diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-approve.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-approve.test.ts
index bd84b4ff3a0..07589c17a58 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-approve.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-approve.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,38 @@ vi.mock("../../globals.js", () => ({
   logVerbose: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
+function requireRecord(value: unknown, label: string): Record<string, unknown> {
+  expect(value).toBeTypeOf("object");
+  expect(value).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object" || Array.isArray(value)) {
+    throw new Error(`expected ${label} to be an object`);
+  }
+  return value as Record<string, unknown>;
+}
+
+function gatewayRequest(callIndex = 0) {
+  const call = callGatewayMock.mock.calls[callIndex] as unknown[] | undefined;
+  expect(call).toBeDefined();
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error(`expected gateway call ${callIndex}`);
+  }
+  return requireRecord(call[0], `gateway call ${callIndex} request`);
+}
+
+function expectGatewayResolveCall(params: {
+  callIndex?: number;
+  method: string;
+  id: string;
+  decision?: string;
+}) {
+  const request = gatewayRequest(params.callIndex ?? 0);
+  expect(request.method).toBe(params.method);
+  expect(request.params).toEqual({
+    id: params.id,
+    decision: params.decision ?? "allow-once",
+  });
+}
+
 function normalizeDiscordDirectApproverId(value: string | number): string | undefined {
   const normalized = String(value)
     .trim()
@@ -468,12 +500,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
 
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc" });
   });
 
   it("accepts bare approve text for Slack-style manual approvals", async () => {
@@ -496,12 +523,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
 
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc" });
   });
 
   it("accepts Telegram /approve from configured approvers even when chat access is otherwise blocked", async () => {
@@ -516,12 +538,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     const result = await handleApproveCommand(params, true);
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc12345", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc12345" });
   });
 
   it("honors the configured default account for omitted-account /approve auth", async () => {
@@ -563,12 +580,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     const result = await handleApproveCommand(params, true);
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc12345", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc12345" });
   });
 
   it("accepts Signal /approve from configured approvers even when chat access is otherwise blocked", async () => {
@@ -594,12 +606,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     const result = await handleApproveCommand(params, true);
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc12345", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc12345" });
   });
 
   it("does not treat implicit default approval auth as a bypass for unauthorized senders", async () => {
@@ -706,12 +713,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     const result = await handleApproveCommand(params, true);
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc12345", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc12345" });
   });
 
   it("accepts Telegram /approve from exec target recipients when native approvals are disabled", async () => {
@@ -744,12 +746,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     const result = await handleApproveCommand(params, true);
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc12345", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "exec.approval.resolve", id: "abc12345" });
   });
 
   it("requires configured Discord approvers for exec approvals", async () => {
@@ -800,13 +797,11 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
       expect(result?.shouldContinue, testCase.name).toBe(false);
       expect(result?.reply?.text, testCase.name).toContain(testCase.expectedText);
       expect(callGatewayMock, testCase.name).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(testCase.expectedGatewayCalls);
-      if ("expectedMethod" in testCase) {
-        expect(callGatewayMock, testCase.name).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          expect.objectContaining({
-            method: testCase.expectedMethod,
-            params: { id: "abc12345", decision: "allow-once" },
-          }),
-        );
+      if ("expectedMethod" in testCase && testCase.expectedMethod) {
+        expectGatewayResolveCall({
+          method: testCase.expectedMethod,
+          id: "abc12345",
+        });
       }
     }
   });
@@ -859,13 +854,11 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     expect(result?.shouldContinue).toBe(false);
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Approval allow-once submitted");
     expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
-      2,
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "plugin.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "legacy-plugin-123", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({
+      callIndex: 1,
+      method: "plugin.approval.resolve",
+      id: "legacy-plugin-123",
+    });
   });
 
   it("returns the underlying not-found error for plugin-only approval routing", async () => {
@@ -911,12 +904,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("Failed to submit approval");
     expect(result?.reply?.text).toContain("unknown or expired approval id");
     expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        method: "plugin.approval.resolve",
-        params: { id: "abc123", decision: "allow-once" },
-      }),
-    );
+    expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "plugin.approval.resolve", id: "abc123" });
   });
 
   it("requires configured Discord approvers for plugin approvals", async () => {
@@ -952,12 +940,7 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
       expect(result?.reply?.text, testCase.name).toContain(testCase.expectedText);
       expect(callGatewayMock, testCase.name).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(testCase.expectedGatewayCalls);
       if (testCase.expectedGatewayCalls > 0) {
-        expect(callGatewayMock, testCase.name).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          expect.objectContaining({
-            method: "plugin.approval.resolve",
-            params: { id: "plugin:abc123", decision: "allow-once" },
-          }),
-        );
+        expectGatewayResolveCall({ method: "plugin.approval.resolve", id: "plugin:abc123" });
       }
     }
   });
@@ -1064,12 +1047,11 @@ describe("handleApproveCommand", () => {
         testCase.expectedGatewayCalls,
       );
       if (testCase.expectedGatewayCalls > 0) {
-        expect(callGatewayMock, String(testCase.scopes)).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
-          expect.objectContaining({
-            method: "exec.approval.resolve",
-            params: { id: "abc", decision: "allow-once" },
-          }),
-        );
+        expectGatewayResolveCall({
+          callIndex: callGatewayMock.mock.calls.length - 1,
+          method: "exec.approval.resolve",
+          id: "abc",
+        });
       }
     }
   });