diff --git a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/_helpers.ts b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/_helpers.ts
index b003931736..82a7416a3d 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/_helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/_helpers.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,22 @@ export function git(cwd: string, command: string): string {
   return execSync(command, { cwd, encoding: "utf-8", stdio: ["pipe", "pipe", "pipe"] }).trim();
 }
 
+export function reliabilityTestTempParent(): string {
+  /*
+  FNXC:ReliabilityFixtures 2026-06-20-21:24:
+  FN-6817 traced merge-reuse-task-worktree flakes to reliability fixtures escaping the per-invocation Vitest worker root.
+  Keep project roots and their `-worktrees` siblings under FUSION_TEST_WORKER_ROOT so concurrent package lanes and teardown cannot collide through the shared OS temp root.
+  */
+  return process.env.FUSION_TEST_WORKER_ROOT ?? tmpdir();
+}
+
+function assertInitializedGitRepository(rootDir: string): void {
+  const insideWorkTree = git(rootDir, "git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree");
+  if (insideWorkTree !== "true") {
+    throw new Error(`Reliability fixture git init did not create a usable repository at ${rootDir}`);
+  }
+}
+
 export type ReliabilityFixture = {
   rootDir: string;
   store: TaskStore;
@@ -40,8 +56,10 @@ export async function makeReliabilityFixture(input: {
   task?: Partial<Task>;
   settings?: Partial<Settings>;
 } = {}): Promise<ReliabilityFixture> {
-  const rootDir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "fusion-reliability-"));
+  const rootDir = await mkdtemp(join(reliabilityTestTempParent(), "fusion-reliability-"));
+  const worktreeRoot = `${rootDir}-worktrees`;
   git(rootDir, "git init -b main");
+  assertInitializedGitRepository(rootDir);
   git(rootDir, 'git config user.email "test@example.com"');
   git(rootDir, 'git config user.name "Test User"');
   await writeFile(join(rootDir, "README.md"), "# fixture\n", "utf-8");
@@ -87,6 +105,7 @@ export async function makeReliabilityFixture(input: {
       manager.stop();
       store.close();
       await rm(rootDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      await rm(worktreeRoot, { recursive: true, force: true });
     },
     writeAndCommit: async (file, content, message) => {
       const absolute = join(rootDir, file);
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/merge-runner-spawn-enoent-prevention.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/merge-runner-spawn-enoent-prevention.test.ts
index 51de441fbe..596da79f74 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/merge-runner-spawn-enoent-prevention.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/reliability-interactions/merge-runner-spawn-enoent-prevention.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-import { mkdir, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
-import { join } from "node:path";
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { mkdir, mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join, sep } from "node:path";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 vi.mock("../../pi.js", () => ({
@@ -82,6 +84,35 @@ describe("FN-6278 reliability interactions: merge runner cwd preflight", () => {
     executingTaskLock._clearForTest();
   });
 
+  it.skipIf(!hasGit)("FN-6817: roots the shared reliability fixture under the Vitest worker root", async () => {
+    const previousWorkerRoot = process.env.FUSION_TEST_WORKER_ROOT;
+    const workerRoot = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "fn-6817-worker-root-"));
+    process.env.FUSION_TEST_WORKER_ROOT = workerRoot;
+    let fixture: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof makeReliabilityFixture>> | undefined;
+
+    try {
+      fixture = await makeReliabilityFixture({ taskId: "FN-6817-RI-WORKER-ROOT" });
+      const worktreeRoot = `${fixture.rootDir}-worktrees`;
+      await mkdir(worktreeRoot, { recursive: true });
+
+      expect(fixture.rootDir.startsWith(`${workerRoot}${sep}`)).toBe(true);
+      expect(worktreeRoot.startsWith(`${workerRoot}${sep}`)).toBe(true);
+      expect(git(fixture.rootDir, "git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree")).toBe("true");
+
+      await fixture.cleanup();
+      fixture = undefined;
+      expect(existsSync(worktreeRoot)).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      if (fixture) await fixture.cleanup();
+      if (previousWorkerRoot === undefined) {
+        delete process.env.FUSION_TEST_WORKER_ROOT;
+      } else {
+        process.env.FUSION_TEST_WORKER_ROOT = previousWorkerRoot;
+      }
+      await rm(workerRoot, RM);
+    }
+  });
+
   it.skipIf(!hasGit)("reacquires before spawning git when the reuse worktree cwd vanished", async () => {
     const { fixture, rootDir, store, taskId, branch, worktreeRoot, worktreePath } = await setupReuseMergeFixture({
       taskId: "FN-6278-RI-VANISHED",