diff --git a/backend/tests/test_api_projects.py b/backend/tests/test_api_projects.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5d829548
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_api_projects.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import uuid
+import datetime as dt
+
+from fastapi import FastAPI
+from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+from app.api.projects import router
+from app.auth import CurrentUser, get_current_user
+from app.db import get_read_session
+from app.models import ProjectSpace
+
+app = FastAPI()
+app.include_router(router)
+
+class FakeScalars:
+    def __init__(self, data: list) -> None:
+        self.data = data
+
+    def all(self) -> list:
+        return self.data
+
+class FakeResult:
+    def __init__(self, data: list) -> None:
+        self.data = data
+
+    def scalars(self) -> FakeScalars:
+        return FakeScalars(self.data)
+
+class FakeSession:
+    def __init__(self, execute_result: list | None = None) -> None:
+        self.execute_result = execute_result or []
+        self.added: list[object] = []
+
+    def add(self, obj: object) -> None:
+        self.added.append(obj)
+
+    async def flush(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    async def commit(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    async def execute(
+        self, stmt: object, *args: object, **kwargs: object
+    ) -> FakeResult:
+        return FakeResult(self.execute_result)
+
+
+def fake_get_current_user() -> CurrentUser:
+    return CurrentUser(
+        user_account_uuid=uuid.uuid4(), subject="test_user", display_name=None
+    )
+
+
+app.dependency_overrides[get_current_user] = fake_get_current_user
+
+
+def test_list_projects_success() -> None:
+    """Test that listing projects returns the correct payload."""
+    fake_project = ProjectSpace(
+        project_space_uuid=uuid.uuid4(),
+        project_name="Test Project",
+        created_by_user_uuid=uuid.uuid4(),
+        created_at=dt.datetime.now(dt.timezone.utc),
+    )
+
+    def fake_get_read_session() -> FakeSession:
+        return FakeSession([fake_project])
+
+    app.dependency_overrides[get_read_session] = fake_get_read_session
+
+    client = TestClient(app)
+    response = client.get("/api/projects")
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert len(data) == 1
+    assert data[0]["project_name"] == "Test Project"
+    assert data[0]["project_space_uuid"] == str(fake_project.project_space_uuid)
+
+
+def test_list_projects_empty() -> None:
+    """Test that listing projects returns an empty list when no projects exist."""
+    def fake_get_read_session() -> FakeSession:
+        return FakeSession([])
+
+    app.dependency_overrides[get_read_session] = fake_get_read_session
+
+    client = TestClient(app)
+    response = client.get("/api/projects")
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert len(data) == 0