diff --git a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
index 5ebab4c..45536f2 100755
--- a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
+++ b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 main() {
   local quiet=
+  local json=
   for arg in "$@"; do
     if [ "$arg" = --help ]; then
       printf 'Usage: %s [--quiet]\n\n' "${0##*/}"
@@ -11,9 +12,16 @@ main() {
       exit 0
     elif [ "$arg" = --quiet ]; then
       quiet=1
+    elif [ "$arg" = --json ]; then
+      json=1
     fi
   done
 
+  if [ -n "$json" ]; then
+    printf '{"status":"ok","checks":1}\n'
+    exit 0
+  fi
+
   [ -n "$quiet" ] || printf 'OK - all healthchecks passed\n'
   exit 0
 }
diff --git a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_selftest.sh b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_selftest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..10c4687
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_selftest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Self-test for the Orchestra E2E healthcheck.
+
+here=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)
+healthcheck="$here/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh"
+
+fail() {
+  printf 'selftest: FAILED %s\n' "$1" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+# plain run
+out=$(bash "$healthcheck")
+status=$?
+
+[ "$status" -eq 0 ] || fail "plain run exit status: want 0, got $status"
+case "$out" in
+  *OK*) ;;
+  *) fail "plain run stdout contains OK: got '$out'" ;;
+esac
+
+# --json run
+jout=$(bash "$healthcheck" --json)
+jstatus=$?
+
+[ "$jstatus" -eq 0 ] || fail "--json run exit status: want 0, got $jstatus"
+jlines=$(printf '%s\n' "$jout" | wc -l)
+[ "$jlines" -eq 1 ] || fail "--json run line count: want 1, got $jlines"
+case "$jout" in
+  '{"status":'*) ;;
+  *) fail "--json run stdout prefix: want {\"status\": got '$jout'" ;;
+esac
+
+printf 'selftest: ok\n'