diff --git a/tests/ci/desktop_release_roles.py b/tests/ci/desktop_release_roles.py
index 428c1f66b1..1f46240866 100644
--- a/tests/ci/desktop_release_roles.py
+++ b/tests/ci/desktop_release_roles.py
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ def admitted(names, *, channel=False):
     return {name: {"result": "success", "outputs": dict(outputs)} for name in names}
 
 
-def evaluate(expression, inputs, needs, *, cancelled=False, failed=False, job_if=True, github=None, env=None):
+def evaluate(expression, inputs, needs, *, cancelled=False, failed=False, job_if=True, github=None, env=None,
+             steps=None):
     """Evaluate the workflow expression subset, including Actions' implicit success.
 
     This is not a scheduler simulation; native Actions still owns cancellation
@@ -205,12 +206,12 @@ def evaluate(expression, inputs, needs, *, cancelled=False, failed=False, job_if
 
     def value(match):
         bits = match[0].split('.')
-        result = {'inputs': inputs, 'needs': needs, 'github': github or {}, 'env': env or {}}
+        result = {'inputs': inputs, 'needs': needs, 'github': github or {}, 'env': env or {}, 'steps': steps or {}}
         for bit in bits:
             result = result.get(bit, '') if isinstance(result, dict) else ''
         return repr(result)
 
-    expression = re.sub(r'\b(?:inputs|needs|github|env)(?:\.[\w-]+)+', value, expression)
+    expression = re.sub(r'\b(?:inputs|needs|github|env|steps)(?:\.[\w-]+)+', value, expression)
     expression = expression.replace('&&', ' and ').replace('||', ' or ')
     expression = re.sub(r'!(?!=)', ' not ', expression)
     expression = re.sub(r'\btrue\b', 'True', expression)
diff --git a/tests/ci/test_stable_release_graph.py b/tests/ci/test_stable_release_graph.py
index bd7cff1190..f72a32d75d 100644
--- a/tests/ci/test_stable_release_graph.py
+++ b/tests/ci/test_stable_release_graph.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 from ruamel.yaml import YAML
 
+from tests.ci.desktop_release_roles import gate
+
 ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
 
 
@@ -78,8 +80,10 @@ def test_release_reuses_whole_ci_and_docker_before_publication():
     assert required <= ancestors(jobs, "publish-bundles")
     assert {"publish-docker", "publish-bundles", "publication"} <= ancestors(jobs, "complete")
     assert "promote-docker" not in jobs and "promote-bundles" not in jobs
+    # The gates must run to judge a failed or skipped prerequisite, not skip with it.
     for name in ("acceptance", "publication", "complete"):
-        assert jobs[name]["if"] == "always()"
+        failed = {need: {"result": "failure"} for need in ancestors(jobs, name)}
+        assert gate(jobs[name]["if"], {}, failed), name
 
 
 def test_claim_flags_remove_exactly_the_jobs_the_gate_expects_skipped():
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ def test_all_applicable_ci_jobs_are_aggregated_and_desktop_e2e_stays_deferred():
     jobs = workflow("ci.yaml")["jobs"]
     checks = {name for name, job in jobs.items() if "uses" in job}
     assert checks <= set(jobs["all-checks-pass"]["needs"])
-    assert jobs["e2e-desktop"]["if"] == "false"
+    assert not gate(jobs["e2e-desktop"]["if"], {}, {})
     assert "workflow_call" in workflow("ci.yaml")["on"]
 
 
@@ -258,7 +262,17 @@ def test_publication_reconciler_has_every_recovery_trigger_and_shared_lock():
     reconcile = publication["jobs"]["reconcile"]
     assert reconcile["environment"] == "release-signing"
     assert publication["permissions"] == {"contents": "write", "actions": "write"}
-    assert "conclusion != 'success'" in reconcile["if"]
+    # Reconcile after a dispatched run of this repository that did not succeed;
+    # a manual dispatch of the reconciler always runs.
+    def run_of(**overrides):
+        workflow_run = {"conclusion": "failure", "event": "workflow_dispatch",
+                        "head_repository": {"full_name": "o/r"}, **overrides}
+        return {"event_name": "workflow_run", "repository": "o/r", "event": {"workflow_run": workflow_run}}
+
+    assert gate(reconcile["if"], {}, {}, github=run_of())
+    assert gate(reconcile["if"], {}, {}, github={"event_name": "workflow_dispatch"})
+    for refused in ({"conclusion": "success"}, {"event": "push"}, {"head_repository": {"full_name": "fork/r"}}):
+        assert not gate(reconcile["if"], {}, {}, github=run_of(**refused)), refused
     checkout = reconcile["steps"][0]
     assert checkout["with"]["ref"] == "${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}"
     assert checkout["with"]["persist-credentials"] == "false"
diff --git a/tests/scripts/test_desktop_build_cache.py b/tests/scripts/test_desktop_build_cache.py
index 46a57f76d4..831275f568 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/test_desktop_build_cache.py
+++ b/tests/scripts/test_desktop_build_cache.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import sys
 import pytest
 
 from scripts.ci.setup_toolchain import current_target
+from tests.ci.desktop_release_roles import gate
 
 
 ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
@@ -187,8 +188,13 @@ def test_composite_transports_only_and_uses_the_restore_key_for_save(tmp_path):
     assert restore["continue-on-error"] is True
     assert save["continue-on-error"] is True
     for step in steps:
-        assert "!cancelled()" in step["if"], "failure salvage must not run during cancellation"
-    assert any("steps.save.outcome == 'failure'" in step["if"] and "::warning::" in step.get("run", "") for step in steps)
+        assert not gate(step["if"], {}, {}, job_if=False, cancelled=True), \
+            "failure salvage must not run during cancellation"
+    # A cache service failure is reported instead of failing preparation.
+    (report,) = [step for step in steps if "::warning::" in step.get("run", "")]
+    for failed in ("restore", "save"):
+        assert gate(report["if"], {}, {}, job_if=False, failed=True, steps={failed: {"outcome": "failure"}})
+    assert not gate(report["if"], {}, {}, job_if=False, steps={"restore": {"outcome": "success"}})
 
 
 def test_action_path_join_is_an_actual_newline(tmp_path):