diff --git a/apps/backend/src/app/api/latest/internal/changelog/route.tsx b/apps/backend/src/app/api/latest/internal/changelog/route.tsx
index 3ef9948a4..6698d0f9c 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/app/api/latest/internal/changelog/route.tsx
+++ b/apps/backend/src/app/api/latest/internal/changelog/route.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { createSmartRouteHandler } from "@/route-handlers/smart-route-handler";
 import { yupArray, yupBoolean, yupNumber, yupObject, yupString } from "@hexclave/shared/dist/schema-fields";
 import { getEnvVariable, getNodeEnvironment } from "@hexclave/shared/dist/utils/env";
+import { HexclaveAssertionError } from "@hexclave/shared/dist/utils/errors";
 import * as fs from "fs/promises";
 import * as path from "path";
 
@@ -131,11 +132,10 @@ export const GET = createSmartRouteHandler({
     method: yupString().oneOf(["GET"]).defined(),
   }),
   response: yupObject({
-    statusCode: yupNumber().oneOf([200, 502]).defined(),
+    statusCode: yupNumber().oneOf([200]).defined(),
     bodyType: yupString().oneOf(["json"]).defined(),
     body: yupObject({
-      entries: yupArray(changelogEntrySchema).optional(),
-      error: yupString().optional(),
+      entries: yupArray(changelogEntrySchema).defined(),
     }).defined(),
   }),
   handler: async () => {
@@ -179,11 +179,7 @@ export const GET = createSmartRouteHandler({
     });
 
     if (!response.ok) {
-      return {
-        statusCode: 502,
-        bodyType: "json",
-        body: { error: "Failed to download changelog" },
-      } as const;
+      throw new HexclaveAssertionError(`Changelog fetch failed with status ${response.status}`, { changelogUrl });
     }
 
     const content = await response.text();
diff --git a/apps/e2e/tests/backend/endpoints/api/v1/internal/changelog.test.ts b/apps/e2e/tests/backend/endpoints/api/v1/internal/changelog.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..49a965183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/e2e/tests/backend/endpoints/api/v1/internal/changelog.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { describe } from "vitest";
+import { it } from "../../../../../helpers";
+import { niceBackendFetch } from "../../../../backend-helpers";
+
+describe("GET /api/v1/internal/changelog", () => {
+  it("should return changelog entries with expected structure", async ({ expect }) => {
+    const response = await niceBackendFetch("/api/v1/internal/changelog", {
+      method: "GET",
+    });
+
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(response.body).toHaveProperty("entries");
+    expect(Array.isArray(response.body.entries)).toBe(true);
+    expect(response.body.entries.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    const entry = response.body.entries[0];
+    expect(entry).toHaveProperty("version");
+    expect(entry).toHaveProperty("type");
+    expect(entry).toHaveProperty("markdown");
+    expect(entry).toHaveProperty("bulletCount");
+    expect(typeof entry.version).toBe("string");
+    expect(["major", "minor", "patch"]).toContain(entry.type);
+    expect(typeof entry.markdown).toBe("string");
+    expect(typeof entry.bulletCount).toBe("number");
+    expect(entry.bulletCount).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+  });
+
+  it("should return at most 8 entries", async ({ expect }) => {
+    const response = await niceBackendFetch("/api/v1/internal/changelog", {
+      method: "GET",
+    });
+
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(response.body.entries.length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(8);
+  });
+});