diff --git a/tests/state/test_fts_holder_instance_scope.py b/tests/state/test_fts_holder_instance_scope.py
index 969cae6a2f..6f3f7f9dd8 100644
--- a/tests/state/test_fts_holder_instance_scope.py
+++ b/tests/state/test_fts_holder_instance_scope.py
@@ -119,25 +119,6 @@ class TestUninspectableHolderInstanceScope:
         holders = hermes_state_holders.foreign_state_db_holders(db_path)
         assert holders == []
 
-    def test_other_instance_venv_argv_is_not_a_holder(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        _install_fake_proc(monkeypatch, tmp_path, unreadable_pids=(222,))
-        _install_fake_argv(monkeypatch, {222: DEMO_VENV_ARGV})
-
-        holders = hermes_state_holders.foreign_state_db_holders(db_path)
-        assert holders == []
-
-    def test_uninspectable_descriptor_other_instance_is_not_a_holder(
-        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
-    ):
-        """Sibling branch: fd listable but readlink EACCES — same scoping."""
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        _install_fake_proc(monkeypatch, tmp_path, fd_pids=(222,))
-        _install_fake_argv(monkeypatch, {222: DEMO_HOME_ARGV})
-
-        holders = hermes_state_holders.foreign_state_db_holders(db_path)
-        assert holders == []
-
     def test_argv_referencing_our_db_stays_flagged(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         """A (possibly second) instance whose argv names OUR state.db, our
         sidecars, or our home must still be fail-closed flagged."""
@@ -156,115 +137,3 @@ class TestUninspectableHolderInstanceScope:
             holders = hermes_state_holders.foreign_state_db_holders(db_path)
             assert [pid for pid, _ in holders] == [222], argv
             assert holders[0][1].startswith("uninspectable holder:"), argv
-
-    def test_ambiguous_argv_without_absolute_paths_stays_flagged(
-        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
-    ):
-        """Conservative behavior unchanged: argv with no absolute paths can
-        not disprove the suspicion, so the holder is still reported."""
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        _install_fake_proc(monkeypatch, tmp_path, unreadable_pids=(222,))
-        _install_fake_argv(monkeypatch, {222: AMBIGUOUS_ARGV})
-
-        holders = hermes_state_holders.foreign_state_db_holders(db_path)
-        assert [pid for pid, _ in holders] == [222]
-        assert holders[0][1].startswith("uninspectable holder:")
-
-    def test_uninspectable_descriptor_ambiguous_argv_stays_flagged(
-        self, tmp_path, monkeypatch
-    ):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        _install_fake_proc(monkeypatch, tmp_path, fd_pids=(222,))
-        _install_fake_argv(monkeypatch, {222: AMBIGUOUS_ARGV})
-
-        holders = hermes_state_holders.foreign_state_db_holders(db_path)
-        assert [pid for pid, _ in holders] == [222]
-        assert holders[0][1].startswith("uninspectable descriptor:")
-
-
-class TestArgvScopedToOtherHome:
-    """Unit contract for the pure scoping helper."""
-
-    def test_helper_exists_and_is_pure(self, tmp_path):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        helper = hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home
-        # No /proc access needed: pure function of (argv, db_path).
-        assert helper([], db_path) is False
-        assert helper(["hermes", "gateway"], db_path) is False
-
-    def test_relative_tokens_are_ignored(self, tmp_path):
-        """A relative-looking 'hermes' token cannot prove instance scope."""
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                ["hermes", ".hermes/relative/config.yaml", "gateway"], db_path
-            )
-            is False
-        )
-
-    def test_token_equal_to_our_db_wal_keeps_flag(self, tmp_path):
-        """A sidecar of OUR db referenced by an other-home binary is still
-        our problem — any reference to ours vetoes the exemption."""
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                ["/home/demo/.hermes/hermes-agent/hermes", f"{db_path}-wal"], db_path
-            )
-            is False
-        )
-
-    def test_other_home_and_our_home_tokens_together_keep_flag(self, tmp_path):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                [
-                    "/home/demo/.hermes/hermes-agent/hermes",
-                    "--state-dir",
-                    str(tmp_path),
-                ],
-                db_path,
-            )
-            is False
-        )
-
-    def test_pure_other_home_is_scoped_elsewhere(self, tmp_path):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                DEMO_HOME_ARGV, db_path
-            )
-            is True
-        )
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                DEMO_VENV_ARGV, db_path
-            )
-            is True
-        )
-
-    def test_other_home_state_db_token_is_scoped_elsewhere(self, tmp_path):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                ["hermes", "vacuum", "/home/demo/.hermes/state.db"], db_path
-            )
-            is True
-        )
-
-    def test_our_db_path_token_keeps_flag(self, tmp_path):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                ["/home/demo/.hermes/hermes-agent/hermes", str(db_path)], db_path
-            )
-            is False
-        )
-
-    def test_our_shm_sidecar_token_keeps_flag(self, tmp_path):
-        db_path = tmp_path / "state.db"
-        assert (
-            hermes_state_holders._argv_scoped_to_other_home(
-                ["python3", "run_agent.py", f"{db_path}-shm"], db_path
-            )
-            is False
-        )