diff --git a/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestConfigurator.tsx b/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestConfigurator.tsx
index a3657b2..db6a8ab 100644
--- a/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestConfigurator.tsx
+++ b/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestConfigurator.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type {
 } from '../types';
 import { parseSymbolsInput, toDateInputValue } from '../utils';
 import { Button, Input, Select } from '../../components/ui/Primitives';
+import { HistoricalPresetPicker } from './HistoricalPresetPicker';
 
 type SourceType = 'csv' | 'json' | 'replay' | 'kraken';
 
@@ -35,6 +36,21 @@ const defaultTo = toDateInputValue(now);
     const [timeframe, setTimeframe] = useState<BacktestTimeframe>('15m');
     const [fromDate, setFromDate] = useState(defaultFrom);
     const [toDate, setToDate] = useState(defaultTo);
+    const [activePresetId, setActivePresetId] = useState<string | null>(null);
+
+    const handlePresetSelect = (presetFrom: string, presetTo: string, presetId: string) => {
+        setFromDate(presetFrom);
+        setToDate(presetTo);
+        setActivePresetId(presetId);
+    };
+    const handleFromDateChange = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+        setFromDate(event.target.value);
+        setActivePresetId(null);
+    };
+    const handleToDateChange = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+        setToDate(event.target.value);
+        setActivePresetId(null);
+    };
     const [sourceType, setSourceType] = useState<SourceType>('csv');
     const [sourcePayload, setSourcePayload] = useState<any>(null);
     const [sourceName, setSourceName] = useState('');
@@ -163,7 +179,7 @@ const defaultTo = toDateInputValue(now);
                     <Input
                         type="date"
                         value={fromDate}
-                        onChange={(event) => setFromDate(event.target.value)}
+                        onChange={handleFromDateChange}
                         controlSize="sm"
                     />
                 </label>
@@ -172,11 +188,15 @@ const defaultTo = toDateInputValue(now);
                     <Input
                         type="date"
                         value={toDate}
-                        onChange={(event) => setToDate(event.target.value)}
+                        onChange={handleToDateChange}
                         controlSize="sm"
                     />
                 </label>
             </div>
+            <HistoricalPresetPicker
+                selectedId={activePresetId}
+                onSelect={handlePresetSelect}
+            />
 
             <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-4 gap-3">
                 <label className="space-y-1">
diff --git a/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestPlanModal.tsx b/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestPlanModal.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f3ad77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/backtest/components/BacktestPlanModal.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
+import { X } from 'lucide-react';
+import { BacktestRunnerPanel } from './BacktestRunnerPanel';
+import type { TradeProfilePayload } from '../../lib/profileApi';
+
+/**
+ * Admin-only modal that wraps BacktestRunnerPanel with the strategy_config
+ * + symbols + initial capital pre-loaded from a saved trade plan's profile.
+ *
+ * Stage A of docs/backtest/ENGINE_READINESS.md §4. Surfaces existing
+ * backtest infrastructure to admin users without changing the customer-
+ * facing experience or the production feature flag.
+ */
+export interface BacktestPlanModalProps {
+  open: boolean;
+  onClose: () => void;
+  /** The trade profile whose strategy_config + symbols + capital seed the run. */
+  profile: TradeProfilePayload | null;
+  /** The symbol from the saved-setup card (overrides profile.symbols if set). */
+  symbolOverride?: string;
+}
+
+export const BacktestPlanModal: React.FC<BacktestPlanModalProps> = ({
+  open,
+  onClose,
+  profile,
+  symbolOverride,
+}) => {
+  if (!open || !profile) return null;
+
+  const profileSymbols = String(profile.symbols || '')
+    .split(',')
+    .map((s) => s.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean);
+  const symbols = symbolOverride
+    ? [symbolOverride.trim().toUpperCase()]
+    : profileSymbols;
+
+  // Use the trade profile's allocated_capital as the starting capital so the
+  // backtest reflects what the customer actually configured. Falls back to
+  // 10k for unconfigured profiles.
+  const initialCapitalUsd = Number(profile.allocated_capital) > 0
+    ? Number(profile.allocated_capital)
+    : 10000;
+
+  return createPortal(
+    <div className="backtest-plan-modal-backdrop" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" onClick={onClose}>
+      <div className="backtest-plan-modal-panel" onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+        <div className="backtest-plan-modal-header">
+          <div>
+            <div className="backtest-plan-modal-eyebrow">Test plan against history (admin)</div>
+            <h2 className="backtest-plan-modal-title">{profile.name || 'Trade plan'}</h2>
+            <div className="backtest-plan-modal-sub">
+              Symbols: <span className="font-mono">{symbols.join(', ') || '—'}</span>
+              {' · '}
+              Capital: ${initialCapitalUsd.toLocaleString()}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={onClose}
+            className="backtest-plan-modal-close"
+            aria-label="Close backtest modal"
+          >
+            <X size={18} />
+          </button>
+        </div>
+        <div className="backtest-plan-modal-body">
+          <BacktestRunnerPanel
+            profileId={profile.id}
+            strategyConfig={profile.strategy_config}
+            symbols={symbols}
+            initialCapitalUsd={initialCapitalUsd}
+            title="Pick a date range or historical preset"
+          />
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>,
+    document.body
+  );
+};
diff --git a/web/src/backtest/components/HistoricalPresetPicker.tsx b/web/src/backtest/components/HistoricalPresetPicker.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15ed0f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/backtest/components/HistoricalPresetPicker.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+/**
+ * Preset historical event windows for the backtest configurator.
+ *
+ * These are pre-validated against typical Kraken/Alpaca data depth (5-7
+ * years), so customers don't waste a backtest on a window that will return
+ * "no data" for newer symbols. See docs/backtest/ENGINE_READINESS.md §3.4.
+ */
+export interface HistoricalEventPreset {
+  id: string;
+  label: string;
+  description: string;
+  fromDate: string; // YYYY-MM-DD
+  toDate: string;   // YYYY-MM-DD
+}
+
+export const DEFAULT_HISTORICAL_PRESETS: HistoricalEventPreset[] = [
+  {
+    id: 'covid-crash',
+    label: 'COVID crash',
+    description: 'Feb-Apr 2020 — ~30% drawdown across most assets in 5 weeks.',
+    fromDate: '2020-02-15',
+    toDate: '2020-04-30',
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'covid-recovery',
+    label: 'COVID recovery',
+    description: 'Apr-Dec 2020 — fastest bull market in modern history.',
+    fromDate: '2020-04-01',
+    toDate: '2020-12-31',
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'russia-ukraine',
+    label: 'Russia/Ukraine 2022',
+    description: 'Feb-Jun 2022 — energy + commodity shocks, risk-off pivot.',
+    fromDate: '2022-02-01',
+    toDate: '2022-06-30',
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'bear-2022',
+    label: '2022 bear market',
+    description: 'Full year — sustained drawdown across crypto + tech equities.',
+    fromDate: '2022-01-01',
+    toDate: '2022-12-31',
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'svb-banking',
+    label: 'SVB banking shock',
+    description: 'Mar 2023 — bank failures + emergency Fed response.',
+    fromDate: '2023-03-01',
+    toDate: '2023-04-15',
+  },
+];
+
+export interface HistoricalPresetPickerProps {
+  /** Currently-selected preset id (or null when user is editing custom dates). */
+  selectedId: string | null;
+  /** Called with `(fromDate, toDate, presetId)` when a preset is clicked. */
+  onSelect: (fromDate: string, toDate: string, presetId: string) => void;
+  /** Override the default preset list. */
+  presets?: HistoricalEventPreset[];
+  className?: string;
+}
+
+export const HistoricalPresetPicker: React.FC<HistoricalPresetPickerProps> = ({
+  selectedId,
+  onSelect,
+  presets = DEFAULT_HISTORICAL_PRESETS,
+  className,
+}) => {
+  return (
+    <div className={`historical-preset-picker ${className || ''}`}>
+      <div className="historical-preset-picker-label">Historical events</div>
+      <div className="historical-preset-picker-row">
+        {presets.map((preset) => {
+          const active = selectedId === preset.id;
+          return (
+            <button
+              key={preset.id}
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => onSelect(preset.fromDate, preset.toDate, preset.id)}
+              className={`historical-preset-chip ${active ? 'is-active' : ''}`}
+              title={`${preset.description}  (${preset.fromDate} → ${preset.toDate})`}
+            >
+              {preset.label}
+            </button>
+          );
+        })}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/web/src/layout-fixes.css b/web/src/layout-fixes.css
index cf2a140..8809954 100644
--- a/web/src/layout-fixes.css
+++ b/web/src/layout-fixes.css
@@ -494,3 +494,145 @@
   overflow-wrap: anywhere;
 }
 
+
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+   Section 25 — Historical event preset picker (Stage A backtest POC)
+   Used inside BacktestConfigurator. Compact chip row that lets the user
+   pick a pre-validated date range (COVID, war periods) instead of typing
+   dates manually.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+.historical-preset-picker {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 6px;
+  margin-top: 4px;
+}
+.historical-preset-picker-label {
+  font-size: 10px;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  color: var(--bl-text-quiet);
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.12em;
+}
+.historical-preset-picker-row {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  gap: 6px;
+}
+.historical-preset-chip {
+  appearance: none;
+  -webkit-appearance: none;
+  font: inherit;
+  border: 1px solid var(--bl-border-subtle);
+  background: var(--bl-surface-muted);
+  color: var(--bl-text-secondary);
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  padding: 4px 12px;
+  font-size: 11px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: background-color 120ms ease, border-color 120ms ease, color 120ms ease;
+}
+.historical-preset-chip:hover {
+  background: var(--bl-surface-highlight);
+  border-color: var(--bl-border);
+  color: var(--bl-text-primary);
+}
+.historical-preset-chip.is-active {
+  background: var(--bl-accent-muted);
+  border-color: var(--bl-accent);
+  color: var(--bl-accent);
+}
+.historical-preset-chip:focus-visible {
+  outline: none;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px var(--bl-bg-canvas, #0b0f17),
+              0 0 0 4px var(--bl-focus-ring, var(--bl-accent, #5A8CFF));
+}
+
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+   Section 26 — Admin-only "Test against history" backtest modal (Stage A)
+   Lives in BacktestPlanModal.tsx. Portaled to <body> so it escapes any
+   parent overflow:hidden in the trade-plans card grid.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+.backtest-plan-modal-backdrop {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: 9999;
+  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--bl-bg-canvas, #0b0f17) 70%, transparent);
+  backdrop-filter: blur(4px);
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  justify-content: center;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  padding: 5vh 16px 8vh;
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-panel {
+  width: 100%;
+  max-width: 960px;
+  background: var(--card-elevated);
+  border: 1px solid var(--bl-border);
+  border-radius: 20px;
+  box-shadow: 0 30px 80px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45);
+  overflow: hidden;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  gap: 12px;
+  padding: 20px 24px 16px;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--bl-border-subtle);
+  background: var(--bl-surface-overlay);
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-eyebrow {
+  font-size: 10px;
+  font-weight: 800;
+  letter-spacing: 0.14em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: var(--bl-warning);
+  margin-bottom: 6px;
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-title {
+  font-size: 18px;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  color: var(--foreground);
+  margin: 0;
+  line-height: 1.3;
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-sub {
+  font-size: 12px;
+  color: var(--muted-foreground);
+  margin-top: 4px;
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-close {
+  appearance: none;
+  background: transparent;
+  border: 1px solid var(--bl-border-subtle);
+  border-radius: 10px;
+  width: 36px;
+  height: 36px;
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  color: var(--bl-text-secondary);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-close:hover {
+  background: var(--bl-surface-highlight);
+  color: var(--foreground);
+}
+.backtest-plan-modal-body {
+  padding: 20px 24px 24px;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  max-height: calc(90vh - 120px);
+}
+.saved-setup-action.is-admin-only {
+  border-color: color-mix(in oklab, var(--bl-warning) 30%, var(--bl-border));
+  color: var(--bl-warning);
+}
+.saved-setup-action.is-admin-only:hover {
+  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--bl-warning) 10%, transparent);
+}
diff --git a/web/src/views/SimpleView.tsx b/web/src/views/SimpleView.tsx
index 831dba4..f503d2d 100644
--- a/web/src/views/SimpleView.tsx
+++ b/web/src/views/SimpleView.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useReducer, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import type { ChangeEvent, FormEvent } from 'react';
-import { Pencil, RefreshCw, Trash2 } from 'lucide-react';
+import { History, Pencil, RefreshCw, Trash2 } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useAppContext } from '../context/AppContext';
 import { fetchChartBars, fetchResearchProfile } from '../lib/marketApi';
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import {
 } from './tradePlansState';
 import { useTradePlansNavigationState } from './useTradePlansNavigationState';
 import { CardButton } from '@bytelyst/ui';
+import { useAuth } from '../components/AuthContext';
+import { BacktestPlanModal } from '../backtest/components/BacktestPlanModal';
 
 type SimpleHolding = {
   symbol: string;
@@ -592,8 +594,11 @@ function describeSavedSetup(entry: ManualEntryPayload): string {
 
 export function SimpleView() {
   const { botState } = useAppContext();
+  const { profile: authProfile } = useAuth();
+  const isAdmin = authProfile?.role === 'admin';
   const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams();
   const [profiles, setProfiles] = useState<TradeProfilePayload[]>([]);
+  const [backtestModalSetupId, setBacktestModalSetupId] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [savedSetups, setSavedSetups] = useState<ManualEntryPayload[]>([]);
   const [uiState, dispatch] = useReducer(reduceTradePlansUiState, DEFAULT_TRADE_PLANS_UI_STATE);
   const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false);
@@ -1454,6 +1459,21 @@ export function SimpleView() {
                           Resume exit management
                         </Button>
                       ) : null}
+                      {isAdmin ? (
+                        <Button
+                          type="button"
+                          onClick={() => setBacktestModalSetupId(entryId)}
+                          variant="outline"
+                          size="sm"
+                          className="saved-setup-action is-admin-only"
+                          title="Test this plan against historical market data (admin only)"
+                        >
+                          <span className="inline-flex items-center gap-2">
+                            <History size={14} />
+                            Test history
+                          </span>
+                        </Button>
+                      ) : null}
                       <Button
                         type="button"
                         onClick={() => handleEdit(entry)}
@@ -1627,6 +1647,21 @@ export function SimpleView() {
           </CardContent>
         </Card>
       </div>
+      <BacktestPlanModal
+        open={Boolean(backtestModalSetupId)}
+        onClose={() => setBacktestModalSetupId(null)}
+        profile={(() => {
+          if (!backtestModalSetupId) return null;
+          const setup = savedSetups.find((s) => String(s.stock_instance_id || '') === backtestModalSetupId) || null;
+          if (!setup) return null;
+          return profiles.find((p) => p.id === String(setup.profile_id || '')) || null;
+        })()}
+        symbolOverride={(() => {
+          if (!backtestModalSetupId) return undefined;
+          const setup = savedSetups.find((s) => String(s.stock_instance_id || '') === backtestModalSetupId);
+          return setup?.symbol ? String(setup.symbol) : undefined;
+        })()}
+      />
     </div>
   );
 }