diff --git a/netlify.toml b/netlify.toml
index 7e9e539..321f223 100644
--- a/netlify.toml
+++ b/netlify.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@
   to = "/.netlify/functions/qa-status"
   status = 200
 
+# QA-only: expose the qa-301 function at the clean path /qa-301. Same
+# rewrite-proxy mechanism as /qa-status above (status = 200 is the
+# rewrite TYPE, not a forced response code) — it preserves the
+# function's actual 301 status code AND its Location header. Must
+# remain BEFORE the SPA catch-all below.
+[[redirects]]
+  from = "/qa-301"
+  to = "/.netlify/functions/qa-301"
+  status = 200
+
 # Redirect all requests to /index.html for SPA routing
 [[redirects]]
   from = "/*"
diff --git a/netlify/functions/qa-301.ts b/netlify/functions/qa-301.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc85a9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netlify/functions/qa-301.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// QA-only Netlify Function that always returns a real HTTP 301 redirect
+// to the site homepage. Used to test Prerender's handling of 3xx
+// responses on a clean, page-looking URL. Reached publicly via /qa-301
+// (see redirect in netlify.toml).
+//
+// The 301 status code and Location header are set by THIS function and
+// passed through unchanged by Netlify's status=200 rewrite proxy — the
+// client sees the 301 + Location, Netlify does not auto-follow it.
+
+export default async (_req: Request): Promise<Response> => {
+  return new Response(null, {
+    status: 301,
+    headers: {
+      Location: "https://weirdanimals.life/",
+    },
+  });
+};