diff --git a/docs/ci.md b/docs/ci.md
index f981309aed6..f537a71dbce 100644
--- a/docs/ci.md
+++ b/docs/ci.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Local changed-lane logic lives in `scripts/changed-lanes.mjs` and is executed by
 
 On pushes, the `checks` matrix adds the push-only `compat-node22` lane. On pull requests, that lane is skipped and the matrix stays focused on the normal test/channel lanes.
 
-The slowest Node test families are split into include-file shards so each job stays small: channel contracts split registry and core coverage into four balanced shards each, auto-reply reply command tests split into four include-pattern shards, and the other large auto-reply reply prefix groups split into two shards each. `check-additional` also separates package-boundary compile/canary work from runtime topology gateway/architecture work.
+The slowest Node test families are split into include-file shards so each job stays small: channel contracts split registry and core coverage into eight balanced shards each, auto-reply reply command tests split into four include-pattern shards, and the other large auto-reply reply prefix groups split into two shards each. `check-additional` also separates package-boundary compile/canary work from runtime topology gateway/architecture work.
 
 ## Runners
 
diff --git a/scripts/lib/channel-contract-test-plan.mjs b/scripts/lib/channel-contract-test-plan.mjs
index 52c6db8e286..6cb423a58e7 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/channel-contract-test-plan.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/channel-contract-test-plan.mjs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ function listContractTestFiles(rootDir = "src/channels/plugins/contracts") {
 
 export function createChannelContractTestShards() {
   const rootDir = "src/channels/plugins/contracts";
-  const suffixes = ["a", "b", "c", "d"];
+  const suffixes = ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f", "g", "h"];
   const groups = Object.fromEntries(
     ["registry", "core"].flatMap((family) =>
       suffixes.map((suffix) => [`checks-fast-contracts-channels-${family}-${suffix}`, []]),
diff --git a/test/scripts/channel-contract-test-plan.test.ts b/test/scripts/channel-contract-test-plan.test.ts
index 7a3a34a9a5a..81b845c2410 100644
--- a/test/scripts/channel-contract-test-plan.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/channel-contract-test-plan.test.ts
@@ -16,54 +16,23 @@ function listContractTests(rootDir = "src/channels/plugins/contracts"): string[]
 
 describe("scripts/lib/channel-contract-test-plan.mjs", () => {
   it("splits channel contracts into focused shards", () => {
+    const suffixes = ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f", "g", "h"];
+
     expect(
       createChannelContractTestShards().map((shard) => ({
         checkName: shard.checkName,
         runtime: shard.runtime,
         task: shard.task,
       })),
-    ).toEqual([
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-registry-a",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-registry-b",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-registry-c",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-registry-d",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-core-a",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-core-b",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-core-c",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-      {
-        checkName: "checks-fast-contracts-channels-core-d",
-        runtime: "node",
-        task: "contracts-channels",
-      },
-    ]);
+    ).toEqual(
+      ["registry", "core"].flatMap((family) =>
+        suffixes.map((suffix) => ({
+          checkName: `checks-fast-contracts-channels-${family}-${suffix}`,
+          runtime: "node",
+          task: "contracts-channels",
+        })),
+      ),
+    );
   });
 
   it("covers every channel contract test exactly once", () => {