diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_service.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_service.py
index d5917ac3fd3..2146b68d918 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_service.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_service.py
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 """Tests for gateway service management helpers."""
 
 import os
-pwd = pytest.importorskip("pwd")
 import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
+pwd = pytest.importorskip("pwd")
+
 import hermes_cli.gateway as gateway_cli
 from gateway import status
 from gateway.restart import (
@@ -1284,20 +1285,17 @@ class TestSystemServiceIdentityRootHandling:
 
     def test_auto_detected_root_is_rejected(self, monkeypatch):
         """When root is auto-detected (not explicitly requested), raise."""
-        pwd = pytest.importorskip("pwd")
         import grp
 
         monkeypatch.delenv("SUDO_USER", raising=False)
         monkeypatch.setenv("USER", "root")
         monkeypatch.setenv("LOGNAME", "root")
 
-        import pytest
         with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="pass --run-as-user root to override"):
             gateway_cli._system_service_identity(run_as_user=None)
 
     def test_explicit_root_is_allowed(self, monkeypatch):
         """When root is explicitly passed via --run-as-user root, allow it."""
-        pwd = pytest.importorskip("pwd")
         import grp
 
         root_info = pwd.getpwnam("root")
@@ -1309,7 +1307,6 @@ class TestSystemServiceIdentityRootHandling:
 
     def test_non_root_user_passes_through(self, monkeypatch):
         """Normal non-root user works as before."""
-        pwd = pytest.importorskip("pwd")
         import grp
 
         monkeypatch.delenv("SUDO_USER", raising=False)
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_file_sync_back.py b/tests/tools/test_file_sync_back.py
index 8a3c585c352..9c9da7dc502 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_file_sync_back.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_file_sync_back.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 """Tests for FileSyncManager.sync_back() — pull remote changes to host."""
 
-fcntl = pytest.importorskip("fcntl")
 import io
 import logging
 import os
@@ -12,6 +11,8 @@ from unittest.mock import MagicMock, call, patch
 
 import pytest
 
+fcntl = pytest.importorskip("fcntl")
+
 from tools.environments.file_sync import (
     FileSyncManager,
     _sha256_file,