diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.approval-id.test.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.approval-id.test.ts
index 868715edf06..f339a5628cc 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.approval-id.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.approval-id.test.ts
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ describe("exec approvals", () => {
       security: "allowlist",
       approvalRunningNoticeMs: 0,
     });
-    const command = `${JSON.stringify(process.execPath)} --version`;
+    const command = "echo allow-always";
 
     const first = await tool.execute("call-gateway-allow-always-initial", {
       command,
@@ -607,13 +607,16 @@ describe("exec approvals", () => {
 
     const approvalsPath = path.join(process.env.HOME ?? "", ".openclaw", "exec-approvals.json");
     await expect
-      .poll(async () => {
-        const raw = await fs.readFile(approvalsPath, "utf8");
-        const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as {
-          agents?: { main?: { allowlist?: Array<{ source?: string }> } };
-        };
-        return parsed.agents?.main?.allowlist?.some((entry) => entry.source === "allow-always");
-      })
+      .poll(
+        async () => {
+          const raw = await fs.readFile(approvalsPath, "utf8");
+          const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as {
+            agents?: { main?: { allowlist?: Array<{ source?: string }> } };
+          };
+          return parsed.agents?.main?.allowlist?.some((entry) => entry.source === "allow-always");
+        },
+        { timeout: 1_000, interval: 1 },
+      )
       .toBe(true);
 
     calls.length = 0;
@@ -929,7 +932,7 @@ describe("exec approvals", () => {
             return "";
           }
         },
-        { timeout: 5_000, interval: 50 },
+        { timeout: 1_000, interval: 1 },
       )
       .toBe("ok");
   });
@@ -977,7 +980,7 @@ describe("exec approvals", () => {
             return "";
           }
         },
-        { timeout: 5_000, interval: 50 },
+        { timeout: 1_000, interval: 1 },
       )
       .toBe("ok");
   });
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/transcript-rewrite.test.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/transcript-rewrite.test.ts
index dbf3ab9335c..84cde33a15a 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/transcript-rewrite.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/transcript-rewrite.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 import type { AgentMessage } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
 import { SessionManager } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import {
-  buildSessionWriteLockModuleMock,
-  resetModulesWithSessionWriteLockDoMock,
-} from "../../test-utils/session-write-lock-module-mock.js";
+import { beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { buildSessionWriteLockModuleMock } from "../../test-utils/session-write-lock-module-mock.js";
 
 const acquireSessionWriteLockReleaseMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(async () => {}));
 const acquireSessionWriteLockMock = vi.hoisted(() =>
@@ -23,16 +20,6 @@ let rewriteTranscriptEntriesInSessionManager: typeof import("./transcript-rewrit
 let onSessionTranscriptUpdate: typeof import("../../sessions/transcript-events.js").onSessionTranscriptUpdate;
 let installSessionToolResultGuard: typeof import("../session-tool-result-guard.js").installSessionToolResultGuard;
 
-async function loadFreshTranscriptRewriteModuleForTest() {
-  resetModulesWithSessionWriteLockDoMock("../session-write-lock.js", (params) =>
-    acquireSessionWriteLockMock(params),
-  );
-  ({ onSessionTranscriptUpdate } = await import("../../sessions/transcript-events.js"));
-  ({ installSessionToolResultGuard } = await import("../session-tool-result-guard.js"));
-  ({ rewriteTranscriptEntriesInSessionFile, rewriteTranscriptEntriesInSessionManager } =
-    await import("./transcript-rewrite.js"));
-}
-
 type AppendMessage = Parameters<SessionManager["appendMessage"]>[0];
 
 function asAppendMessage(message: unknown): AppendMessage {
@@ -142,10 +129,16 @@ function findAssistantEntryByText(sessionManager: SessionManager, text: string)
     );
 }
 
-beforeEach(async () => {
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  ({ onSessionTranscriptUpdate } = await import("../../sessions/transcript-events.js"));
+  ({ installSessionToolResultGuard } = await import("../session-tool-result-guard.js"));
+  ({ rewriteTranscriptEntriesInSessionFile, rewriteTranscriptEntriesInSessionManager } =
+    await import("./transcript-rewrite.js"));
+});
+
+beforeEach(() => {
   acquireSessionWriteLockMock.mockClear();
   acquireSessionWriteLockReleaseMock.mockClear();
-  await loadFreshTranscriptRewriteModuleForTest();
 });
 
 describe("rewriteTranscriptEntriesInSessionManager", () => {