diff --git a/tests/nip46_e2e.rs b/tests/nip46_e2e.rs
index 5e20139..c818e12 100644
--- a/tests/nip46_e2e.rs
+++ b/tests/nip46_e2e.rs
@@ -345,7 +345,13 @@ async fn nip46_client_handshake_and_sign_against_fake_amber() {
     // XDG_DATA_HOME is process-global and every test in this binary sets it,
     // so the lock is held for the WHOLE test: data_dir() re-reads the env on
     // every save, and a setup-only guard lets parallel tests cross-write.
-    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK.lock().unwrap();
+    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK
+        .lock()
+        // Poison-tolerant on purpose: this lock only serializes the
+        // process-global XDG_DATA_HOME. A sibling test that panics while
+        // holding it must not cascade into PoisonError failures of every
+        // later test — one real failure should report as ONE failure.
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
     let app = {
         let tmp = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("keynectr-e2e-{}", std::process::id()));
         // data_dir() is $XDG_DATA_HOME/keynectr — the isolation vault must
@@ -615,7 +621,13 @@ async fn run_strict_amber(
 #[allow(clippy::await_holding_lock)]
 async fn nip46_bunker_connect_params_match_spec_against_strict_amber() {
     // Whole-body env lock: data_dir() re-reads XDG_DATA_HOME on every save.
-    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK.lock().unwrap();
+    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK
+        .lock()
+        // Poison-tolerant on purpose: this lock only serializes the
+        // process-global XDG_DATA_HOME. A sibling test that panics while
+        // holding it must not cascade into PoisonError failures of every
+        // later test — one real failure should report as ONE failure.
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
     let app = {
         let tmp = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("keynectr-e2e-strict-{}", std::process::id()));
         let app_dir = tmp.join("keynectr");
@@ -714,6 +726,16 @@ async fn nip46_bunker_connect_params_match_spec_against_strict_amber() {
     // network-visible profile (what other clients display as the name).
     // Exercises the real GUI "Publish name" path — Signing::External with
     // identity validation — against the strict signer.
+    // Point settings at the in-process relay FIRST: the default relay set is
+    // the real internet (damus + nostr.band, the latter a known-hanger), so
+    // leaving it made this assertion a network lottery — it failed whenever
+    // damus dawdled past the 6s send timeout. The QR test already does this;
+    // the strict test shipped without it.
+    {
+        let mut a = app.lock().await;
+        a.settings.relays = vec![keynectr::settings::RelayConfig::new(relay_url.clone())];
+        a.save_settings().expect("save settings");
+    }
     let (settings, signing) = {
         let guard = app.lock().await;
         (
@@ -917,7 +939,13 @@ async fn run_qr_pairing(connect_shape: &'static str) {
 
     // Isolated vault + pairing relay; the env lock is held for the whole
     // helper body (see above) so parallel tests cannot cross-write vaults.
-    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK.lock().unwrap();
+    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK
+        .lock()
+        // Poison-tolerant on purpose: this lock only serializes the
+        // process-global XDG_DATA_HOME. A sibling test that panics while
+        // holding it must not cascade into PoisonError failures of every
+        // later test — one real failure should report as ONE failure.
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
     let app = {
         let tmp = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
             "keynectr-e2e-pair-{}-{}",
@@ -1073,7 +1101,13 @@ async fn run_qr_pairing(connect_shape: &'static str) {
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 4)]
 #[allow(clippy::await_holding_lock)]
 async fn nip46_session_restore_redials_and_refuses_wrong_identity() {
-    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK.lock().unwrap();
+    let _vault_guard = VAULT_ENV_LOCK
+        .lock()
+        // Poison-tolerant on purpose: this lock only serializes the
+        // process-global XDG_DATA_HOME. A sibling test that panics while
+        // holding it must not cascade into PoisonError failures of every
+        // later test — one real failure should report as ONE failure.
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
     let app = {
         let tmp = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
             "keynectr-e2e-restore-{}-{}",