diff --git a/BUILD-LOG.md b/BUILD-LOG.md
index bec7c4a45..8f2a898dd 100644
--- a/BUILD-LOG.md
+++ b/BUILD-LOG.md
@@ -5879,3 +5879,58 @@ Q284 / #470 source-only security fix 2026-10-29T03:33:00.640624+00:00: pin worke
 2026-11-02 | Lead sub-agent (Claude Opus 5.5, under T3 c5c1e8ba) | Row 227 R2 (#1728): test-case2.sh now runs standalone. Removed every tie to the R1 slot controller (ROW227_CONTROL_ROOT, nonce and permits, priority.mjs, owned bwrap wrapper, controller cleanup marker); leak check reads fixture-credentials.mjs; driver under env -i with TMPDIR in the sandbox; cleanup bounded to 3 s then SIGKILL. R1 red 0.294 s confirmed; all 17 steps passed with no step fix; two green runs 4.96 s and 5.74 s; mutants m1-m5 red at S2b, S3c, S4, S5b, S6, m6 (requireCitation) survived and is a follow-up; tip check on fddae79ef green 5.05 s, no conflicts. Code 04e1ce24c; record in agents/steelbeak/work/queue-227/BUILD.md "R2".
 
 2026-11-02 | Lead sub-agent (Claude Opus 5.5, under T3 c5c1e8ba) | Row 227 R3 (#1728): test-case2.sh sandbox guard. A failed mktemp, mkdir or output redirect now exits 2 before any path, trap or process; the root must be a new empty directory of this user, kept as its physical path with its device:inode, and sweep_sandbox and remove_sandbox in scripts/case2/sandbox.sh refuse on their own unless it still matches. The kill sweep compares cwd targets as strings (root or root plus "/"), so *, ? and [ are literal, with one find over 1031 links in 56 ms. A TMPDIR whose tools.sock path would pass 107 bytes is refused at entry (TMPDIR plus 64, so at most 43 bytes). R2 red shown on dummy links only; failure controls green inside a fresh PID namespace; bracket control killed 3 sandbox sentinels and spared 4 lookalikes; plain runs 5.64 s and 5.20 s; TERM and INT closed in 130 to 1247 ms, a held driver in 3.07 to 3.10 s; tip check on 5df0e9d6f green 5.18 s, no conflicts. Code abc66a598; record in agents/steelbeak/work/queue-227/BUILD.md "R3: the sandbox guard".
+
+## 2026-11-02, Vikunja #780 and #781: two gate flakes made deterministic
+
+Before: project read.test.mjs "path history is bounded at 100" failed with a raw ENOENT on .git/objects/pack/tmp_idx_*,
+and webui preview.test.mjs:209 got 200 where it expects 502. Code 7e0d3c93f (#780), 1009bbfaf (#781), not pushed.
+
+Causes, each confirmed
+- #780: the fixture git helpers ran a bare git commit. Git 2.55 then starts a detached "git maintenance run --auto"
+  that repacks the fixture repository and creates and removes tmp_idx_* and pack temp files while inspectGit walks
+  .git (trace2 capture shows the spawn). inspectGit lists a name, the file is gone at lstat, raw ENOENT escapes.
+  SAFE already carried maintenance.auto=false and gc.auto=0 for product git calls, so only the test helpers and
+  inspectGit's own walk were exposed.
+- #781: leasePort ignored {closed:true}. Without a lane it probed an ephemeral port and closed it, so nothing held it
+  and a parallel test file could bind it and answer. With a lane the per-port lock was held but no socket was.
+
+Design
+- #780: the project, bus spec-fixtures and webui tester-fixture git helpers pass -c maintenance.auto=false
+  -c gc.auto=0. inspectGit maps ENOENT from a listed entry's lstat or a directory readdir to ProjectError
+  project-repository "git metadata changed during inspection": it refuses, never skips or retries, because the
+  metadata did not hold still. A missing .git keeps its own error. The pin test replaces fs.readdirSync
+  (syncBuiltinESMExports) and removes the named entry inside the call, file and directory. No production hook.
+- #781: leaseClosedPort holds a bound, non-listening socket in a perl child until the test's after hook. Connects get
+  ECONNREFUSED, other binds get EADDRINUSE, the kernel's bind(0) skips it (checked over 200 allocations). Lane mode keeps
+  its band and per-port flock and releases the socket before the lock. The child exits on stdin EOF, so an abrupt death
+  releases it. leasePort now refuses a closed option, so a stale call cannot get the unheld port again.
+
+Choices and tradeoffs
+- Rejected a listener that resets on accept: the client sees ECONNRESET or UND_ERR_SOCKET depending on timing, and
+  service.test.mjs:473 asserts "unreachable (ECONNREFUSED)". The bound socket keeps every assertion unchanged.
+- preview, webui serve and service (4 sites) take leaseClosedPort(t), which needs perl and fails closed naming it without.
+  stack-release freePort, control-board getFreePort and tester-cli freePort listen on the port themselves, keep leasePort
+  and drop the ignored option. Those keep a probe-then-bind window; closing it needs the caller to bind, out of scope.
+- The first mutant run hung: my new tests did not release holders on a failed assertion. They now drain in t.after.
+
+After (pass/fail/skip): project 42/0/0 1.2 s; webui 496/0/0 69.5 s; control-board 130/0/0 0.8 s; stack-release.test
+225/0/0 628 s; gate-lane-fixtures 13/0/0; gate-lane 13/0/0; bus and harness spec-fixtures importers 100/0/0 15 s; library
+sync, mirror, case2-install 69/0/0; read.test.mjs 10 of 10 green. No hash or size pins on any changed file. Mutants, each
+restored by git checkout with a clean status: closed lease probes and closes again, and holder released immediately, each
+killed by three gate-lane-fixtures tests; leasePort accepts closed again, killed by its refusal test; inspectGit mapping
+removed, killed by the read.test.mjs vanished-entry test.
+
+## 2026-11-03, Vikunja #780 R2: fresh recursive lstat restored; corrections to the R1 entry above
+
+- The R1 walk change was broader than the ENOENT mapping. Passing the parent's stat into the recursive walk dropped the
+  fresh lstat at recursive entry: a directory replaced by a symlink after its listed stat passed the stale check and
+  readdirSync read through the link; one replaced by a regular file leaked a raw ENOTDIR (GPT review P2).
+- The tester-cli freePort helper (packages/webui/tests/tester-cli.test.mjs:21) has no callers and binds nothing; the
+  active tester CLI test uses a private Unix socket. R1 wrongly counted it among the callers that listen themselves.
+- stack-release.test.mjs:2051 and control-board serve.test.mjs:78 still probe, close, then bind: a known risk, and
+  the lead files a follow-up.
+R2, code 1977f4ffc, not pushed: walk(directory, root) stats with root ? lstatSync : statEntry and recurses walk(path),
+the reviewer's control shape; .git keeps its raw lstat, the mapper stays ENOENT only. Two read.test.mjs tests swap a
+.git/objects directory, inside its listed lstat after the real stat, for a symlink to a fixture-only outside directory
+or a file; both refuse "expected local .git directory", and were red on 9944100ad (symlink resolved, raw ENOTDIR).
+Mutant walk(path, entry) using the passed stat: killed by both. project 44/0/0; read.test.mjs alone 11/0/0 5 of 5.
diff --git a/docs/SESSIONS.md b/docs/SESSIONS.md
index d4dfbc6e8..ffe138351 100644
--- a/docs/SESSIONS.md
+++ b/docs/SESSIONS.md
@@ -1957,3 +1957,7 @@ are never rewritten or removed; corrections are new entries.
 2026-11-02 | Lead sub-agent (Claude Opus 5.5, under T3 c5c1e8ba) | Row 227 R3 (#1728): sandbox guard, literal cwd sweep and TMPDIR limit for test-case2.sh | Code abc66a598 on t3/row227-r3-fix: P1 to P3 fixed, 40 no-signal checks pass, namespace failure controls exit 2 with nothing started, suite green twice (5.64 s, 5.20 s), tip check green. Not pushed; record in queue-227 BUILD.md "R3: the sandbox guard".
 
 2026-11-02 | Lead (Claude Opus 5.5, T3 c5c1e8ba) | PR 1838 (#725) landing: disk-space governance PRD as version 1.19 | Merge 31222d81d of the Haiku rebase 3d00efe39 onto ea02c061e; GPT review APPROVE, P3s fixed here: approved wording in the tasks requirements test header, location correction in REBASE-1.19.md. Full gate before push.
+
+2026-11-02 | Lead sub-agent (Claude Sonnet 5.5, under T3 c5c1e8ba) | Vikunja #780 and #781: project inspectGit race with git maintenance, closed fixture ports | Code 7e0d3c93f (#780) and 1009bbfaf (#781) on t3/fix-flakes-780-781: both flakes made deterministic, pin tests added, three mutants plus one extra each killed and restored, project, webui, control-board, stack-release and lane fixture suites green, read.test.mjs 10 of 10. Not pushed; record in BUILD-LOG.md.
+
+2026-11-03 | Lead sub-agent (Claude Opus 5.5, under T3 c5c1e8ba) | Vikunja #780 R2: restore the fresh recursive lstat in project inspectGit | Code 1977f4ffc on t3/flakes-780-781-r2-fix: symlink and file replacement tests red on 9944100ad and green now, stale-stat mutant killed by both, project 44/0/0, read.test.mjs 5 of 5. BUILD-LOG entry corrects the R1 walk and tester-cli descriptions. Not pushed.
diff --git a/packages/bus/tests/spec-fixtures.mjs b/packages/bus/tests/spec-fixtures.mjs
index 60dec8e69..7114df7d9 100644
--- a/packages/bus/tests/spec-fixtures.mjs
+++ b/packages/bus/tests/spec-fixtures.mjs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { Store } from '../src/store.mjs';
 import { Broker } from '../src/broker.mjs';
 import { initProject, readSpec, writeRecord, listProjectFiles, readProjectFile, writeHumanFile, ProjectError } from '../../project/src/index.mjs';
-export const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+export const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
 const options = [{ key: 'yes', text: 'Yes' }, { key: 'no', text: 'No' }];
 export async function fixture(t, { adapter = true, roles = {}, arbiters = { technical: 'reviewer', delivery: 'reviewer' }, access = null } = {}) {
   const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bus-spec-'));
diff --git a/packages/cli/tests/gate-lane-fixtures.test.mjs b/packages/cli/tests/gate-lane-fixtures.test.mjs
index 83e61c1de..e256f20b8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/tests/gate-lane-fixtures.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/cli/tests/gate-lane-fixtures.test.mjs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import test from 'node:test';import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
-import { mkdtempSync,rmSync,mkdirSync,writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';import { join } from 'node:path';import { createServer } from 'node:net';import { once } from 'node:events';
+import { mkdtempSync,rmSync,mkdirSync,writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';import { join } from 'node:path';import { createServer,connect } from 'node:net';import { once } from 'node:events';
 const api=await import('../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs').catch(e=>{if(e.code!=='ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND')throw e;return {};});
 const evidence=await import('../../../scripts/testing/lane-evidence.mjs').catch(e=>{if(e.code!=='ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND')throw e;return {};});
 test('parallel lease holders use only the active lane and its shared state',async t=>{
@@ -92,3 +92,52 @@ test('an unrelated session can append while a supervised step runs without becom
  const changed=evidence.homeMetadata(home).filter(e=>prior.get(e.path)!==JSON.stringify(e));assert.ok(changed.some(e=>e.path===file));
  const attributed=evidence.attributeEntries(changed,{nonce:'abcdef123456',tempRoot:join(root,'temp'),fixturePaths:[]});assert.equal(attributed.owned.length,0);assert.ok(attributed.unrelated.length>0);
 });
+// Vikunja #781: a port that nothing answers on is held for the test's life, so a parallel file
+// cannot bind it and answer a request the test expects to fail.
+const connectCode=port=>new Promise(resolve=>{const c=connect(port,'127.0.0.1');c.once('error',e=>resolve(e.code));c.once('connect',()=>{c.destroy();resolve('connected');});});
+const bindCode=(port,host='127.0.0.1')=>new Promise(resolve=>{const s=createServer();s.once('error',e=>resolve(e.code));s.listen(port,host,()=>s.close(()=>resolve('bound')));});
+for(const mode of ['lane','no lane'])test(`a closed port lease refuses connects and stays held against binds, other leases and the kernel until release (${mode})`,async t=>{
+ const ctx=leaseContext(t),context=mode==='lane'?ctx:{lane:''},callbacks=[],fixture={after:f=>callbacks.push(f)};
+ const release=async()=>{for(const f of callbacks.splice(0).reverse())await f();};t.after(release);
+ const port=await api.leaseClosedPort(fixture,context),other=await api.leaseClosedPort(fixture,context),listener=await api.leasePort(fixture,context);
+ const lock=n=>join(ctx.stateRoot,'ports',ctx.lane,`${n}.lock`);
+ assert.equal(new Set([port,other,listener]).size,3);
+ if(mode==='lane'){const [lo,hi]=BANDS[ctx.lane];for(const n of [port,other,listener]){assert.ok(n>=lo&&n<=hi);assert.equal(spawnSync('flock',['-n',lock(n),'true']).status,1);}}
+ assert.equal(await connectCode(port),'ECONNREFUSED');
+ assert.equal(await bindCode(port),'EADDRINUSE');assert.equal(await bindCode(port,'0.0.0.0'),'EADDRINUSE');
+ if(mode==='no lane'){
+  const seen=new Set();
+  for(let i=0;i<200;i++){const s=createServer();await new Promise(r=>s.listen(0,'127.0.0.1',r));seen.add(s.address().port);await new Promise(r=>s.close(r));}
+  assert.equal(seen.has(port),false);assert.equal(seen.has(other),false);
+ }
+ await release();
+ assert.equal(await bindCode(port),'bound');assert.equal(await connectCode(port),'ECONNREFUSED');
+ if(mode==='lane')for(const n of [port,other,listener])assert.equal(spawnSync('flock',['-n',lock(n),'true']).status,0);
+});
+test('a closed port lease skips a locked port and a foreign listener, and refuses an exhausted band',async t=>{
+ const ctx=leaseContext(t),callbacks=[],original=BANDS[ctx.lane];
+ const port=await api.leasePort({after:f=>callbacks.push(f)},ctx),server=createServer();
+ try{
+  BANDS[ctx.lane]=[port,port];
+  await assert.rejects(api.leaseClosedPort(t,ctx),/exhausted/);
+  await new Promise((resolve,reject)=>{server.once('error',reject);server.listen(port,'127.0.0.1',resolve);});
+  await callbacks.pop()();
+  await assert.rejects(api.leaseClosedPort(t,ctx),/exhausted/);assert.equal(server.listening,true);
+  await new Promise(r=>server.close(r));
+  const got=await api.leaseClosedPort({after:f=>callbacks.push(f)},ctx);assert.equal(got,port);
+  assert.equal(await connectCode(port),'ECONNREFUSED');
+ }finally{BANDS[ctx.lane]=original;if(server.listening)await new Promise(r=>server.close(r));for(const f of callbacks.splice(0).reverse())await f();}
+});
+test('leasePort refuses the closed option it used to ignore',async()=>{
+ await assert.rejects(api.leasePort({after(){}},{closed:true}),/leaseClosedPort/);
+});
+test('abrupt owner death releases a closed port holder',async t=>{
+ const ctx=leaseContext(t),modulePath=new URL('../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs',import.meta.url).href;
+ const code=`const {leaseClosedPort}=await import(${JSON.stringify(modulePath)});const port=await leaseClosedPort({after:()=>{}},JSON.parse(process.argv[1]));console.log(port);setInterval(()=>{},1000);`;
+ const child=spawn(process.execPath,['--input-type=module','-e',code,JSON.stringify(ctx)],{stdio:['ignore','pipe','pipe']});const done=new Promise(r=>child.once('exit',r));ctx.cleanup(async()=>{child.kill('SIGKILL');await done;});
+ const port=await new Promise(r=>child.stdout.once('data',b=>r(Number(String(b).trim()))));
+ assert.equal(await bindCode(port),'EADDRINUSE');
+ child.kill('SIGKILL');await done;
+ let code2;for(let i=0;i<100&&code2!=='bound';i++){code2=await bindCode(port);if(code2!=='bound')await delay(20);}
+ assert.equal(code2,'bound');
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/tests/stack-release.test.mjs b/packages/cli/tests/stack-release.test.mjs
index 370fbe6da..38a93b125 100644
--- a/packages/cli/tests/stack-release.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/cli/tests/stack-release.test.mjs
@@ -2048,7 +2048,7 @@ for(const [id,v,froms] of [[B,'3g',['3f']],[C,'3h',['3f','3g']],[A,'3g',['3f']],
 }
 
 const TESTER='7499';
-const freePort=async()=>String(await leasePort({after:laneAfter},{closed:true}));
+const freePort=async()=>String(await leasePort({after:laneAfter}));
 const rh=(e,...p)=>join(e.env.HOME,...p);
 const rfault=(e,name)=>{mkdirSync(rh(e,'faults'),{recursive:true});writeFileSync(rh(e,'faults',name),'')};
 
diff --git a/packages/control-board/tests/serve.test.mjs b/packages/control-board/tests/serve.test.mjs
index b69911eed..42737197f 100644
--- a/packages/control-board/tests/serve.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/control-board/tests/serve.test.mjs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function closeServer(server) {
 
 // Grab an ephemeral free port, then hand it back immediately so a caller can
 // try to bind it themselves (used to prove startServer never opened a socket).
-function getFreePort() { return leasePort({after:laneAfter}, {closed:true}); }
+function getFreePort() { return leasePort({after:laneAfter}); }
 
 function runCli(args) {
   return spawnSync(process.execPath, [cli, ...args], { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 15000 });
diff --git a/packages/project/src/git.mjs b/packages/project/src/git.mjs
index 0414230f8..a1dca1faf 100644
--- a/packages/project/src/git.mjs
+++ b/packages/project/src/git.mjs
@@ -17,17 +17,27 @@ export async function git(repo, args, identity = {}) {
 }
 export async function inspectGit(repo) {
   // Refuse gitdir indirection, alternates, links or hardlinks before git reads metadata.
-  const walk = directory => {
-    const st = lstatSync(directory);
+  // Everything below .git was named by a readdir, so a name that is gone when it is read was
+  // removed by a concurrent git process (for example a pack temp file). That refuses; it is
+  // never skipped or retried, because the metadata did not hold still while it was checked.
+  const changed = e => e.code === 'ENOENT'
+    ? new ProjectError('project-repository', 'git metadata changed during inspection') : e;
+  const statEntry = path => { try { return lstatSync(path); } catch (e) { throw changed(e); } };
+  const namesIn = directory => { try { return readdirSync(directory); } catch (e) { throw changed(e); } };
+  // Every directory takes a fresh lstat when the walk enters it, so one replaced by a link or a
+  // file after its listed stat still refuses. The root is not a listed name: a missing .git
+  // keeps its own error, as before.
+  const walk = (directory, root = false) => {
+    const st = root ? lstatSync(directory) : statEntry(directory);
     if (!st.isDirectory() || st.isSymbolicLink()) throw new ProjectError('project-repository', 'expected local .git directory');
-    for (const name of readdirSync(directory)) {
-      const path = join(directory, name), entry = lstatSync(path);
+    for (const name of namesIn(directory)) {
+      const path = join(directory, name), entry = statEntry(path);
       if (entry.isDirectory()) walk(path);
       else if (!entry.isFile() || entry.nlink !== 1)
         throw new ProjectError('project-repository', 'git metadata must contain regular private files');
     }
   };
-  walk(join(repo, '.git'));
+  walk(join(repo, '.git'), true);
   for (const name of ['commondir', 'objects/info/alternates', 'objects/info/http-alternates']) {
     try { lstatSync(join(repo, '.git', name)); }
     catch (e) { if (e.code === 'ENOENT') continue; throw e; }
diff --git a/packages/project/tests/human-file.test.mjs b/packages/project/tests/human-file.test.mjs
index 7c862c31d..87fc6eaea 100644
--- a/packages/project/tests/human-file.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/project/tests/human-file.test.mjs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import * as api from '../src/index.mjs';
 // Row 148 (#1642): the human's file list and save. The agent writer's own tests stay in project.test.mjs.
-const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
 async function fixture(t) {
   const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'project-human-file-'));
   t.after(() => rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }));
diff --git a/packages/project/tests/project.test.mjs b/packages/project/tests/project.test.mjs
index 52279b4bb..789934f85 100644
--- a/packages/project/tests/project.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/project/tests/project.test.mjs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const api = await import('../src/index.mjs').catch(e => {
   if (e.code === 'ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND') return {};
   throw e;
 });
-const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
 const actor = { definition: 'coder', instance: 'builder' };
 const requirement = { recordVersion: 1, id: 'REQ-PROJECT-1', title: 'A requirement', text: 'Keep local evidence', status: 'draft' };
 const decision = { recordVersion: 1, id: 'DEC-1', question: 'Which path?', options: [{ key: 'yes', text: 'Yes' }, { key: 'no', text: 'No' }], recommendation: 'yes', status: 'open', choice: null };
diff --git a/packages/project/tests/read.test.mjs b/packages/project/tests/read.test.mjs
index 274f1a090..5066aba6a 100644
--- a/packages/project/tests/read.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/project/tests/read.test.mjs
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import test from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
-import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync, symlinkSync } from 'node:fs';
+import fs, { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync, symlinkSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { syncBuiltinESMExports } from 'node:module';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import * as api from '../src/index.mjs';
-const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
 async function fixture(t) {
   const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'project-spec-read-'));
   t.after(() => rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }));
@@ -100,6 +101,78 @@ test('path history is bounded at 100 and explicitly marks truncation', async t =
   assert.equal(result.log[0].commit, result.commit);
 });
 
+// Row 780: git can write and rename pack temp files while the metadata walk is running. The walk
+// calls readdirSync and lstatSync through the builtin's live bindings, so the test replaces
+// fs.readdirSync for one path and removes the named entry itself. The product then sees exactly
+// what a concurrent git process produces, with no hook in production code.
+test('a git metadata entry that vanishes during inspection refuses as project-repository, never raw ENOENT', async t => {
+  const { context, repo, commit } = await fixture(t);
+  const pack = join(repo, '.git/objects/pack'), temp = join(pack, 'tmp_idx_vanishes');
+  const directory = join(repo, '.git/objects/tmp_dir_vanishes');
+  writeFileSync(temp, 'x'); mkdirSync(directory);
+  assert.equal((await api.readSpec(context)).commit, commit, 'control: the extra entries alone do not refuse');
+  const real = fs.readdirSync, unlink = fs.unlinkSync, rmdir = fs.rmdirSync;
+  let armed = null;
+  fs.readdirSync = function (path, ...rest) {
+    if (armed === 'file' && String(path) === pack) { const names = real.call(this, path, ...rest); unlink(temp); return names; }
+    if (armed === 'directory' && String(path) === directory) rmdir(directory);
+    return real.call(this, path, ...rest);
+  };
+  syncBuiltinESMExports();
+  t.after(() => { fs.readdirSync = real; syncBuiltinESMExports(); });
+  for (const kind of ['file', 'directory']) {
+    armed = kind;
+    await assert.rejects(api.readSpec(context), error => {
+      assert.equal(error.code, 'project-repository', `${kind}: ${error.message}`);
+      assert.match(error.message, /changed during inspection/);
+      return true;
+    });
+    assert.equal(armed, kind);
+    armed = null;
+    writeFileSync(temp, 'x'); if (!fs.existsSync(directory)) mkdirSync(directory);
+  }
+  assert.equal(git(repo, 'rev-parse', 'HEAD'), commit);
+});
+
+// Row 780 R2: the walk stats a listed directory, then must stat it again when it enters it. The
+// test replaces fs.lstatSync for one path and swaps the directory for something else inside the
+// call that stats it as a listed entry, after the real stat is taken. A walk that trusts that
+// stale stat would read through a link or leak ENOTDIR; the fresh stat refuses both.
+async function replaceListedDirectory(t, replace) {
+  const { context, repo, commit, root } = await fixture(t);
+  const directory = join(repo, '.git/objects/tmp_dir_replaced');
+  const outside = join(root, 'outside');
+  mkdirSync(directory); mkdirSync(outside); writeFileSync(join(outside, 'private'), 'x');
+  assert.equal((await api.readSpec(context)).commit, commit, 'control: the extra directory alone does not refuse');
+  const real = fs.lstatSync;
+  let armed = true;
+  fs.lstatSync = function (path, ...rest) {
+    if (!armed || String(path) !== directory) return real.call(this, path, ...rest);
+    armed = false;
+    const stat = real.call(this, path, ...rest);
+    fs.rmdirSync(directory); replace(directory, outside);
+    return stat;
+  };
+  syncBuiltinESMExports();
+  try {
+    await assert.rejects(api.readSpec(context), error => {
+      assert.equal(error.code, 'project-repository', error.message);
+      assert.match(error.message, /expected local \.git directory/);
+      return true;
+    });
+  } finally { fs.lstatSync = real; syncBuiltinESMExports(); }
+  assert.equal(armed, false, 'the listed directory was replaced during inspection');
+  assert.equal(git(repo, 'rev-parse', 'HEAD'), commit);
+}
+
+test('a git metadata directory replaced by a symlink after its listed stat refuses, never reads through it', async t => {
+  await replaceListedDirectory(t, (directory, outside) => symlinkSync(outside, directory));
+});
+
+test('a git metadata directory replaced by a file after its listed stat refuses, never raw ENOTDIR', async t => {
+  await replaceListedDirectory(t, directory => writeFileSync(directory, 'x'));
+});
+
 test('committed UTF-8 BOM, Unicode and trailing newlines are returned without normalization', async t => {
   const { context, save } = await fixture(t);
   const value = '\uFEFF# North star 🧭\r\n\r\n';
@@ -117,7 +190,7 @@ test('D4: spec log refuses a commit subject larger than its 256 KiB read bound',
   writeFileSync(message, 'X'.repeat(256 * 1024 + 1) + '\n');
   writeFileSync(join(repo, 'spec/north-star.md'), '# Small spec\n');
   execFileSync('git', ['-C', repo, 'add', '--', 'spec/north-star.md']);
-  execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'commit.gpgsign=false',
+  execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', '-c', 'commit.gpgsign=false',
     '-c', 'user.name=jason', '-c', 'user.email=jason@mosaic.invalid', '-C', repo, 'commit', '-F', message],
     { stdio: ['ignore', 'ignore', 'pipe'] });
   await assert.rejects(api.readSpec({ business, project: 'stack', dataRoot: root }), { code: 'project-git' });
diff --git a/packages/project/tests/tester-init.test.mjs b/packages/project/tests/tester-init.test.mjs
index 214469813..fcdf9c4ad 100644
--- a/packages/project/tests/tester-init.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/project/tests/tester-init.test.mjs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { initProject, testerProjectArea } from '../src/index.mjs';
 
-const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+const git = (repo, ...args) => execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', '-C', repo, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
 function context(t, repo) {
   const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'project-tester-'));
   t.after(() => rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }));
diff --git a/packages/webui/tests/preview.test.mjs b/packages/webui/tests/preview.test.mjs
index 87ea4e553..53bd92b08 100644
--- a/packages/webui/tests/preview.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/tests/preview.test.mjs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import { leasePort } from '../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs';
-import { after as laneAfter } from 'node:test';
+import { leaseClosedPort } from '../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs';
 // Row 74 (#1568, lead decision 93): the preview mode. A request for the public name needs the
 // proxy's header equal to the one user id, else 401 with nothing read; in preview mode nothing
 // but GET and HEAD gets through, whatever the Host; loopback requests work as they did. Round 2:
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ test('in preview mode every write answers 403 read-only, from the public name an
 });
 
 test('loopback requests are unchanged in preview mode, and the bus views work with the board down', async t => {
-  const dead = `http://127.0.0.1:${await leasePort({after:laneAfter}, {closed:true})}`;
+  const dead = `http://127.0.0.1:${await leaseClosedPort(t)}`;
   const { port, busCalls } = await setup(t, { board: dead, timeout: 200 });
   const loopback = { host: `127.0.0.1:${port}` };
   const inbox = await send(port, { headers: loopback });
diff --git a/packages/webui/tests/serve.test.mjs b/packages/webui/tests/serve.test.mjs
index 901a6dd52..32f6b18ba 100644
--- a/packages/webui/tests/serve.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/tests/serve.test.mjs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import { leasePort } from '../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs';
-import { after as laneAfter } from 'node:test';
+import { leaseClosedPort } from '../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs';
 import { test } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { createServer, get } from 'node:http';
@@ -98,8 +97,8 @@ test('proxy preserves exact request bytes, status and receipt, rejects forms and
   } finally { await close(web); await close(upstream); }
 });
 
-test('unreachable board reports URL; CLI rejects unsupported options', async () => {
-  const url = `http://127.0.0.1:${await leasePort({after:laneAfter}, {closed:true})}`;
+test('unreachable board reports URL; CLI rejects unsupported options', async t => {
+  const url = `http://127.0.0.1:${await leaseClosedPort(t)}`;
   const web = await startServer({ port: 0, board: url, timeout: 100 });
   try {
     const res = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${web.address().port}/api/board`);
diff --git a/packages/webui/tests/service.test.mjs b/packages/webui/tests/service.test.mjs
index 299675809..c5b017101 100644
--- a/packages/webui/tests/service.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/tests/service.test.mjs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import { leasePort } from '../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs';
-import { after as laneAfter } from 'node:test';
+import { leaseClosedPort } from '../../../scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs';
 import { test } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ function filled(flags, root = REPO) {
 
 // A loopback port with nothing listening, so status's /healthz request
 // reaches no real Console.
-async function closedPort() { return leasePort({after:laneAfter}, {closed:true}); }
+async function closedPort(t) { return leaseClosedPort(t); }
 
 function tmp(t) {
   const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'webui-service-'));
@@ -183,7 +182,7 @@ test('tester service install and status show the tester port without changing se
   const dir = tmp(t);
   const unitDir = join(dir, 'units');
   const bin = standIn(dir);
-  const port = await closedPort();
+  const port = await closedPort(t);
   const installed = await run(dir, ['install', ...INSTALL, '--dir', unitDir, '--no-reload', '--port', String(port), '--tester-port', '1024', ...SSO_SEND], bin);
   assert.equal(installed.status, 0, installed.stderr);
   assert.match(installed.stdout, /^serve: .* --tester-port 1024( |$)/m);
@@ -454,7 +453,7 @@ test('install --send into --dir with --no-reload writes the sending unit, and st
   const dir = tmp(t);
   const unitDir = join(dir, 'units');
   const target = join(unitDir, 'mosaic-webui.service');
-  const port = await closedPort();
+  const port = await closedPort(t);
   const flags = `--port ${port} --sso`;
   const r = await run(dir, ['install', ...INSTALL, '--dir', unitDir, '--no-reload', '--port', String(port), ...SSO_SEND]);
   assert.equal(r.status, 0, r.stderr);
@@ -728,7 +727,7 @@ test('status names the copy and whether refactor has moved past it, and says whe
   const unitDir = join(dir, 'units');
   const target = join(unitDir, 'mosaic-webui.service');
   const bin = standIn(mkdtempSync(join(dir, 'si-')));
-  const port = await closedPort();
+  const port = await closedPort(t);
   const head = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const git = spawn('git', ['-C', REPO, 'rev-parse', '--verify', 'refs/heads/refactor']);
     let out = '';
@@ -804,7 +803,7 @@ test('proxy proof render refuses incomplete non-preview missing unsafe-mode and
 test('proxy proof status retains read-only and tester reporting with both proof flags', async t => {
   const dir = tmp(t), unitDir = join(dir, 'units'), file = join(dir, 'proof.fixture');
   writeFileSync(file, 'fixture', { mode: 0o600 });
-  const port = await closedPort(), bin = standIn(dir);
+  const port = await closedPort(t), bin = standIn(dir);
   const r = await run(dir, ['install', ...INSTALL, '--dir', unitDir, '--no-reload', '--port', String(port), ...PREVIEW, '--tester-port', '1024', '--proof-header', 'x-console-proof', '--proof-file', file], bin);
   assert.equal(r.status, 0, r.stderr);
   const status = await run(dir, ['status', '--dir', unitDir], bin);
diff --git a/packages/webui/tests/tester-cli.test.mjs b/packages/webui/tests/tester-cli.test.mjs
index de41d8306..88b387ccc 100644
--- a/packages/webui/tests/tester-cli.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/tests/tester-cli.test.mjs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const get = (port, path) => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     let text = ''; r.on('data', c => text += c); r.on('end', () => resolve({ status: r.statusCode, body: text }));
   }); q.on('error', reject); q.end();
 });
-async function freePort() { return leasePort({after:laneAfter}, {closed:true}); }
+async function freePort() { return leasePort({after:laneAfter}); }
 
 test('tester-port validates range tunnel main port and requires configured bus before listening', t => {
   const root = tmp(t, 'tester-cli-invalid-'), f = fixture(root);
diff --git a/packages/webui/tests/tester-fixture.mjs b/packages/webui/tests/tester-fixture.mjs
index 26bd3ff68..4d06a4620 100644
--- a/packages/webui/tests/tester-fixture.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/tests/tester-fixture.mjs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export async function testerFixture(t, { enabled = true } = {}) {
   writeFileSync(join(root, 'outside.md'), OUTSIDE);
   symlinkSync(join(root, 'outside.md'), join(root, 'records/docs/out.md'));
   execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', 'add', 'docs/out.md'], { cwd: join(root, 'records') });
-  execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', 'commit', '-m', 'Fixture symlink'], {
+  execFileSync('git', ['-c', 'core.hooksPath=/dev/null', '-c', 'maintenance.auto=false', '-c', 'gc.auto=0', 'commit', '-m', 'Fixture symlink'], {
     cwd: join(root, 'records'), env: { ...process.env, GIT_AUTHOR_NAME: 'jason', GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL: 'fixture@invalid', GIT_COMMITTER_NAME: 'jason', GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL: 'fixture@invalid' },
   });
   mkdirSync(f.dataRoot, { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
diff --git a/scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs b/scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs
index 8f9e65570..3b076c4e7 100644
--- a/scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs
+++ b/scripts/testing/lane-fixtures.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Imported only by tests. The port holder lives until the fixture closes.
+// Imported only by tests. Every port lease is held until the fixture closes.
 import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
 import { mkdirSync, realpathSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
@@ -12,21 +12,54 @@ async function hold(file){
   if(!ok)return null;
   return async()=>{child.stdin.end('\n');await exited;};
 }
+// A free port the caller will listen on itself. Nothing holds the port itself, so this is for
+// callers that bind it next; the port is probed and closed.
 async function probe(port){const s=createServer();try{await new Promise((resolve,reject)=>{s.once('error',reject);s.listen(port,'127.0.0.1',resolve);});const found=s.address().port;await new Promise(r=>s.close(r));return found;}catch(e){if(s.listening)await new Promise(r=>s.close(r));if(e.code==='EADDRINUSE')return null;throw e;}}
-export async function leasePort(t,{lane=process.env.MOSAIC_GATE_LANE,stateRoot=process.env.MOSAIC_GATE_STATE}={}){
-  if(!lane){const port=await probe(0);return port;}
+const probed=async port=>{const found=await probe(port);return found?{port:found}:null;};
+// A port nothing answers on. A bound socket that never listens refuses every connect, like any
+// closed port, while bind() from another process and the kernel's ephemeral allocation both
+// skip it. Node cannot make one (its listen() always follows bind()), so a perl child holds the
+// socket and exits when its stdin closes, which also covers the fixture dying abruptly.
+const BOUND=String.raw`use strict;use Socket;$|=1;
+socket(my $s,PF_INET,SOCK_STREAM,0)or die"socket: $!\n";
+bind($s,sockaddr_in($ARGV[0],inet_aton("127.0.0.1")))or do{my $busy=$!{EADDRINUSE};print STDERR"bind: $!\n";exit($busy?75:76)};
+my($port)=sockaddr_in(getsockname($s));print"bound $port\n";<STDIN>;`;
+async function bound(port){
+  const child=spawn('perl',['-e',BOUND,String(port)],{stdio:['pipe','pipe','pipe']});
+  let err='',out='';child.stderr.on('data',c=>err+=c);child.stdin.on('error',()=>{});
+  const exited=once(child,'exit');exited.catch(()=>{});
+  const found=await new Promise((resolve,reject)=>{
+    child.stdout.on('data',c=>{out+=c;const m=out.match(/^bound (\d+)\n/);if(m)resolve(Number(m[1]));});
+    child.once('exit',code=>code===75?resolve(null):reject(Error(`port holder exited ${code}: ${err}`)));
+    child.once('error',e=>reject(Error(`port holder did not start (perl is required): ${e.message}`)));
+  });
+  if(found===null)return null;
+  return {port:found,release:async()=>{child.stdin.end('\n');await exited;}};
+}
+// A lane takes ports from its own band under a per-port lock; no lane takes the kernel's.
+async function lease(t,{lane=process.env.MOSAIC_GATE_LANE,stateRoot=process.env.MOSAIC_GATE_STATE}={},attempt){
+  if(!lane){
+    const got=await attempt(0);if(!got)refuse('no port available');
+    if(got.release)t.after(got.release);
+    return got.port;
+  }
   if(!BANDS[lane]||!stateRoot)refuse('invalid port lane state');
   const state=realpathSync(stateRoot);if(!within(SCRATCH,state))refuse('port state outside scratch');
   const dir=join(state,'ports',lane);mkdirSync(dir,{recursive:true,mode:0o700});
   const [lo,hi]=BANDS[lane];
   for(let port=lo;port<=hi;port++){
     const release=await hold(join(dir,`${port}.lock`));if(!release)continue;
-    let actual;try{actual=await probe(port);}catch(e){await release();throw e;}
-    if(!actual){await release();continue;}
-    t.after(release);return port;
+    let got;try{got=await attempt(port);}catch(e){await release();throw e;}
+    if(!got){await release();continue;}
+    t.after(async()=>{try{await got.release?.();}finally{await release();}});return got.port;
   }
   refuse('lane port band exhausted');
 }
+export async function leasePort(t,{closed,...context}={}){
+  if(closed!==undefined)refuse('leasePort takes no closed option; leaseClosedPort holds a port nothing answers on');
+  return lease(t,context,probed);
+}
+export async function leaseClosedPort(t,context={}){return lease(t,context,bound);}
 export function fixtureCacheEnv(root){
   mkdirSync(root,{recursive:true,mode:0o700});const dir=realpathSync(root);for(const n of ['tmp','jiti','cache'])mkdirSync(join(dir,n),{recursive:true,mode:0o700});
   return {TMPDIR:join(dir,'tmp'),JITI_FS_CACHE:join(dir,'jiti'),XDG_CACHE_HOME:join(dir,'cache')};