diff --git a/src/client/tests/pool_handle.rs b/src/client/tests/pool_handle.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16dd90d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/tests/pool_handle.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,198 @@
+//! Unit tests for the `PoolHandle` fairness API.
+
+use std::{
+    sync::{
+        Arc,
+        atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering},
+    },
+    time::Duration,
+};
+
+use rstest::{fixture, rstest};
+use tokio::{
+    sync::Mutex,
+    time::{advance, timeout},
+};
+
+use crate::{
+    client::{ClientError, ClientPoolConfig, PoolFairnessPolicy, PoolHandle},
+    test_helpers::{Ping, Pong, PoolTestServer, TestClientPool, build_pooled_client},
+};
+
+type TestResult = Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>>;
+
+#[rustfmt::skip]
+#[fixture]
+fn client_pool_config() -> ClientPoolConfig {
+    ClientPoolConfig::default()
+}
+
+async fn build_handle_pool(
+    config: ClientPoolConfig,
+) -> Result<(PoolTestServer, TestClientPool), ClientError> {
+    let server = PoolTestServer::start().await?;
+    let pool = build_pooled_client(server.addr, config, Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0))).await?;
+    Ok((server, pool))
+}
+
+async fn build_preamble_pool(
+    config: ClientPoolConfig,
+) -> Result<(PoolTestServer, TestClientPool, Arc<AtomicUsize>), ClientError> {
+    let preamble_callback_count = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
+    let server = PoolTestServer::start().await?;
+    let pool =
+        build_pooled_client(server.addr, config, Arc::clone(&preamble_callback_count)).await?;
+    Ok((server, pool, preamble_callback_count))
+}
+
+async fn acquire_and_record(
+    mut handle: PoolHandle<
+        crate::serializer::BincodeSerializer,
+        crate::test_helpers::ClientHello,
+        (),
+    >,
+    label: &'static str,
+    rounds: usize,
+    grants: Arc<Mutex<Vec<&'static str>>>,
+) -> Result<(), ClientError> {
+    for _ in 0..rounds {
+        let lease = handle.acquire().await?;
+        grants.lock().await.push(label);
+        tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+        drop(lease);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[rstest]
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn round_robin_handles_share_one_socket_fairly(
+    client_pool_config: ClientPoolConfig,
+) -> TestResult {
+    let (_server, pool) = build_handle_pool(
+        client_pool_config
+            .pool_size(1)
+            .max_in_flight_per_socket(1)
+            .fairness_policy(PoolFairnessPolicy::RoundRobin),
+    )
+    .await?;
+    let grants = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+    let first = pool.handle();
+    let second = pool.handle();
+
+    let left = tokio::spawn(acquire_and_record(first, "a", 3, Arc::clone(&grants)));
+    let right = tokio::spawn(acquire_and_record(second, "b", 3, Arc::clone(&grants)));
+    let (left_result, right_result) = tokio::join!(left, right);
+    left_result??;
+    right_result??;
+
+    let observed = grants.lock().await.clone();
+    assert_eq!(observed, vec!["a", "b", "a", "b", "a", "b"]);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[rstest]
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn fifo_policy_preserves_wait_order(client_pool_config: ClientPoolConfig) -> TestResult {
+    let (_server, pool) = build_handle_pool(
+        client_pool_config
+            .pool_size(1)
+            .max_in_flight_per_socket(1)
+            .fairness_policy(PoolFairnessPolicy::Fifo),
+    )
+    .await?;
+    let blocker = pool.acquire().await?;
+    let grants = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+
+    let first = tokio::spawn(acquire_and_record(
+        pool.handle(),
+        "first",
+        1,
+        Arc::clone(&grants),
+    ));
+    tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+    let second = tokio::spawn(acquire_and_record(
+        pool.handle(),
+        "second",
+        1,
+        Arc::clone(&grants),
+    ));
+    tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+    let third = tokio::spawn(acquire_and_record(
+        pool.handle(),
+        "third",
+        1,
+        Arc::clone(&grants),
+    ));
+    tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+
+    drop(blocker);
+    first.await??;
+    second.await??;
+    third.await??;
+
+    let observed = grants.lock().await.clone();
+    assert_eq!(observed, vec!["first", "second", "third"]);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[rstest]
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn handle_acquire_respects_back_pressure(client_pool_config: ClientPoolConfig) -> TestResult {
+    let (_server, pool) = build_handle_pool(client_pool_config.pool_size(1)).await?;
+    let mut first = pool.handle();
+    let mut second = pool.handle();
+
+    let held_lease = first.acquire().await?;
+    let blocked = timeout(Duration::from_millis(25), second.acquire()).await;
+    assert!(blocked.is_err(), "second handle should stay blocked");
+
+    drop(held_lease);
+    let recovered = timeout(Duration::from_millis(100), second.acquire()).await?;
+    let _recovered = recovered?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[rstest]
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn handle_path_preserves_warm_reuse_and_preamble(
+    client_pool_config: ClientPoolConfig,
+) -> TestResult {
+    let (server, pool, preamble_callback_count) =
+        build_preamble_pool(client_pool_config.pool_size(1)).await?;
+    let mut handle = pool.handle();
+
+    let first: Pong = handle.call(&Ping(7)).await?;
+    let second: Pong = handle.call(&Ping(8)).await?;
+
+    assert_eq!(first, Pong(7));
+    assert_eq!(second, Pong(8));
+    assert_eq!(preamble_callback_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 1);
+    assert_eq!(server.preamble_count(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(server.connection_count(), 1);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[rstest]
+#[tokio::test(start_paused = true, flavor = "current_thread")]
+async fn handle_path_recycles_after_idle_timeout(
+    client_pool_config: ClientPoolConfig,
+) -> TestResult {
+    let idle_timeout = Duration::from_millis(50);
+    let (server, pool, preamble_callback_count) =
+        build_preamble_pool(client_pool_config.pool_size(1).idle_timeout(idle_timeout)).await?;
+    let mut handle = pool.handle();
+
+    let first: Pong = handle.call(&Ping(1)).await?;
+    assert_eq!(first, Pong(1));
+
+    advance(idle_timeout + idle_timeout).await;
+    tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+
+    let second: Pong = handle.call(&Ping(2)).await?;
+    assert_eq!(second, Pong(2));
+    assert_eq!(preamble_callback_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 2);
+    assert_eq!(server.preamble_count(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(server.connection_count(), 2);
+    Ok(())
+}
\ No newline at end of file