diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 8677f87..28a9b79 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -37,3 +37,18 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run lint
         run: npm run lint
+
+  package-smoke:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6.0.2
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6.3.0
+        with:
+          node-version: 22
+
+      - name: Install modules
+        run: npm install
+
+      - name: Validate published package
+        run: npm run prepublishOnly
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2201b4c..56b2281 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Tests
+
+- add npm tarball smoke test for the packed CLI and installed `lint-md`, with a dedicated Node 22 CI job ([#103](https://github.com/lint-md/cli/issues/103), [#104](https://github.com/lint-md/cli/pull/104))
+
+### Dependencies
+
+- upgrade `@lint-md/core` from `^2.1.5` to `^2.1.6` for parser 0.2.0 source-map fixes and accurate inline-code value ranges ([#104](https://github.com/lint-md/cli/pull/104))
+
 ## [2.2.2](https://github.com/lint-md/cli/compare/v2.1.1...v2.2.2) (2026-07-13)
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b9abb4a..b6b7c27 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
     "watch": "tsc -w",
     "cli-run": "node ./lib/src/lint-md.js examples/correct-title-trailing-punctuation.md",
     "benchmark:memory": "node scripts/benchmark-memory.mjs",
-    "test:benchmark-memory": "node scripts/benchmark-memory-smoke.mjs"
+    "test:benchmark-memory": "node scripts/benchmark-memory-smoke.mjs",
+    "test:package": "node scripts/test-package.mjs",
+    "prepublishOnly": "npm run lint && npm test && npm run test:package"
   },
   "files": [
     "esm/package.json",
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@
     ]
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@lint-md/core": "^2.1.5",
+    "@lint-md/core": "^2.1.6",
     "chalk": "^4",
     "commander": "^9.4.1",
     "glob": "^13.0.6",
diff --git a/scripts/test-package.mjs b/scripts/test-package.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75b2e0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test-package.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import {
+  cpSync,
+  existsSync,
+  mkdirSync,
+  mkdtempSync,
+  readFileSync,
+  rmSync,
+  writeFileSync,
+} from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { basename, join, resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const projectRoot = resolve(import.meta.dirname, "..");
+const temporaryDirectory = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "lint-md-package-"));
+
+const run = (command, args, options = {}) => {
+  const result = spawnSync(command, args, {
+    cwd: projectRoot,
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    stdio: ["pipe", "pipe", "pipe"],
+    ...options,
+  });
+
+  if (result.error) {
+    throw result.error;
+  }
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `${command} ${args.join(" ")} exited with ${result.status}\n${result.stderr}`
+    );
+  }
+
+  return result.stdout;
+};
+
+const assert = (condition, message) => {
+  if (!condition) {
+    throw new Error(message);
+  }
+};
+
+try {
+  const packOutput = run("npm", [
+    "pack",
+    "--json",
+    "--pack-destination",
+    temporaryDirectory,
+  ]);
+  const [packedPackage] = JSON.parse(packOutput);
+  const packedFiles = new Set(packedPackage.files.map(({ path }) => path));
+
+  for (const expectedFile of [
+    "CHANGELOG.md",
+    "lib/src/lint-md.js",
+    "lib/src/utils/lint-worker.js",
+    "esm/src/lint-md.js",
+  ]) {
+    assert(packedFiles.has(expectedFile), `tarball is missing ${expectedFile}`);
+  }
+
+  const tarball = join(temporaryDirectory, basename(packedPackage.filename));
+  assert(existsSync(tarball), `npm pack did not create ${tarball}`);
+
+  const installPrefix = join(temporaryDirectory, "installed");
+  run("npm", [
+    "install",
+    "--global",
+    "--prefix",
+    installPrefix,
+    "--omit=dev",
+    "--no-audit",
+    "--no-fund",
+    tarball,
+  ]);
+
+  const lintMd = join(installPrefix, "bin", "lint-md");
+  assert(existsSync(lintMd), "global installation did not expose lint-md");
+  run(lintMd, ["--version"]);
+
+  const cleanMarkdown = "# Hello\n\nThis is clean.\n";
+  run(lintMd, ["--stdin"], { input: cleanMarkdown });
+
+  const fixtureDirectory = join(temporaryDirectory, "fixtures");
+  const cleanFile = join(fixtureDirectory, "clean.md");
+  const fixableFile = join(fixtureDirectory, "fixable.md");
+  mkdirSync(fixtureDirectory);
+  cpSync(join(projectRoot, "examples", "space-around.md"), fixableFile, {
+    recursive: false,
+  });
+  writeFileSync(cleanFile, cleanMarkdown, "utf8");
+
+  run(lintMd, [cleanFile]);
+  const originalFixableContent = readFileSync(fixableFile, "utf8");
+  run(lintMd, [fixableFile, "--fix"]);
+  const fixedContent = readFileSync(fixableFile, "utf8");
+  assert(fixedContent !== originalFixableContent, "--fix did not update the fixture");
+  run(lintMd, [fixableFile]);
+} finally {
+  rmSync(temporaryDirectory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+}