diff --git a/src/mldebug/input_parser.py b/src/mldebug/input_parser.py
index 93e64d3..5a1e1c1 100644
--- a/src/mldebug/input_parser.py
+++ b/src/mldebug/input_parser.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 from mldebug.arch import load_aie_arch, AIE_DEV_PHX, AIE_DEV_STX, AIE_DEV_TEL
 from mldebug.backend.core_dump_impl import CoreDumpFallbackReader
+from mldebug.backend.factory import BackendConfig, create_backend
 from mldebug.utils import LOGGER, cleanup_and_exit, input_with_timeout, is_aarch64, is_windows
 
 # Seconds to wait at interactive prompts before giving up and exiting.
@@ -256,13 +257,73 @@ def print_hw_context_table(current_contexts: dict[str, dict[str, str]]) -> None:
     LOGGER.log(f"{context:<12} {columns_str:<30} {context_data['pid']:<12} {context_data['status']:<12}")
 
 
+def _validate_contexts_with_read(contexts: dict, device: str, aie_iface) -> list[tuple[int, int]] | None:
+  """
+  Validate ALL contexts by reading CORE_STATUS register (verifies register access)
+
+  Args:
+    contexts: All hardware contexts from xrt-smi (context_id -> info incl. status)
+    device: Device name (for backend initialization)
+    aie_iface: Already-loaded AIE interface, or None to load it
+
+  Returns:
+    List of (context_id, pid) tuples that passed validation, or None if none passed.
+  """
+  # Use first AIE core tile for test read
+  # Tile layout: Row 0=Shim, Rows 1 to (OFFSET-1)=Memory, Rows OFFSET+=AIE cores
+  # For Telluride: (0, 3), For PHX/STX: (0, 2)
+  test_col = 0
+  test_row = aie_iface.AIE_TILE_ROW_OFFSET
+
+  # CORE_STATUS register - safe read-only register
+  # Device-specific addresses: Telluride=0x38004, PHX/STX=0x32004
+  test_reg = aie_iface.Core_registers["CORE_STATUS"]
+  test_tiles = [(test_col, test_row)]
+  
+  valid_contexts = []
+  for ctx_id, ctx_info in contexts.items():
+    backend = None
+    try:
+      pid = int(ctx_info["pid"])
+      ctx = int(ctx_id)
+
+      config = BackendConfig(
+        tiles=test_tiles,
+        ctx_id=ctx,
+        pid=pid,
+        device=device,
+      )
+      backend = create_backend("xrt", config)
+
+      backend.read_register(test_col, test_row, test_reg)
+      valid_contexts.append((ctx, pid))
+
+    # TODO: catch device-specific errors (e.g. EBUSY from XRT) instead of Exception
+    except Exception as e:
+      print(f"[DEBUG] Context {ctx_id} failed validation: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
+      continue
+
+    # Clean up the test backend to avoid resource leaks
+    finally:
+      del backend
+
+  if not valid_contexts:
+    print("[WARNING] No contexts passed validation")
+    return None
+  return valid_contexts
+
+
 def check_hw_context(args) -> tuple[int, int]:
   """
-  Returns (ctx_id, pid) from xrt-smi, prompting the user as a fallback.
-  Manual prompts time out after ``HW_CONTEXT_INPUT_TIMEOUT_S`` seconds and
-  call ``cleanup_and_exit(args, 1)`` on failure / timeout.
+  Returns (ctx_id, pid) from xrt-smi.
+
+  1. If only one context exists, auto-select it.
+  2. If multiple exist, validate all (Active and Idle) with a CORE_STATUS register read.
+  3. If no context passes validation, prompt the user (60s timeout; invalid input or timeout
+     calls ``cleanup_and_exit(args, 1)``).
   """
   device = args.device
+  aie_iface = args.aie_iface
   filename = "xrt-smi_output.json"
   use_shell = is_windows()
 
@@ -290,14 +351,23 @@ def check_hw_context(args) -> tuple[int, int]:
     if not current_contexts:
       print("Warning: xrt-smi could find no applications running. Please launch an application to use MLDebugger.")
       raise FileNotFoundError
+    
+    # Path 1: Single context found -> auto-select it
     if len(current_contexts) == 1:
       ctx = int(list(current_contexts.keys())[0])
       pid = int(list(current_contexts.values())[0]["pid"])
-    else:
+      return ctx, pid
+
+    # Path 2: Multiple contexts found -> validate all with register read test
+    print(f"[INFO] Found {len(current_contexts)} hardware context(s). Validating with register read test...")
+    valid_contexts = _validate_contexts_with_read(current_contexts, device, aie_iface)
+
+    # Path 2a: No contexts passed validation -> prompt user for input
+    if valid_contexts is None:
       print_hw_context_table(current_contexts)
       # Ask user
       selected_context_id = input_with_timeout(
-        "Multiple Contexts Found. Please enter the Context ID you want to select: ",
+        "No Contexts passed validation. Please enter the Context ID you want to select: ",
         HW_CONTEXT_INPUT_TIMEOUT_S,
       )
       if selected_context_id in current_contexts:
@@ -306,6 +376,33 @@ def check_hw_context(args) -> tuple[int, int]:
       else:
         LOGGER.log("Could not find the provided context, Exiting now.")
         cleanup_and_exit(args, 1)
+      return ctx, pid
+
+    # Path 2b: Single valid context found -> auto-select it
+    elif len(valid_contexts) == 1:
+      ctx, pid = valid_contexts[0]
+      return ctx, pid
+
+    # Path 2c: Multiple valid contexts found -> prompt user for input
+    else:
+      lookup = {str(ctx): (ctx, pid) for ctx, pid in valid_contexts}
+      valid_ids = set(lookup.keys())
+      valid_only = {k: v for k, v in current_contexts.items() if str(k) in valid_ids}
+      print_hw_context_table(valid_only)
+      # Ask user
+      selected_context_id = input_with_timeout(
+        f"{len(valid_contexts)} Contexts passed validation. "
+        "Please enter the Context ID you want to select: ",
+        HW_CONTEXT_INPUT_TIMEOUT_S,
+      )
+      if selected_context_id in valid_only:
+        ctx = int(selected_context_id)
+        pid = int(valid_only[selected_context_id]["pid"])
+      else:
+        LOGGER.log(f"Context ID {selected_context_id} not found. Valid options: {', '.join(valid_only.keys())}")
+        cleanup_and_exit(args, 1)
+      return ctx, pid
+
   except (FileNotFoundError, subprocess.CalledProcessError, json.JSONDecodeError):
     LOGGER.log(
       f"Error with xrt-smi. Please enter ctx, pid manually "