diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b4dbd2552d..b3793323bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ jobs:
           AGENTOS_SIDECAR_BIN: ${{ github.workspace }}/target/debug/agentos-native-sidecar
         run: |
           cargo test -p agentos-client \
+            --features service-internals \
             --lib \
             --test scaffold \
             --test e2e_smoke \
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ jobs:
             --test sidecar_pool_e2e \
             --test cron_e2e \
             --test cron_grammar_e2e \
+            --test vm_config_compare_e2e \
             -- --test-threads=1
       - name: Stage stripped sidecar artifacts
         run: |
diff --git a/crates/client/tests/vm_config_compare_e2e.rs b/crates/client/tests/vm_config_compare_e2e.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24e3648cac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/client/tests/vm_config_compare_e2e.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+//! Config comparison against a running VM through a real `agentos-native-sidecar`.
+#![cfg(feature = "service-internals")]
+
+mod common;
+
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
+use agentos_client::config::AgentOsConfig;
+use agentos_client::service_internals::vm_config_equivalent;
+use agentos_client::AgentOs;
+
+fn config(environment: Option<BTreeMap<String, String>>) -> AgentOsConfig {
+    AgentOsConfig {
+        environment,
+        ..Default::default()
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn running_vm_compares_configs_through_the_sidecar() {
+    if !common::require_sidecar("running_vm_compares_configs_through_the_sidecar") {
+        return;
+    }
+    let vm = AgentOs::create(config(None))
+        .await
+        .expect("create VM against real sidecar");
+
+    let same = vm_config_equivalent(&vm, &config(None), &config(None), Vec::new(), Vec::new())
+        .await
+        .expect("compare an unchanged config");
+    let changed_environment = Some(BTreeMap::from([(String::from("DEBUG"), String::from("1"))]));
+    let changed = vm_config_equivalent(
+        &vm,
+        &config(None),
+        &config(changed_environment),
+        Vec::new(),
+        Vec::new(),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("compare a config with a changed environment");
+    vm.shutdown().await.expect("shutdown VM");
+
+    assert!(same);
+    assert!(!changed);
+}
diff --git a/crates/native-sidecar/src/service.rs b/crates/native-sidecar/src/service.rs
index 35e1a09e2a..22adffb08f 100644
--- a/crates/native-sidecar/src/service.rs
+++ b/crates/native-sidecar/src/service.rs
@@ -2607,6 +2607,7 @@ where
                 | RequestRoute::GetZombieTimerCount(_)
                 | RequestRoute::ProvidedCommands(_)
                 | RequestRoute::ListMounts(_)
+                | RequestRoute::CompareVmConfig(_)
                 | RequestRoute::GuestFilesystemCall(_)
                 | RequestRoute::GuestKernelCall(_)
                 | RequestRoute::BootstrapRootFilesystem(_)
@@ -2801,6 +2802,12 @@ where
                 let future = self.list_mounts(&request, payload);
                 Ok(Some(PreparedRequest::from_vm_command(request, future)))
             }
+            RequestRoute::CompareVmConfig(payload) => {
+                let result = self.compare_vm_config(&request, payload);
+                Ok(Some(PreparedRequest::from_future(request, async move {
+                    result
+                })))
+            }
             RequestRoute::BootstrapRootFilesystem(payload) => {
                 let future = self.bootstrap_root_filesystem(&request, payload.entries);
                 Ok(Some(PreparedRequest::from_vm_command(request, future)))
@@ -3032,9 +3039,7 @@ where
                     })
                 })))
             }
-            RequestRoute::CreateVm(_)
-            | RequestRoute::CompareVmConfig(_)
-            | RequestRoute::DisposeVm(_) => {
+            RequestRoute::CreateVm(_) | RequestRoute::DisposeVm(_) => {
                 unreachable!("VM creation and disposal use dedicated prepared routes")
             }
         }