diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.send-deleted-agent.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.send-deleted-agent.test.ts
index 21e51466f27..6e909562a7d 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.send-deleted-agent.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.send-deleted-agent.test.ts
@@ -1,37 +1,19 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { ErrorCodes } from "../protocol/index.js";
-import type { RespondFn } from "./types.js";
-
-const loadSessionEntryMock = vi.fn();
-const resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock = vi.fn();
-
-vi.mock("../session-utils.js", async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../session-utils.js")>("../session-utils.js");
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    loadSessionEntry: (...args: unknown[]) => loadSessionEntryMock(...args),
-    resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey: (...args: unknown[]) =>
-      resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock(...args),
-  };
-});
-
 import { chatHandlers } from "./chat.js";
+import {
+  mockDeletedAgentSession,
+  resetDeletedAgentSessionMocks,
+} from "./deleted-agent-guard.test-helpers.js";
+import type { RespondFn } from "./types.js";
 
 describe("chat.send deleted-agent guard", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
-    loadSessionEntryMock.mockReset();
-    resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock.mockReset();
+    resetDeletedAgentSessionMocks();
   });
 
   it("rejects keys belonging to a deleted agent", async () => {
-    const orphanKey = "agent:deleted-agent:main";
-    loadSessionEntryMock.mockReturnValue({
-      cfg: {},
-      canonicalKey: orphanKey,
-      storePath: "/tmp/sessions.json",
-      entry: { sessionId: "sess-orphan" },
-    });
-    resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock.mockReturnValue("deleted-agent");
+    const orphanKey = mockDeletedAgentSession();
 
     const respond = vi.fn() as unknown as RespondFn;
 
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/deleted-agent-guard.test-helpers.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/deleted-agent-guard.test-helpers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..956a31cdfe1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/deleted-agent-guard.test-helpers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { vi } from "vitest";
+
+const deletedAgentSessionMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  loadSessionEntry: vi.fn(),
+  resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../session-utils.js", async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../session-utils.js")>("../session-utils.js");
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    loadSessionEntry: deletedAgentSessionMocks.loadSessionEntry,
+    resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey:
+      deletedAgentSessionMocks.resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey,
+  };
+});
+
+export function resetDeletedAgentSessionMocks(): void {
+  deletedAgentSessionMocks.loadSessionEntry.mockReset();
+  deletedAgentSessionMocks.resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey.mockReset();
+}
+
+export function mockDeletedAgentSession(orphanKey = "agent:deleted-agent:main"): string {
+  deletedAgentSessionMocks.loadSessionEntry.mockReturnValue({
+    cfg: {},
+    canonicalKey: orphanKey,
+    storePath: "/tmp/sessions.json",
+    entry: { sessionId: "sess-orphan" },
+  });
+  deletedAgentSessionMocks.resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey.mockReturnValue("deleted-agent");
+  return orphanKey;
+}
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.send-deleted-agent.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.send-deleted-agent.test.ts
index 447cc639467..58f3f2880dd 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.send-deleted-agent.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.send-deleted-agent.test.ts
@@ -1,38 +1,20 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { ErrorCodes } from "../protocol/index.js";
-import type { GatewayRequestContext, RespondFn } from "./types.js";
-
-const loadSessionEntryMock = vi.fn();
-const resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock = vi.fn();
-
-vi.mock("../session-utils.js", async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../session-utils.js")>("../session-utils.js");
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    loadSessionEntry: (...args: unknown[]) => loadSessionEntryMock(...args),
-    resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey: (...args: unknown[]) =>
-      resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock(...args),
-  };
-});
-
+import {
+  mockDeletedAgentSession,
+  resetDeletedAgentSessionMocks,
+} from "./deleted-agent-guard.test-helpers.js";
 import { sessionsHandlers } from "./sessions.js";
+import type { GatewayRequestContext, RespondFn } from "./types.js";
 
 describe("sessions.send / sessions.steer deleted-agent guard", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
-    loadSessionEntryMock.mockReset();
-    resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock.mockReset();
+    resetDeletedAgentSessionMocks();
   });
 
   for (const method of ["sessions.send", "sessions.steer"] as const) {
     it(`${method} rejects keys belonging to a deleted agent`, async () => {
-      const orphanKey = "agent:deleted-agent:main";
-      loadSessionEntryMock.mockReturnValue({
-        cfg: {},
-        canonicalKey: orphanKey,
-        storePath: "/tmp/sessions.json",
-        entry: { sessionId: "sess-orphan" },
-      });
-      resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKeyMock.mockReturnValue("deleted-agent");
+      const orphanKey = mockDeletedAgentSession();
 
       const respond = vi.fn() as unknown as RespondFn;
       const context = {