diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/instructions_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/instructions_test.go
index 0660ce6e..a2293d41 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/instructions_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/instructions_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import (
 // and returns both the mock and a gin engine that uses it.
 // The caller MUST use the returned gin engine for BOTH route registration
 // AND for r.ServeHTTP — using a different engine for either step breaks routing.
-func setupInstructionsTestDB(t *testing.T) (*sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
+func setupInstructionsTestDB(t *testing.T) (sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
 	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
 	mockDB, mock, err := sqlmock.New()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func setupInstructionsTestDB(t *testing.T) (*sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
 // setupInstructionsTest is kept for backward compatibility with tests that
 // don't need a gin engine (pure validation helpers). All DB-dependent tests
 // should use setupInstructionsTestDB instead.
-func setupInstructionsTest(t *testing.T) (*sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
+func setupInstructionsTest(t *testing.T) (sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
 	return setupInstructionsTestDB(t)
 }
 
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_crud_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_crud_test.go
index 1b3fe058..70124aaa 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_crud_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_crud_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 //   - validateWorkspaceFields: newline rejection, YAML special chars, length.
 //   - validateWorkspaceDir: absolute/relative, traversal, system paths.
 
-func setupWorkspaceCrudTest(t *testing.T) (*sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
+func setupWorkspaceCrudTest(t *testing.T) (sqlmock.Sqlmock, *gin.Engine) {
 	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
 	mock := setupTestDB(t)
 	r := gin.New()