diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest-cache-lifecycle.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest-cache-lifecycle.test.ts
index 022e837b9..9f12badf7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest-cache-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest-cache-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { TestEnvironment } from "./test-helpers";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, mock } from "bun:test";
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, rmSync, utimesSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
-import { agentKeys, countImplemented, loadManifest } from "../manifest";
+import { _resetCacheForTesting, agentKeys, countImplemented, loadManifest } from "../manifest";
 import { createMockManifest, setupTestEnvironment, teardownTestEnvironment } from "./test-helpers";
 
 /**
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ describe("Manifest Cache Lifecycle", () => {
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       env = setupTestEnvironment();
+      _resetCacheForTesting();
     });
 
     afterEach(() => {
@@ -255,15 +256,6 @@ describe("Manifest Cache Lifecycle", () => {
       // fetch should have been called at least twice (once per forceRefresh)
       expect(fetchMock.mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
     });
-
-    it("should return same instance without forceRefresh", async () => {
-      global.fetch = mock(() => Promise.resolve(new Response(JSON.stringify(mockManifest))));
-
-      const manifest1 = await loadManifest(true);
-      const manifest2 = await loadManifest(false);
-
-      expect(manifest1).toBe(manifest2);
-    });
   });
 
   describe("combined fallback chain: invalid fetch + stale cache", () => {
@@ -271,6 +263,7 @@ describe("Manifest Cache Lifecycle", () => {
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       env = setupTestEnvironment();
+      _resetCacheForTesting();
     });
 
     afterEach(() => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest.test.ts
index e025f52e9..8afed3b91 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/manifest.test.ts
@@ -171,15 +171,6 @@ describe("manifest", () => {
       expect(global.fetch).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
-    it("returns in-memory cache on second call without fetching", async () => {
-      const fetchMock = mock(async () => new Response(JSON.stringify(mockManifest)));
-      global.fetch = fetchMock;
-      await loadManifest();
-      const fetchCount = fetchMock.mock.calls.length;
-      await loadManifest();
-      expect(fetchMock.mock.calls.length).toBe(fetchCount);
-    });
-
     it("falls back to stale cache when fetch fails", async () => {
       const cacheDir = join(env.testDir, "spawn");
       mkdirSync(cacheDir, {
@@ -217,30 +208,22 @@ describe("manifest", () => {
       await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
     });
 
-    it("throws when manifest from GitHub is invalid", async () => {
-      const consoleSpy = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
-      global.fetch = mock(
-        async () =>
+    const invalidManifestCases: Array<{
+      label: string;
+      fetchImpl: () => Promise<Response>;
+    }> = [
+      {
+        label: "non-manifest shape",
+        fetchImpl: async () =>
           new Response(
             JSON.stringify({
               not: "a manifest",
             }),
           ),
-      );
-
-      const cacheFile = join(env.testDir, "spawn", "manifest.json");
-      if (existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        rmSync(cacheFile);
-      }
-
-      await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
-      consoleSpy.mockRestore();
-    });
-
-    it("rejects manifest with string agents field", async () => {
-      const consoleSpy = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
-      global.fetch = mock(
-        async () =>
+      },
+      {
+        label: "string agents field",
+        fetchImpl: async () =>
           new Response(
             JSON.stringify({
               agents: "claude",
@@ -248,21 +231,10 @@ describe("manifest", () => {
               matrix: {},
             }),
           ),
-      );
-
-      const cacheFile = join(env.testDir, "spawn", "manifest.json");
-      if (existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        rmSync(cacheFile);
-      }
-
-      await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
-      consoleSpy.mockRestore();
-    });
-
-    it("rejects manifest with array clouds field", async () => {
-      const consoleSpy = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
-      global.fetch = mock(
-        async () =>
+      },
+      {
+        label: "array clouds field",
+        fetchImpl: async () =>
           new Response(
             JSON.stringify({
               agents: {},
@@ -273,21 +245,10 @@ describe("manifest", () => {
               matrix: {},
             }),
           ),
-      );
-
-      const cacheFile = join(env.testDir, "spawn", "manifest.json");
-      if (existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        rmSync(cacheFile);
-      }
-
-      await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
-      consoleSpy.mockRestore();
-    });
-
-    it("rejects manifest with numeric matrix field", async () => {
-      const consoleSpy = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
-      global.fetch = mock(
-        async () =>
+      },
+      {
+        label: "numeric matrix field",
+        fetchImpl: async () =>
           new Response(
             JSON.stringify({
               agents: {},
@@ -295,31 +256,27 @@ describe("manifest", () => {
               matrix: 42,
             }),
           ),
-      );
-
-      const cacheFile = join(env.testDir, "spawn", "manifest.json");
-      if (existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        rmSync(cacheFile);
-      }
-
-      await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
-      consoleSpy.mockRestore();
-    });
-
-    it("throws when network errors occur and no cache exists", async () => {
-      const consoleSpy = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
-      global.fetch = mock(async () => {
-        throw new Error("Network timeout");
+      },
+      {
+        label: "network error",
+        fetchImpl: async () => {
+          throw new Error("Network timeout");
+        },
+      },
+    ];
+
+    for (const { label, fetchImpl } of invalidManifestCases) {
+      it(`rejects invalid manifest (${label})`, async () => {
+        const consoleSpy = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
+        global.fetch = mock(fetchImpl);
+        const cacheFile = join(env.testDir, "spawn", "manifest.json");
+        if (existsSync(cacheFile)) {
+          rmSync(cacheFile);
+        }
+        await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
+        consoleSpy.mockRestore();
       });
-
-      const cacheFile = join(env.testDir, "spawn", "manifest.json");
-      if (existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        rmSync(cacheFile);
-      }
-
-      await expect(loadManifest(true)).rejects.toThrow("Cannot load manifest");
-      consoleSpy.mockRestore();
-    });
+    }
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/ui-cov.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/ui-cov.test.ts
index 2bcf2092f..2ec817c0c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/ui-cov.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/ui-cov.test.ts
@@ -62,25 +62,34 @@ afterEach(() => {
 // ── Logging functions ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 describe("logging functions", () => {
-  it("logInfo writes green text to stderr", () => {
-    logInfo("test info");
-    expect(stderrOutput.join("")).toContain("test info");
-  });
-
-  it("logWarn writes yellow text to stderr", () => {
-    logWarn("test warn");
-    expect(stderrOutput.join("")).toContain("test warn");
-  });
-
-  it("logError writes red text to stderr", () => {
-    logError("test error");
-    expect(stderrOutput.join("")).toContain("test error");
-  });
-
-  it("logStep writes cyan text to stderr", () => {
-    logStep("test step");
-    expect(stderrOutput.join("")).toContain("test step");
-  });
+  for (const [fn, msg] of [
+    [
+      logInfo,
+      "test info",
+    ],
+    [
+      logWarn,
+      "test warn",
+    ],
+    [
+      logError,
+      "test error",
+    ],
+    [
+      logStep,
+      "test step",
+    ],
+  ] satisfies Array<
+    [
+      (msg: string) => void,
+      string,
+    ]
+  >) {
+    it(`${fn.name} writes message to stderr`, () => {
+      fn(msg);
+      expect(stderrOutput.join("")).toContain(msg);
+    });
+  }
 
   it("logStepInline writes message (newline-terminated in non-TTY)", () => {
     logStepInline("inline msg");