diff --git a/test/auto-decide-fixture.test.ts b/test/auto-decide-fixture.test.ts
index 4542f9f92..8c3663715 100644
--- a/test/auto-decide-fixture.test.ts
+++ b/test/auto-decide-fixture.test.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ mock.module(path.join(root, 'test/helpers/claude-pty-runner.ts'), () => ({
     // the observer must declare its audit interface before any model starts.
     expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(opts.cwd, 'PLAN.md'), 'utf8')).toBe(opts.initialPlanContent);
     expect(opts.initialPlanContent).toMatch(/full selected mode name[\\s\\S]*user_choice and recommended/);
-    expect(opts.initialPlanContent).toContain('public decision');
+    expect(opts.initialPlanContent).toContain("in the skill's\\nnormal mode handoff line");
     expect(opts.initialPlanContent).toContain('No review mode has\\nbeen selected.');
     expect(opts.initialPlanContent).not.toMatch(/HOLD SCOPE|SCOPE EXPANSION|SELECTIVE EXPANSION|SCOPE REDUCTION/);
     const run = (bin, args) => execFileSync(path.join(root, 'bin', bin), args, {
diff --git a/test/skill-e2e-auto-decide-preserved.test.ts b/test/skill-e2e-auto-decide-preserved.test.ts
index 618f6e524..3bb931b3a 100644
--- a/test/skill-e2e-auto-decide-preserved.test.ts
+++ b/test/skill-e2e-auto-decide-preserved.test.ts
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ This draft is the review target, not the current branch. For this invocation,
 I want only the review-mode decision; I will handle optional Office Hours and
 setup separately, and run the substantive review later. No review mode has
 been selected. For this mode-only handoff, use the full selected mode name in
-the normal audit record's user_choice and recommended fields, and name it in
-your public decision. A menu letter alone would not identify the chosen mode.`;
+the normal audit record's user_choice and recommended fields and in the skill's
+normal mode handoff line. A menu letter alone would not identify the chosen mode.`;
 
 describeE2E('AUTO_DECIDE opt-in preserved under Conductor flags (periodic)', () => {
   test('user-opted-in question still auto-decides when AskUserQuestion is --disallowedTools', async () => {