diff --git a/tests/test_tui_gateway_server.py b/tests/test_tui_gateway_server.py
index dfbe62f2808..efc0b180f8a 100644
--- a/tests/test_tui_gateway_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_tui_gateway_server.py
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ def test_session_context_uses_session_cwd(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     session_key = "cwd-key"
     project = tmp_path / "project"
     project.mkdir()
+    (project / ".git").mkdir()
     launcher = tmp_path / "apps" / "desktop"
     launcher.mkdir(parents=True)
 
@@ -10787,12 +10788,14 @@ def test_session_most_recent_handles_db_unavailable(monkeypatch):
 # ── verification.status ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 
-def test_verification_status_returns_recorded_evidence(tmp_path):
-    home = tmp_path / ".hermes"
-    home.mkdir()
-    token = set_hermes_home_override(home)
+def test_verification_status_returns_recorded_evidence(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    profile_home = tmp_path / "profiles" / "verify"
+    profile_home.mkdir(parents=True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "_profile_home", lambda p: profile_home if p == "verify" else None)
+    token = set_hermes_home_override(profile_home)
     project = tmp_path / "project"
     project.mkdir()
+    (project / ".git").mkdir()
     (project / "package.json").write_text(
         json.dumps({"scripts": {"test": "vitest"}}),
         encoding="utf-8",
@@ -10813,7 +10816,7 @@ def test_verification_status_returns_recorded_evidence(tmp_path):
             {
                 "id": "1",
                 "method": "verification.status",
-                "params": {"cwd": str(project), "session_id": "sid"},
+                "params": {"cwd": str(project), "session_id": "sid", "profile": "verify"},
             }
         )
     finally:
diff --git a/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py b/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py
index 7c6c82dc9b2..da3c9be3446 100644
--- a/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py
+++ b/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py
@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@ from tui_gateway import server
 from tui_gateway import ws as ws_mod
 
 
-def test_ws_startup_starts_background_mcp_discovery(monkeypatch):
-    """The desktop app and dashboard chat reach the agent through this WS
-    sidecar, not through tui_gateway.entry.main() (which spawns the discovery
-    thread for the stdio TUI). handle_ws must start discovery itself, otherwise
-    _make_agent's wait_for_mcp_discovery no-ops and the agent snapshots an
-    MCP-less tool list. Regression test for #38945."""
+def test_ws_does_not_own_mcp_discovery_startup(monkeypatch):
+    """WebSocket transport must not start MCP discovery itself.
+
+    MCP discovery ownership belongs to the profile-scoped agent build path.
+    The WS layer only establishes the transport and emits gateway readiness.
+    """
     calls = []
+
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         mcp_startup,
         "start_background_mcp_discovery",
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ def test_ws_startup_starts_background_mcp_discovery(monkeypatch):
     finally:
         server._sessions.clear()
 
-    assert calls == [{"logger": ws_mod._log, "thread_name": "tui-ws-mcp-discovery"}]
+    assert calls == []
 
 
 def _run_disconnect(monkeypatch, seed):
diff --git a/tui_gateway/server.py b/tui_gateway/server.py
index 7bddf0bc82c..0d769f34343 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/server.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/server.py
@@ -7057,6 +7057,7 @@ def _(rid, params: dict) -> dict:
 
 
 @method("verification.status")
+@_profile_scoped
 def _(rid, params: dict) -> dict:
     """Best known coding verification evidence for a cwd/session.