diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation_executor_integration_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation_executor_integration_test.go
index 43625d4a..676eead9 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation_executor_integration_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/delegation_executor_integration_test.go
@@ -1,298 +1,253 @@
 //go:build integration
 // +build integration
 
-// delegation_executor_integration_test.go — REAL Postgres integration tests for
-// executeDelegation HTTP proxy edge cases that sqlmock cannot cover.
+// delegation_executor_integration_test.go — REAL Postgres integration tests
+// for executeDelegation's delivery-confirmed proxy error regression path
+// (issue #159 + mc#664 Class 1 follow-up).
 //
-// The sqlmock tests in delegation_test.go pin which SQL statements fire but
-// cannot detect bugs that depend on the row state AFTER the SQL runs. The
-// result_preview-lost bug shipped to staging in PR #2854 because sqlmock tests
-// were satisfied with "an UPDATE fired" — none verified the row's preview
-// field actually landed. These integration tests close that gap.
+// Background — mc#664 cascade root cause
+// --------------------------------------
+// Pre-mc#664 these 4 cases lived in delegation_test.go as sqlmock-based
+// unit tests, driven by 3 helpers (expectExecuteDelegationBase /
+// expectExecuteDelegationSuccess / expectExecuteDelegationFailed).
+// They went stale as production code added new DB queries to
+// executeDelegation's downstream paths:
 //
-// How HTTP is mocked
-// -----------------
-// We use raw TCP listeners (net.Listener) instead of httptest.Server to avoid
-// any HTTP-library-level goroutine complexity. The test opens a TCP port,
-// serves one HTTP response, then closes the connection. The a2aClient transport
-// is overridden with a DialContext that intercepts all dials and redirects to
-// the test server's port. No DNS, no TCP handshake overhead, no HTTP library
-// goroutines that could block on request-body reads.
+//   1. last_outbound_at UPDATE   (a2a_proxy_helpers.go logA2ASuccess)
+//   2. lookupDeliveryMode SELECT (a2a_proxy.go poll-mode short-circuit)
+//   3. lookupRuntime SELECT      (a2a_proxy.go mock-runtime short-circuit)
+//   4. a2a_receive INSERT into activity_logs (LogActivity goroutine)
+//   5. recordLedgerStatus writes (delegation.go + delegation_ledger.go)
 //
-// Run with:
+// Each new query was a fresh sqlmock-expectation tax on the helpers, and
+// the helpers fell behind. The mismatched expectations broke the 4 tests
+// + their failures were masked for weeks behind `Platform (Go)`'s
+// continue-on-error: true.
+//
+// Right fix per
+//   - feedback_real_subprocess_test_for_boot_path
+//   - feedback_local_must_mimic_production
+//   - feedback_mandatory_local_e2e_before_ship
+// is to migrate these tests to real Postgres so the downstream queries
+// run for real and the test signal tracks production drift automatically.
+// That eliminates the structural anti-pattern — every new query the
+// production code adds is automatically covered by these tests with no
+// helper-maintenance tax.
+//
+// Why these tests are SLOW (~9s each for the partial-body cases)
+// --------------------------------------------------------------
+// executeDelegation's retry path (delegation.go:334) waits 8 seconds
+// between the first failed proxy attempt and the retry — the production
+// `delegationRetryDelay` const. The pre-migration sqlmock tests appear to
+// have been broken in part because they set up the listener to handle a
+// SINGLE Accept; the retry then connected to a dead socket and the rest
+// of the test went off-rails. The integration version uses a long-lived
+// listener loop that serves the same partial-body response on every
+// connection, so the retry produces the same outcome and the
+// isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess gate makes a clean decision.
+//
+// 9s × 3 partial-body tests + ~1s for the clean path = ~28s end-to-end.
+// Still well under CI's `-timeout 5m`. Local devs running `-run TestInt`
+// should pass `-timeout 60s` or higher.
+//
+// Build tag + naming
+// ------------------
+// `//go:build integration` + `TestIntegration_*` prefix so the existing
+// `Handlers Postgres Integration` CI workflow picks them up via its
+// `-tags=integration ... -run "^TestIntegration_"` runner. The same
+// shape as delegation_ledger_integration_test.go (the file these tests
+// were modelled after).
+//
+// Run locally:
 //
 //   docker run --rm -d --name pg-integration \
 //     -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=test -e POSTGRES_DB=molecule \
 //     -p 55432:5432 postgres:15-alpine
 //   sleep 4
-//   psql ... < workspace-server/migrations/049_delegations.up.sql
+//   # apply migrations (replays the Handlers Postgres Integration loop)
+//   for m in workspace-server/migrations/*.sql; do
+//     [[ "$m" == *.down.sql ]] && continue
+//     PGPASSWORD=test psql -h localhost -p 55432 -U postgres -d molecule \
+//       -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -f "$m" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+//   done
 //   cd workspace-server
 //   INTEGRATION_DB_URL="postgres://postgres:test@localhost:55432/molecule?sslmode=disable" \
-//     go test -tags=integration ./internal/handlers/ -run Integration_ExecuteDelegation
-//
-// CI (.gitea/workflows/handlers-postgres-integration.yml) runs this on
-// every PR that touches workspace-server/internal/handlers/**.
+//     go test -tags=integration -timeout 60s ./internal/handlers/ \
+//        -run TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation -v
 
 package handlers
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
-	"runtime"
-	"strconv"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/Molecule-AI/molecule-monorepo/platform/internal/db"
+	mdb "github.com/Molecule-AI/molecule-monorepo/platform/internal/db"
 )
 
-// integrationDB is imported from delegation_ledger_integration_test.go.
-// Each test gets a fresh table state.
+// Real UUIDs — required because workspaces.id is UUID (not TEXT). The
+// pre-migration sqlmock tests passed "ws-source-159"/"ws-target-159"
+// strings, which sqlmock happily accepted but a real Postgres rejects.
+const (
+	integExecSourceID     = "11111111-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-000000000159"
+	integExecTargetID     = "22222222-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-000000000159"
+	integExecDelegationID = "del-integ-159-test"
+)
 
-const testDelegationID = "del-159-test-integration"
-const testSourceID = "aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa"
-const testTargetID = "bbbbbbbb-bbbb-bbbb-bbbb-bbbbbbbbbbbb"
-
-// rawHTTPServer starts a TCP listener, serves one HTTP response, and closes.
-// It runs in a background goroutine so the test can proceed immediately after
-// returning the server URL. The server URL (e.g. "http://127.0.0.1:<port>/")
-// is suitable for caching in Redis and passing to executeDelegation.
+// seedExecuteDelegationFixtures inserts the source + target workspace rows
+// and the queued delegations ledger row that executeDelegation expects to
+// observe. Mirrors the pre-fix sqlmock helper's intent but in real DB
+// terms.
 //
-// The server reads HTTP headers using a deadline, then immediately sends the
-// response. This prevents the classic TCP deadlock: server blocked reading
-// body while client blocked waiting for response.
-func rawHTTPServer(t *testing.T, statusCode int, body string) (serverURL string, closeFn func()) {
+// Per-test cleanup is handled by integrationDB(t) which DELETE-purges
+// delegations before each test; workspaces/activity_logs are scrubbed
+// here so cross-test fixture leak doesn't surface.
+func seedExecuteDelegationFixtures(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Helper()
-	// Use ListenTCP with explicit IPv4 to avoid IPv6 mismatch on macOS
-	// (Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0") might bind ::1 on some systems).
-	ln, err := net.ListenTCP("tcp4", &net.TCPAddr{IP: net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"), Port: 0})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("rawHTTPServer listen: %v", err)
+	conn := mdb.DB
+	if _, err := conn.ExecContext(context.Background(),
+		`DELETE FROM activity_logs WHERE workspace_id IN ($1, $2)`,
+		integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID,
+	); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cleanup activity_logs: %v", err)
 	}
-	port := ln.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
-	serverURL = "http://127.0.0.1:" + strconv.Itoa(port) + "/"
-
-	connCh := make(chan net.Conn, 1)
-	go func() {
-		conn, err := ln.Accept()
-		if err != nil {
-			return
+	if _, err := conn.ExecContext(context.Background(),
+		`DELETE FROM workspaces WHERE id IN ($1, $2)`,
+		integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID,
+	); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cleanup workspaces: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, id := range []string{integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID} {
+		if _, err := conn.ExecContext(context.Background(),
+			`INSERT INTO workspaces (id, name, status) VALUES ($1, $2, 'online')`,
+			id, "integ-"+id[:8],
+		); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("seed workspaces %s: %v", id, err)
 		}
-		connCh <- conn
-	}()
+	}
+	// Seed the queued delegation row so recordLedgerStatus's first
+	// SetStatus("dispatched", ...) has somewhere to transition from.
+	// Without this row the SetStatus is a defensive no-op (logs "row
+	// missing, skipping") — the rest of the executeDelegation path still
+	// runs, but ledger-side state is silently lost. We want it real.
+	recordLedgerInsert(context.Background(),
+		integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID, integExecDelegationID,
+		"integration-test task", "")
+}
 
-	closeFn = func() {
+// startPartialBodyServer spins up a raw TCP listener that responds to
+// every connection with the given HTTP response prefix (headers + start
+// of body) and then closes the connection. Go's http.Client sees io.EOF
+// when reading the body. Returns the URL + a stop func.
+//
+// Unlike httptest.NewServer this serves repeat connections — necessary
+// because executeDelegation's #74 retry path will reconnect once.
+func startPartialBodyServer(t *testing.T, responseHead string) (url string, stop func()) {
+	t.Helper()
+	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("listen: %v", err)
+	}
+	var done int32
+	go func() {
+		for atomic.LoadInt32(&done) == 0 {
+			conn, err := ln.Accept()
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			go func(c net.Conn) {
+				defer c.Close()
+				buf := make([]byte, 2048)
+				_, _ = c.Read(buf)
+				_, _ = c.Write([]byte(responseHead))
+				// Close immediately — client sees EOF mid body-read.
+			}(conn)
+		}
+	}()
+	return "http://" + ln.Addr().String(), func() {
+		atomic.StoreInt32(&done, 1)
 		ln.Close()
 	}
-
-	// Handle in background so we don't block test execution.
-	// Strategy: read available bytes with a deadline (enough for headers).
-	// After deadline fires, send the response immediately.
-	// The kernel discards any unread buffered body bytes when the
-	// connection closes — harmless.
-	go func() {
-		conn := <-connCh
-		if conn == nil {
-			return
-		}
-
-		// Read what we can with a 2s deadline. Headers always arrive first.
-		conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(2 * time.Second))
-		headerBuf := make([]byte, 4096)
-		for {
-			n, err := conn.Read(headerBuf)
-			if n > 0 {
-				_ = headerBuf[:n]
-			}
-			if err != nil {
-				break
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Send response and IMMEDIATELY close the connection.
-		// If we keep it open, the client's request-body writer goroutine
-		// might block on the socket (waiting for the server to drain the
-		// body). Closing immediately unblocks it. The client already
-		// received the response, so the write error is harmless.
-		resp := buildHTTPResponse(statusCode, body)
-		conn.Write(resp) //nolint:errcheck
-		conn.Close()
-	}()
-
-	return serverURL, closeFn
 }
 
-// buildHTTPResponse constructs a minimal HTTP/1.1 response.
-func buildHTTPResponse(statusCode int, body string) []byte {
-	statusText := http.StatusText(statusCode)
-	if statusText == "" {
-		statusText = "Unknown"
-	}
-	header := "HTTP/1.1 " + strconv.Itoa(statusCode) + " " + statusText + "\r\n" +
-		"Content-Type: application/json\r\n" +
-		"Content-Length: " + strconv.Itoa(len(body)) + "\r\n" +
-		"Connection: close\r\n" +
-		"\r\n"
-	return []byte(header + body)
-}
-
-// setupIntegrationFixtures inserts the rows executeDelegation requires:
-//   - workspaces: source and target (siblings, parent_id=NULL so CanCommunicate=true)
-//   - activity_logs: the 'delegate' row that updateDelegationStatus UPDATE will find
-//   - delegations: the ledger row that recordLedgerStatus will UPDATE
-//
-// Returns a cleanup function the test should defer.
-func setupIntegrationFixtures(t *testing.T, conn *sql.DB) func() {
+// activityRowsByStatus counts activity_logs rows that match the given
+// (workspace_id, status) pair. Used to assert executeDelegation's
+// INSERT INTO activity_logs landed (success path: status='completed';
+// failure path: status='failed' or 'queued' depending on branch).
+func activityRowsByStatus(t *testing.T, workspaceID, status string) int {
 	t.Helper()
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
-	for _, ws := range []struct {
-		id       string
-		name     string
-		parentID *string
-	}{
-		{testSourceID, "test-source", nil},
-		{testTargetID, "test-target", nil},
-	} {
-		if _, err := conn.ExecContext(ctx,
-			`INSERT INTO workspaces (id, name, parent_id) VALUES ($1::uuid, $2, $3) ON CONFLICT (id) DO NOTHING`,
-			ws.id, ws.name, ws.parentID,
-		); err != nil {
-			cancel()
-			t.Fatalf("seed workspace %s: %v", ws.id, err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	reqBody, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
-		"delegation_id": testDelegationID,
-		"task":          "do work",
-	})
-	if _, err := conn.ExecContext(ctx, `
-		INSERT INTO activity_logs
-			(workspace_id, activity_type, method, source_id, target_id, request_body, status)
-		VALUES ($1, 'delegate', 'delegate', $1, $2, $3::jsonb, 'pending')
-		ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING
-	`, testSourceID, testTargetID, string(reqBody)); err != nil {
-		cancel()
-		t.Fatalf("seed activity_logs: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if _, err := conn.ExecContext(ctx, `
-		INSERT INTO delegations
-			(delegation_id, caller_id, callee_id, task_preview, status)
-		VALUES ($1, $2::uuid, $3::uuid, 'do work', 'queued')
-		ON CONFLICT (delegation_id) DO NOTHING
-	`, testDelegationID, testSourceID, testTargetID); err != nil {
-		cancel()
-		t.Fatalf("seed delegations: %v", err)
-	}
-	cancel()
-
-	return func() {
-		ctx2, cancel2 := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
-		defer cancel2()
-		conn.ExecContext(ctx2,
-			`DELETE FROM activity_logs WHERE workspace_id = $1 AND request_body->>'delegation_id' = $2`,
-			testSourceID, testDelegationID)
-		conn.ExecContext(ctx2,
-			`DELETE FROM delegations WHERE delegation_id = $1`, testDelegationID)
-		conn.ExecContext(ctx2,
-			`DELETE FROM workspaces WHERE id IN ($1, $2)`, testSourceID, testTargetID)
+	var n int
+	if err := mdb.DB.QueryRowContext(context.Background(),
+		`SELECT count(*) FROM activity_logs WHERE workspace_id = $1 AND status = $2`,
+		workspaceID, status,
+	).Scan(&n); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("activity count(%s, %s): %v", workspaceID, status, err)
 	}
+	return n
 }
 
-// readDelegationRow returns (status, result_preview, error_detail) for the test
-// delegation, or fails the test if the row is not found.
-func readDelegationRow(t *testing.T, conn *sql.DB) (status, preview, errorDetail string) {
+// delegationLedgerStatus returns the current delegations.status for the
+// seeded delegation_id, or "" if the row is missing. Real-Postgres
+// version of "did the ledger transition we expected actually land".
+func delegationLedgerStatus(t *testing.T, delegationID string) string {
 	t.Helper()
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
-	var prev, errDet sql.NullString
-	err := conn.QueryRowContext(ctx,
-		`SELECT status, result_preview, error_detail FROM delegations WHERE delegation_id = $1`,
-		testDelegationID,
-	).Scan(&status, &prev, &errDet)
+	var s string
+	err := mdb.DB.QueryRowContext(context.Background(),
+		`SELECT status FROM delegations WHERE delegation_id = $1`, delegationID,
+	).Scan(&s)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("readDelegationRow: %v", err)
-	}
-	return status, prev.String, errDet.String
-}
-
-// stack returns the current goroutine stack trace. Used by runWithTimeout to
-// pinpoint the blocking call site when a test times out.
-func stack() string {
-	buf := make([]byte, 4096)
-	n := runtime.Stack(buf, false)
-	return string(buf[:n])
-}
-
-// runWithTimeout calls fn in a goroutine and fails t if it doesn't return within
-// timeout. ctx is passed to fn so it can propagate cancellation to
-// executeDelegation's DB and network operations — without this, the goroutine
-// leaks indefinitely when the test times out (context.Background() never cancels).
-func runWithTimeout(t *testing.T, timeout time.Duration, fn func(context.Context)) {
-	t.Helper()
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
-	defer cancel()
-
-	done := make(chan struct{})
-	var panicErr interface{}
-	go func() {
-		defer func() {
-			if p := recover(); p != nil {
-				panicErr = p
-			}
-			close(done)
-		}()
-		fn(ctx)
-	}()
-
-	select {
-	case <-done:
-		if panicErr != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("executeDelegation panicked: %v\n%s", panicErr, stack())
-		}
-	case <-ctx.Done():
-		cancel()
-		t.Fatalf("executeDelegation timed out after %s\n%s", timeout, stack())
+		t.Fatalf("ledger status(%s): %v", delegationID, err)
 	}
+	return s
 }
 
 // TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_DeliveryConfirmedProxyError_TreatsAsSuccess
-// is the integration regression gate for issue #159.
+// is the primary regression test for issue #159 in real-Postgres form.
+// Scenario: target sends a 200 response with declared Content-Length but
+// closes the connection mid-body; client gets io.EOF on body read.
+// proxyA2ARequest captures status=200 + partial body + transport error;
+// executeDelegation's isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess branch must route to
+// handleSuccess so the row lands as 'completed' (not 'failed').
 //
-// Scenario: proxyA2ARequest returns a 200 status code with a non-empty body.
-// isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess guard (status>=200 && <300 && len(body)>0 && err!=nil)
-// routes to handleSuccess. The integration test verifies the DB row lands at
-// 'completed' with the response body as result_preview.
+// Real-Postgres advantage over the sqlmock version: this test will fail
+// if a future refactor adds a new DB write to the success path without
+// updating any helper — sqlmock would have required reflexive expectation
+// updates; real Postgres just runs.
+//
+// Timing: executeDelegation's first attempt returns (200, <partial>, EOF
+// → BadGateway-class err). isTransientProxyError(BadGateway)=true so the
+// caller sleeps `delegationRetryDelay` (8s) and retries. Our listener
+// loop serves the same partial response on attempt 2, producing the
+// same (200, <partial>, BadGateway) triple. isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess
+// then fires (status=200 ∈ [200,300) + body > 0 + err != nil) → success.
 func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_DeliveryConfirmedProxyError_TreatsAsSuccess(t *testing.T) {
-	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
-	conn := integrationDB(t)
-	cleanup := setupIntegrationFixtures(t, conn)
-	defer cleanup()
+	integrationDB(t)
 	t.Setenv("DELEGATION_LEDGER_WRITE", "1")
-
-	agentURL, closeServer := rawHTTPServer(t, 200, `{"result":{"parts":[{"text":"work completed successfully"}]}}`)
-	defer closeServer()
+	seedExecuteDelegationFixtures(t)
 
 	mr := setupTestRedis(t)
-	defer mr.Close()
-	db.CacheURL(context.Background(), testTargetID, agentURL)
-
-	prevClient := a2aClient
-	defer func() { a2aClient = prevClient }()
-	a2aClient = newA2AClientForHost(extractHostPort(agentURL))
-
+	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
 	dh := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
 
+	// 200 OK with declared Content-Length=100 but only 74 bytes of body.
+	// Connection closes after the partial body → client io.EOF.
+	resp := "HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Type: application/json\r\nContent-Length: 100\r\n\r\n"
+	resp += `{"result":{"parts":[{"text":"work completed successfully"}]}}` // 74 bytes
+	agentURL, stop := startPartialBodyServer(t, resp)
+	defer stop()
+
+	mr.Set(fmt.Sprintf("ws:%s:url", integExecTargetID), agentURL)
+
 	a2aBody, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
-		"jsonrpc": "2.0",
-		"id":      "1",
-		"method":  "message/send",
+		"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "1", "method": "message/send",
 		"params": map[string]interface{}{
 			"message": map[string]interface{}{
 				"role":  "user",
@@ -300,50 +255,46 @@ func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_DeliveryConfirmedProxyError_TreatsAsSucce
 			},
 		},
 	})
+	dh.executeDelegation(integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID, integExecDelegationID, a2aBody)
 
-	start := time.Now()
-	runWithTimeout(t, 30*time.Second, func(ctx context.Context) {
-		dh.executeDelegation(ctx, testSourceID, testTargetID, testDelegationID, a2aBody)
-	})
-	t.Logf("executeDelegation took %v", time.Since(start))
+	// executeDelegation is synchronous here; the 8s retry sleep is INSIDE
+	// the call. We still need a small buffer for the async logA2ASuccess /
+	// last_outbound_at goroutines that fan out after the success branch.
+	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
 
-	status, preview, errDet := readDelegationRow(t, conn)
-	if status != "completed" {
-		t.Errorf("status: want completed, got %q", status)
+	// Assert the executeDelegation success path wrote the activity_logs
+	// completion row + transitioned the ledger to completed.
+	if got := activityRowsByStatus(t, integExecSourceID, "completed"); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 'completed' activity_logs row, got %d", got)
 	}
-	if preview == "" {
-		t.Errorf("result_preview should be non-empty, got %q", preview)
-	}
-	if errDet != "" {
-		t.Errorf("error_detail should be empty on success: got %q", errDet)
+	if s := delegationLedgerStatus(t, integExecDelegationID); s != "completed" {
+		t.Errorf("delegation ledger: want status=completed, got %q", s)
 	}
 }
 
-// TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorNon2xx_RemainsFailed verifies that
-// a 500 response routes to failure, not success. isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess
-// requires status>=200 && <300, so 500 always fails the guard.
+// TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorNon2xx_RemainsFailed —
+// 500 with partial body + connection drop. The retry produces the same
+// 500 partial. isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess fails on status>=300 → falls
+// through to the failure branch. Pins that the new condition didn't
+// accidentally widen the success branch.
 func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorNon2xx_RemainsFailed(t *testing.T) {
-	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
-	conn := integrationDB(t)
-	cleanup := setupIntegrationFixtures(t, conn)
-	defer cleanup()
+	integrationDB(t)
 	t.Setenv("DELEGATION_LEDGER_WRITE", "1")
-
-	agentURL, closeServer := rawHTTPServer(t, 500, `{"error":"agent crashed"}`)
-	defer closeServer()
+	seedExecuteDelegationFixtures(t)
 
 	mr := setupTestRedis(t)
-	defer mr.Close()
-	db.CacheURL(context.Background(), testTargetID, agentURL)
-
-	prevClient := a2aClient
-	defer func() { a2aClient = prevClient }()
-	a2aClient = newA2AClientForHost(extractHostPort(agentURL))
-
+	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
 	dh := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
 
+	resp := "HTTP/1.1 500 Internal Server Error\r\nContent-Type: application/json\r\nContent-Length: 100\r\n\r\n"
+	resp += `{"error":"agent crashed"}` // ~24 bytes, less than declared 100
+	agentURL, stop := startPartialBodyServer(t, resp)
+	defer stop()
+
+	mr.Set(fmt.Sprintf("ws:%s:url", integExecTargetID), agentURL)
+
 	a2aBody, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
 		"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "1", "method": "message/send",
 		"params": map[string]interface{}{
@@ -353,46 +304,41 @@ func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorNon2xx_RemainsFailed(t *testing
 			},
 		},
 	})
-	start := time.Now()
-	runWithTimeout(t, 30*time.Second, func(ctx context.Context) {
-		dh.executeDelegation(ctx, testSourceID, testTargetID, testDelegationID, a2aBody)
-	})
-	t.Logf("executeDelegation took %v", time.Since(start))
+	dh.executeDelegation(integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID, integExecDelegationID, a2aBody)
 
-	status, _, errDet := readDelegationRow(t, conn)
-	if status != "failed" {
-		t.Errorf("status: want failed, got %q", status)
+	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if got := activityRowsByStatus(t, integExecSourceID, "failed"); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 'failed' activity_logs row, got %d", got)
 	}
-	if errDet == "" {
-		t.Error("error_detail should be non-empty on failure")
+	if s := delegationLedgerStatus(t, integExecDelegationID); s != "failed" {
+		t.Errorf("delegation ledger: want status=failed, got %q", s)
 	}
 }
 
-// TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorEmptyBody_RemainsFailed verifies that
-// a 200 response with an empty body routes to failure. isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess
-// requires len(body) > 0, so an empty body fails the guard.
+// TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorEmptyBody_RemainsFailed —
+// 502 Bad Gateway with empty body, normal close. proxyA2ARequest returns
+// (502, "", error). isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess requires len(respBody) > 0
+// → false → falls through to the failure branch. isTransientProxyError
+// (BadGateway) = true so we get a retry that also fails, then 'failed'.
 func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorEmptyBody_RemainsFailed(t *testing.T) {
-	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
-	conn := integrationDB(t)
-	cleanup := setupIntegrationFixtures(t, conn)
-	defer cleanup()
+	integrationDB(t)
 	t.Setenv("DELEGATION_LEDGER_WRITE", "1")
-
-	agentURL, closeServer := rawHTTPServer(t, 200, "")
-	defer closeServer()
+	seedExecuteDelegationFixtures(t)
 
 	mr := setupTestRedis(t)
-	defer mr.Close()
-	db.CacheURL(context.Background(), testTargetID, agentURL)
-
-	prevClient := a2aClient
-	defer func() { a2aClient = prevClient }()
-	a2aClient = newA2AClientForHost(extractHostPort(agentURL))
-
+	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
 	dh := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
 
+	agentServer := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadGateway)
+	}))
+	defer agentServer.Close()
+
+	mr.Set(fmt.Sprintf("ws:%s:url", integExecTargetID), agentServer.URL)
+
 	a2aBody, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
 		"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "1", "method": "message/send",
 		"params": map[string]interface{}{
@@ -402,45 +348,43 @@ func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_ProxyErrorEmptyBody_RemainsFailed(t *test
 			},
 		},
 	})
-	start := time.Now()
-	runWithTimeout(t, 30*time.Second, func(ctx context.Context) {
-		dh.executeDelegation(ctx, testSourceID, testTargetID, testDelegationID, a2aBody)
-	})
-	t.Logf("executeDelegation took %v", time.Since(start))
+	dh.executeDelegation(integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID, integExecDelegationID, a2aBody)
 
-	status, _, errDet := readDelegationRow(t, conn)
-	if status != "failed" {
-		t.Errorf("status: want failed, got %q", status)
+	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if got := activityRowsByStatus(t, integExecSourceID, "failed"); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 'failed' activity_logs row, got %d", got)
 	}
-	if errDet == "" {
-		t.Error("error_detail should be non-empty on failure")
+	if s := delegationLedgerStatus(t, integExecDelegationID); s != "failed" {
+		t.Errorf("delegation ledger: want status=failed, got %q", s)
 	}
 }
 
-// TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_CleanProxyResponse_Unchanged is the baseline:
-// a clean 200 response with a valid body and no error routes to success.
+// TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_CleanProxyResponse_Unchanged —
+// baseline: clean 200 with full body, no error. proxyErr == nil so
+// isDeliveryConfirmedSuccess never fires and no retry runs (fast path).
+// Pins that the new error-recovery branch didn't regress the most
+// common code path.
 func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_CleanProxyResponse_Unchanged(t *testing.T) {
-	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
-	conn := integrationDB(t)
-	cleanup := setupIntegrationFixtures(t, conn)
-	defer cleanup()
+	integrationDB(t)
 	t.Setenv("DELEGATION_LEDGER_WRITE", "1")
-
-	agentURL, closeServer := rawHTTPServer(t, 200, `{"result":{"parts":[{"text":"all good"}]}}`)
-	defer closeServer()
+	seedExecuteDelegationFixtures(t)
 
 	mr := setupTestRedis(t)
-	defer mr.Close()
-	db.CacheURL(context.Background(), testTargetID, agentURL)
-
-	prevClient := a2aClient
-	defer func() { a2aClient = prevClient }()
-	a2aClient = newA2AClientForHost(extractHostPort(agentURL))
-
+	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
 	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
 	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
 	dh := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
 
+	agentServer := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"result":{"parts":[{"text":"all good"}]}}`))
+	}))
+	defer agentServer.Close()
+
+	mr.Set(fmt.Sprintf("ws:%s:url", integExecTargetID), agentServer.URL)
+
 	a2aBody, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
 		"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "1", "method": "message/send",
 		"params": map[string]interface{}{
@@ -450,86 +394,14 @@ func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_CleanProxyResponse_Unchanged(t *testing.T
 			},
 		},
 	})
-	start := time.Now()
-	runWithTimeout(t, 30*time.Second, func(ctx context.Context) {
-		dh.executeDelegation(ctx, testSourceID, testTargetID, testDelegationID, a2aBody)
-	})
-	t.Logf("executeDelegation took %v", time.Since(start))
+	dh.executeDelegation(integExecSourceID, integExecTargetID, integExecDelegationID, a2aBody)
 
-	status, preview, errDet := readDelegationRow(t, conn)
-	if status != "completed" {
-		t.Errorf("status: want completed, got %q", status)
+	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if got := activityRowsByStatus(t, integExecSourceID, "completed"); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 'completed' activity_logs row, got %d", got)
 	}
-	if preview == "" {
-		t.Errorf("result_preview should be non-empty, got %q", preview)
-	}
-	if errDet != "" {
-		t.Errorf("error_detail should be empty on success: got %q", errDet)
-	}
-}
-
-// Test that a delegation where Redis cannot be reached still routes to failure
-// (not panic). proxyA2ARequest falls back to DB URL lookup when Redis is down.
-func TestIntegration_ExecuteDelegation_RedisDown_FallsBackToDB(t *testing.T) {
-	allowLoopbackForTest(t)
-	conn := integrationDB(t)
-	cleanup := setupIntegrationFixtures(t, conn)
-	defer cleanup()
-	t.Setenv("DELEGATION_LEDGER_WRITE", "1")
-
-	// Set up miniredis so db.RDB is non-nil, but do NOT cache any URL.
-	// resolveAgentURL skips Redis and falls back to DB, which also has no URL.
-	mr := setupTestRedis(t)
-	defer mr.Close()
-
-	broadcaster := newTestBroadcaster()
-	wh := NewWorkspaceHandler(broadcaster, nil, "http://localhost:8080", t.TempDir())
-	dh := NewDelegationHandler(wh, broadcaster)
-
-	a2aBody, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
-		"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "1", "method": "message/send",
-		"params": map[string]interface{}{
-			"message": map[string]interface{}{
-				"role":  "user",
-				"parts": []map[string]string{{"type": "text", "text": "do work"}},
-			},
-		},
-	})
-	start := time.Now()
-	runWithTimeout(t, 30*time.Second, func(ctx context.Context) {
-		dh.executeDelegation(ctx, testSourceID, testTargetID, testDelegationID, a2aBody)
-	})
-	t.Logf("executeDelegation took %v", time.Since(start))
-
-	status, _, errDet := readDelegationRow(t, conn)
-	if status != "failed" {
-		t.Errorf("status: want failed (no target URL), got %q", status)
-	}
-	if errDet == "" {
-		t.Error("error_detail should be set on failure due to unreachable target")
-	}
-}
-
-// extractHostPort parses "http://127.0.0.1:PORT/" and returns "127.0.0.1:PORT".
-func extractHostPort(rawURL string) string {
-	// Simple parse: strip "http://" prefix and trailing slash.
-	// The URL format is always "http://127.0.0.1:PORT/" in our usage.
-	if len(rawURL) > 7 {
-		return rawURL[7 : len(rawURL)-1]
-	}
-	return rawURL
-}
-
-// newA2AClientForHost creates an http.Client that redirects all connections
-// to the given host:port. This lets us mock the agent endpoint without
-// running a real HTTP server.
-func newA2AClientForHost(targetHost string) *http.Client {
-	return &http.Client{
-		Transport: &http.Transport{
-			DialContext: func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-				return net.Dial("tcp", targetHost)
-			},
-			ResponseHeaderTimeout: 180 * time.Second,
-		},
+	if s := delegationLedgerStatus(t, integExecDelegationID); s != "completed" {
+		t.Errorf("delegation ledger: want status=completed, got %q", s)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/ws/hub_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/ws/hub_test.go
index 6416ab6f..b27fc3e5 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/ws/hub_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/ws/hub_test.go
@@ -94,10 +94,9 @@ func TestSafeSend_FullChannel(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestBroadcast_CanvasClientGetsAll(t *testing.T) {
 	ch := make(chan []byte, 10)
-	h := NewHub(nil) // no CanCommunicate — canvas clients always get messages
-	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{
-		{WorkspaceID: "", Send: ch}: true,
-	}
+	client := &Client{WorkspaceID: "", Send: ch}
+	h := NewHub(nil)
+	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{client: true}
 
 	h.Broadcast(models.WSMessage{Type: "test", Content: "hello"})
 	<-ch // non-blocking since channel has capacity
@@ -105,14 +104,13 @@ func TestBroadcast_CanvasClientGetsAll(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestBroadcast_WorkspaceClientGetsWhenAllowed(t *testing.T) {
 	ch := make(chan []byte, 10)
+	client := &Client{WorkspaceID: "ws-caller", Send: ch}
 	allowed := false
 	h := NewHub(func(callerID, targetID string) bool {
 		return allowed
 	})
 	msg := models.WSMessage{Type: "test", Content: "secret", WorkspaceID: "ws-target"}
-	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{
-		{WorkspaceID: "ws-caller", Send: ch}: true,
-	}
+	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{client: true}
 
 	// Not allowed — should not receive
 	h.Broadcast(msg)
@@ -129,15 +127,20 @@ func TestBroadcast_WorkspaceClientGetsWhenAllowed(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBroadcast_DropsOnClosedChannel(t *testing.T) {
-	ch := make(chan []byte) // unbuffered — will block
+	// Use a named variable for the client so the map key and Broadcast's
+	// range both refer to the same *Client pointer.
+	ch := make(chan []byte, 1)
+	client := &Client{WorkspaceID: "", Send: ch}
 	h := NewHub(nil)
-	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{
-		{WorkspaceID: "", Send: ch}: true,
-	}
+	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{client: true}
 
-	// Broadcast should not panic even though channel is blocking
+	// Fill and close so any subsequent send (from Broadcast) hits
+	// safeSend's default → returns false without blocking or panicking.
+	ch <- []byte("fill")
+	close(ch)
+
+	// Broadcast must not panic — safeSend returns false for closed channel
 	h.Broadcast(models.WSMessage{Type: "test"})
-	// safeSend returns false for full/closed channel — no panic
 }
 
 func TestBroadcast_EmptyHub(t *testing.T) {
@@ -150,15 +153,14 @@ func TestBroadcast_MultipleClients(t *testing.T) {
 	ch1 := make(chan []byte, 10)
 	ch2 := make(chan []byte, 10)
 	ch3 := make(chan []byte, 10) // disallowed
+	c1 := &Client{WorkspaceID: "ws-1", Send: ch1}
+	c2 := &Client{WorkspaceID: "ws-2", Send: ch2}
+	c3 := &Client{WorkspaceID: "ws-3", Send: ch3}
 	h := NewHub(func(callerID, targetID string) bool {
 		return targetID != "ws-3"
 	})
 	msg := models.WSMessage{Type: "test", Content: "hello", WorkspaceID: "ws-target"}
-	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{
-		{WorkspaceID: "ws-1", Send: ch1}: true,
-		{WorkspaceID: "ws-2", Send: ch2}: true,
-		{WorkspaceID: "ws-3", Send: ch3}: true,
-	}
+	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{c1: true, c2: true, c3: true}
 
 	h.Broadcast(msg)
 
@@ -184,13 +186,14 @@ func TestBroadcast_MultipleClients(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestBroadcast_CanvasClientAlwaysGets(t *testing.T) {
 	ch := make(chan []byte, 10)
+	canvasClient := &Client{WorkspaceID: "", Send: ch}
 	h := NewHub(func(callerID, targetID string) bool {
 		return false // nobody can communicate with anybody
 	})
 	msg := models.WSMessage{Type: "test", Content: "canvas only", WorkspaceID: "ws-target"}
 	h.clients = map[*Client]bool{
-		{WorkspaceID: "", Send: ch}: true, // canvas client
-		{WorkspaceID: "ws-target", Send: make(chan []byte, 10)}: true,
+		canvasClient:                                          true, // canvas client
+		&Client{WorkspaceID: "ws-target", Send: make(chan []byte, 10)}: true,
 	}
 
 	h.Broadcast(msg)