:
+ *   - Unit tests that need a zero-piece starting state.
+ *   - `new ChessEngine({ layout: EMPTY_LAYOUT })` as a minimal
+ *     fixture in preset/rule tests.
  */
 import type { StartingLayout } from "./types.js";
-import { LAYOUT_REGISTRY } from "./registry.js";
 
 export const EMPTY_LAYOUT: StartingLayout = {
   id: "empty",
   name: "Empty Board",
   description:
-    "A blank board for composing your own position from scratch.",
+    "Internal test fixture — not registered in LAYOUT_REGISTRY.",
   pieces: [],
-  source: "premade",
+  source: "custom",
 };
-
-LAYOUT_REGISTRY.register(EMPTY_LAYOUT);
diff --git a/packages/chess/src/layouts/index.ts b/packages/chess/src/layouts/index.ts
index 6fc312e..9353790 100644
--- a/packages/chess/src/layouts/index.ts
+++ b/packages/chess/src/layouts/index.ts
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ import "./pawns-only.js";
 import "./horde.js";
 import "./knightmate.js";
 import "./chess960.js";
-// Sandbox — last so it's visually grouped separately in the picker.
-import "./empty.js";
 
 export { LAYOUT_REGISTRY } from "./registry.js";
 export { CLASSIC_LAYOUT } from "./classic.js";
+// EMPTY_LAYOUT is NOT auto-registered — it's an internal test
+// fixture (see layouts/empty.ts). Exported here so tests can
+// construct an engine around it.
 export { EMPTY_LAYOUT } from "./empty.js";
 export { DUNSANY_LAYOUT } from "./dunsany.js";
 export { MONSTER_LAYOUT } from "./monster.js";
diff --git a/packages/chess/src/layouts/premades.test.ts b/packages/chess/src/layouts/premades.test.ts
index b70af3d..f4bced3 100644
--- a/packages/chess/src/layouts/premades.test.ts
+++ b/packages/chess/src/layouts/premades.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
 import { LAYOUT_REGISTRY } from "./registry.js";
 import { validateLayout } from "./validate.js";
+import { EMPTY_LAYOUT } from "./empty.js";
 import "./index.js"; // trigger registration of every premade
 
 describe("LAYOUT_REGISTRY — premade roster", () => {
@@ -20,7 +21,10 @@ describe("LAYOUT_REGISTRY — premade roster", () => {
     expect(ids).toContain("horde");
     expect(ids).toContain("knightmate");
     expect(ids).toContain("chess960");
-    expect(ids).toContain("empty");
+  });
+
+  it("does NOT include 'empty' — it's an internal test fixture only", () => {
+    expect(LAYOUT_REGISTRY.has("empty")).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it("every premade has source: 'premade'", () => {
@@ -29,18 +33,15 @@ describe("LAYOUT_REGISTRY — premade roster", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it("every non-empty premade validates with zero errors", () => {
+  it("every registered premade validates with zero errors", () => {
     for (const layout of LAYOUT_REGISTRY.list()) {
-      if (layout.id === "empty") continue; // empty has no kings, rightfully errors
       const { errors } = validateLayout(layout);
       expect(errors, `${layout.id}: ${errors.join("; ")}`).toHaveLength(0);
     }
   });
 
-  it("empty layout errors on missing kings (validator doing its job)", () => {
-    const empty = LAYOUT_REGISTRY.get("empty");
-    expect(empty).toBeDefined();
-    const { errors } = validateLayout(empty!);
+  it("EMPTY_LAYOUT test fixture still fails validation (sanity)", () => {
+    const { errors } = validateLayout(EMPTY_LAYOUT);
     expect(errors.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
   });
 
@@ -66,7 +67,6 @@ describe("premade piece counts", () => {
     ["horde", 52], // 31 white pawns (ranks 1-4 minus e1) + 1 king + 4 advanced pawns + 16 black pieces
     ["knightmate", 32], // standard 32 with swapped back rank
     ["chess960", 32], // shim is FIDE by default
-    ["empty", 0],
   ];
 
   for (const [id, expectedCount] of counts) {