diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/archive-db-fts-maintenance.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/archive-db-fts-maintenance.test.ts
index cf9dd5d3b3..9800b23d24 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/archive-db-fts-maintenance.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/archive-db-fts-maintenance.test.ts
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ describe("ArchiveDatabase FTS maintenance", () => {
         return;
       }
 
-      const payload = "alpha ".repeat(1200);
-      for (let i = 0; i < 180; i++) {
+      const payload = "alpha ".repeat(400);
+      for (let i = 0; i < 72; i++) {
         archive.upsert(makeEntry("FN-ARCHIVE-1", {
           archivedAt: new Date(1717372800000 + i * 1000).toISOString(),
           updatedAt: new Date(1717372800000 + i * 1000).toISOString(),
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ describe("ArchiveDatabase FTS maintenance", () => {
       expect(rebuiltBytes).not.toBeNull();
       expect(rebuiltBytes!).toBeLessThan(grownBytes!);
       expect(rebuiltBytes!).toBeLessThan(1 * 1024 * 1024);
-      expect(archive.search("release-note-179", 10).map((entry) => entry.id)).toContain("FN-ARCHIVE-1");
+      expect(archive.search("release-note-71", 10).map((entry) => entry.id)).toContain("FN-ARCHIVE-1");
     } finally {
       archive.close();
       await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-merge-queue.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-merge-queue.test.ts
index 2c77538a71..3795c5b099 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-merge-queue.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-merge-queue.test.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe("TaskStore merge queue", () => {
   beforeEach(async () => {
     rootDir = makeTmpDir();
     globalDir = join(rootDir, ".fusion-global");
-    store = new TaskStore(rootDir, globalDir);
+    store = new TaskStore(rootDir, globalDir, { inMemoryDb: true });
     await store.init();
   });
 
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ describe("TaskStore merge queue", () => {
   });
 
   it("migrates a legacy v88 database and preserves task rows", async () => {
+    store.close();
+    store = new TaskStore(rootDir, globalDir);
+    await store.init();
+
     const existingTask = await store.createTask({ description: "legacy row survives", priority: "high" });
     const db = store.getDatabase();
     db.exec("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_mergeQueue_lease_ready");
@@ -404,10 +408,11 @@ describe("TaskStore merge queue", () => {
   });
 
   it("allows exactly one worker to lease a single queued task across competing stores", async () => {
-    const storeA = new TaskStore(rootDir, globalDir);
+    store.close();
+    store = new TaskStore(rootDir, globalDir);
     const storeB = new TaskStore(rootDir, globalDir);
-    extraStores.push(storeA, storeB);
-    await storeA.init();
+    extraStores.push(storeB);
+    await store.init();
     await storeB.init();
 
     const taskId = await createInReviewTask();
@@ -415,7 +420,7 @@ describe("TaskStore merge queue", () => {
     for (let index = 0; index < 20; index += 1) {
       store.enqueueMergeQueue(taskId, { now: `2026-05-19T00:00:${String(index).padStart(2, "0")}.000Z` });
       const [leaseA, leaseB] = await Promise.all([
-        Promise.resolve().then(() => storeA.acquireMergeQueueLease("worker-a", { leaseDurationMs: 60_000, now: `2026-05-19T00:10:${String(index).padStart(2, "0")}.000Z` })),
+        Promise.resolve().then(() => store.acquireMergeQueueLease("worker-a", { leaseDurationMs: 60_000, now: `2026-05-19T00:10:${String(index).padStart(2, "0")}.000Z` })),
         Promise.resolve().then(() => storeB.acquireMergeQueueLease("worker-b", { leaseDurationMs: 60_000, now: `2026-05-19T00:10:${String(index).padStart(2, "0")}.000Z` })),
       ]);