diff --git a/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet-reconciler-command.spec.ts b/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet-reconciler-command.spec.ts
index 0c335e29..5a32c5d9 100644
--- a/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet-reconciler-command.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet-reconciler-command.spec.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ function program(
     runner,
     reconcileDeps: {
       homeDirectory: '/home/mosaic',
+      // Deterministic broker presence: without a seam the reconciler probes the
+      // REAL host socket (#1297 F3), making every CLI start test answer the
+      // host's broker state instead of its own property.
+      checkBrokerSocket: async () => true,
       readHolderIdentity: async () => '11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111',
       validateRoster: async () => undefined,
       prepareProjections: async () => [{ agentName: 'coder0' }],
diff --git a/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet.spec.ts b/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet.spec.ts
index 5fe8096a..627f8a13 100644
--- a/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/mosaic/src/commands/fleet.spec.ts
@@ -4516,29 +4516,40 @@ describe('#1297 review: the real broker probe, exercised without any seam', () =
     await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
 
-  it('placeUnitFile aborts with UnitPlacementError when unlink fails — never copies through a live symlink', async () => {
-    const dir = await tempDir();
-    const unitDir = join(dir, 'systemd', 'user');
-    await mkdir(unitDir, { recursive: true });
-    // By-path residue: destination is a symlink pointing somewhere else.
-    const residueTarget = join(dir, 'residue-target');
-    await writeFile(residueTarget, 'RESIDUE-BYTES');
-    const destination = join(unitDir, 'x.service');
-    await symlink(residueTarget, destination);
-    const source = join(dir, 'seed.service');
-    await writeFile(source, 'UNIT-BYTES');
-    // Read-only unit dir: unlink now fails EACCES (test runs as the owner,
-    // not root, so mode bits are enforced).
-    await chmod(unitDir, 0o500);
-    try {
-      await expect(placeUnitFile(source, unitDir, 'x.service')).rejects.toThrow(UnitPlacementError);
-    } finally {
-      await chmod(unitDir, 0o700);
-    }
-    // The copy-through never happened: residue bytes intact, destination
-    // still the symlink (abort, not overwrite-through).
-    expect(await readFile(residueTarget, 'utf8')).toBe('RESIDUE-BYTES');
-    expect(await readlink(destination)).toBe(residueTarget);
-    await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
-  });
+  // EACCES-based unlink failure requires a non-root uid: root bypasses
+  // directory mode bits (CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE), so the abort path cannot be
+  // triggered this way under CI's root runner. Skipped there, exercised on
+  // every non-root dev host.
+  const itUnlessRoot =
+    typeof process.getuid === 'function' && process.getuid() === 0 ? it.skip : it;
+  itUnlessRoot(
+    'placeUnitFile aborts with UnitPlacementError when unlink fails — never copies through a live symlink',
+    async () => {
+      const dir = await tempDir();
+      const unitDir = join(dir, 'systemd', 'user');
+      await mkdir(unitDir, { recursive: true });
+      // By-path residue: destination is a symlink pointing somewhere else.
+      const residueTarget = join(dir, 'residue-target');
+      await writeFile(residueTarget, 'RESIDUE-BYTES');
+      const destination = join(unitDir, 'x.service');
+      await symlink(residueTarget, destination);
+      const source = join(dir, 'seed.service');
+      await writeFile(source, 'UNIT-BYTES');
+      // Read-only unit dir: unlink now fails EACCES (test runs as the owner,
+      // not root, so mode bits are enforced).
+      await chmod(unitDir, 0o500);
+      try {
+        await expect(placeUnitFile(source, unitDir, 'x.service')).rejects.toThrow(
+          UnitPlacementError,
+        );
+      } finally {
+        await chmod(unitDir, 0o700);
+      }
+      // The copy-through never happened: residue bytes intact, destination
+      // still the symlink (abort, not overwrite-through).
+      expect(await readFile(residueTarget, 'utf8')).toBe('RESIDUE-BYTES');
+      expect(await readlink(destination)).toBe(residueTarget);
+      await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    },
+  );
 });
diff --git a/packages/mosaic/src/fleet/fleet-reconciler.spec.ts b/packages/mosaic/src/fleet/fleet-reconciler.spec.ts
index 49164e65..b1b99d54 100644
--- a/packages/mosaic/src/fleet/fleet-reconciler.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/mosaic/src/fleet/fleet-reconciler.spec.ts
@@ -180,6 +180,10 @@ describe('fleet roster-owned reconciler', (): void => {
   it('command start enables and starts the broker BEFORE the holder and any agent unit', async (): Promise<void> => {
     const calls: string[][] = [];
     const result = await run('start', {
+      // Deterministic broker presence: without the seam this test answers the
+      // HOST's broker state (passes on a machine with a live broker, refuses
+      // on CI), not the ordering property it exists for (#1297 follow-up).
+      checkBrokerSocket: async () => true,
       runner: async (command, args) => {
         calls.push([command, ...args]);
         if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('list-sessions')) {
@@ -232,6 +236,8 @@ describe('fleet roster-owned reconciler', (): void => {
       expectedGeneration: 7,
       deps: deps({
         readRoster: async () => runningRoster,
+        // Deterministic broker presence (see start-ordering test note).
+        checkBrokerSocket: async () => true,
         runner: async (command, args) => {
           calls.push([command, ...args]);
           if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('list-sessions')) {
@@ -543,6 +549,8 @@ describe('fleet roster-owned reconciler', (): void => {
       expectedGeneration: 7,
       deps: deps({
         readRoster: async () => runningRoster,
+        // Deterministic broker presence (see start-ordering test note).
+        checkBrokerSocket: async () => true,
         runner: async (command, args) => {
           calls.push([command, ...args]);
           if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('list-sessions')) {