diff --git a/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api_integration/test_trashes.py b/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api_integration/test_trashes.py
index b8436f6ce74..700e7b66b5b 100644
--- a/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api_integration/test_trashes.py
+++ b/api/tests/opentrons/protocol_api_integration/test_trashes.py
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 
 from opentrons import protocol_api, simulate
 
-from typing import Optional, Type
+import contextlib
+from typing import ContextManager, Optional, Type
 from typing_extensions import Literal
 
 import pytest
@@ -93,3 +94,70 @@ def test_trash_search() -> None:
     # You should be able to override instrument.trash_container explicitly.
     instrument.trash_container = loaded_second
     assert instrument.trash_container is loaded_second
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("version", "robot_type", "expect_load_to_succeed"),
+    [
+        pytest.param(
+            "2.13",
+            "OT-2",
+            False,
+            # This xfail (the system does let you load a labware onto slot 12, and does not raise)
+            # is surprising to me. It may be be a bug in old PAPI versions.
+            marks=pytest.mark.xfail(strict=True, raises=pytest.fail.Exception),
+        ),
+        ("2.14", "OT-2", False),
+        ("2.15", "OT-2", False),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2.15",
+            "Flex",
+            False,
+            marks=pytest.mark.ot3_only,  # Simulating a Flex protocol requires a Flex hardware API.
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2.16",
+            "OT-2",
+            False,
+            # This should ideally raise, matching OT-2 behavior on prior Protocol API versions.
+            # It currently does not because Protocol API v2.15's trashes are implemented as
+            # addressable areas, not labware--and they're only brought into existence
+            # *on first use,* not at the beginning of a protocol.
+            #
+            # The good news is that even though the conflicting load will not raise like we want,
+            # something in the protocol will eventually raise, e.g. when a pipette goes to drop a
+            # tip in the fixed trash and finds that a fixed trash can't exist there because there's
+            # a labware.
+            marks=pytest.mark.xfail(strict=True, raises=pytest.fail.Exception),
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2.16",
+            "Flex",
+            True,
+            marks=pytest.mark.ot3_only,  # Simulating a Flex protocol requires a Flex hardware API.
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_fixed_trash_load_conflicts(
+    robot_type: Literal["Flex", "OT-2"],
+    version: str,
+    expect_load_to_succeed: bool,
+) -> None:
+    """Test loading something onto the location historically used for the fixed trash.
+
+    In configurations where there is a fixed trash, this should be disallowed.
+    In configurations without a fixed trash, this should be allowed.
+    """
+    protocol = simulate.get_protocol_api(version=version, robot_type=robot_type)
+
+    if expect_load_to_succeed:
+        expected_error: ContextManager[object] = contextlib.nullcontext()
+    else:
+        expected_error = pytest.raises(
+            Exception,
+            # Exact message doesn't matter, as long as it's definitely a labware load conflict.
+            match="LocationIsOccupiedError",
+        )
+
+    with expected_error:
+        protocol.load_labware("opentrons_96_wellplate_200ul_pcr_full_skirt", 12)