diff --git a/scripts/test-free-shards.ts b/scripts/test-free-shards.ts
index 445114291..f37989b4e 100755
--- a/scripts/test-free-shards.ts
+++ b/scripts/test-free-shards.ts
@@ -1757,6 +1757,86 @@ function trackShardBrowser(stateDir: string, env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv) {
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Drain one child pipe into `onChunk`. Capture failures are recorded as data
+ * in `failures`, never thrown: the caller still waits for the child's real exit.
+ */
+function captureFreeStream(
+  stream: NodeJS.ReadableStream | null,
+  origin: StreamOrigin,
+  failures: Map<StreamOrigin, Error>,
+  onChunk: (chunk: Buffer | string) => void,
+): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    if (!stream) {
+      failures.set(origin, new Error('configured pipe is missing'));
+      resolve();
+      return;
+    }
+    const readable = stream as NodeJS.ReadableStream & { readableEnded: boolean; destroyed: boolean; errored: Error | null };
+    let ended = readable.readableEnded;
+    const incomplete = (error?: Error | null): void => {
+      // A delayed error replaces the initial destroyed-stream diagnostic
+      // with its original cause.
+      if (error) failures.set(origin, error);
+      else if (!failures.has(origin)) failures.set(origin, new Error('stream closed before end'));
+      resolve();
+    };
+    // Even an already-destroyed pipe can emit error on the next tick.
+    stream.on('error', incomplete);
+    stream.once('end', () => { ended = true; resolve(); });
+    stream.once('close', () => {
+      if (!ended) incomplete(readable.errored);
+      else resolve();
+    });
+    stream.on('data', onChunk);
+    if (ended) resolve();
+    else if (readable.destroyed) incomplete(readable.errored);
+  });
+}
+
+/** Why a shard did not pass, on stderr (the epilogue repeats the names). */
+function explainFreeVerdict(label: string, status: FreeShardStatus, facts: {
+  cleanupError: string | null; stateDir: string; evidenceComplete: boolean; exitCode: number | null;
+  summary: ReturnType<BunTestOutputClassifier['end']>; expectedFiles: number; wallTimeoutMs: number;
+}): void {
+  const { summary, exitCode } = facts;
+  if (facts.cleanupError) console.error(`${label} browser cleanup failed: ${facts.cleanupError}; retained ${facts.stateDir}`);
+  if (status === 'timed-out') {
+    console.error(
+      `${label} exceeded the ${Math.round(facts.wallTimeoutMs / 1000)}s wall-clock deadline — `
+      + 'killed the process group. Reporting as TIMED-OUT (distinct from failed).',
+    );
+  } else if (status === 'failed' && facts.evidenceComplete && (exitCode ?? 1) === 0) {
+    const reason = summary.failedTests > 0 || summary.unhandledBetweenTests > 0
+      ? `reported ${summary.failedTests} failing test(s) and ${summary.unhandledBetweenTests} unhandled error(s) between tests`
+      : summary.terminalFileCounts.length === 0
+        ? "never printed bun's terminal summary — the run was truncated (a process.exit fired mid-suite)"
+        : `bun's summary reported ${summary.terminalFileCounts.join(', ')} file(s), expected ${facts.expectedFiles}`;
+    console.error(`${label} exited 0 but ${reason}. Treating as FAILED.`);
+  } else if (status === 'failed' && (exitCode ?? 1) !== 0) {
+    console.error(`${label} failed with exit code ${exitCode ?? 'signal'}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/** The recovery step and, only when the failure scope is complete, a focused rerun. */
+function logFreeRecovery(log: (line: string) => void, outcome: FreeShardOutcome, facts: {
+  cleanupError: string | null; logWriteFailed: boolean; captureIncomplete: boolean; rootDir: string;
+}): void {
+  const problem = facts.cleanupError ? 'Owned-process cleanup is unconfirmed; inspect the retained state before another run.'
+    : facts.logWriteFailed ? 'The evidence log could not be retained; repair the log destination before another run.'
+      : facts.captureIncomplete ? 'Evidence capture is incomplete; repair the stream or early exit before another run.'
+        : outcome.status === 'timed-out' ? 'Execution exceeded its deadline; inspect the last completed step before changing code or rerunning.'
+          : 'A test or module failed; the root cause is not established. Inspect the full log and repair the cause first.';
+  log(`[test:free] Recovery: ${problem} See docs/TESTING_INTERNALS.md.`);
+  const focused = outcome.failingFiles.filter(file => outcome.files.includes(file) && fs.existsSync(path.resolve(facts.rootDir, file)));
+  if (!outcome.unattributedFailures && focused.length) {
+    log(`[test:free] After repair, focused check: bun test ${focused.map(file => `'${file.replaceAll("'", "'\\''")}'`).join(' ')}`);
+  } else {
+    log('[test:free] No complete narrower failure scope is available; do not treat a subset rerun as complete coverage.');
+  }
+}
+
 /** One line per shard, printed after the run: `[test:free] shard i/N: M files, XXs, pass|fail|timed-out`. */
 function shardEpilogue(outcome: FreeShardOutcome, totalShards: number): string {
   return `[test:free] shard ${outcome.shard}/${totalShards}: ${outcome.files.length} files, `
@@ -1822,10 +1902,8 @@ export async function runFreeShard(
 
   // realpath: the browser tracker refuses a state dir whose path resolves elsewhere.
   const { stateDir, env } = createShardSandbox('gstack-free-shard-', options.env ?? process.env, { realpath: true });
-  // CLI renders otherwise attach to the repo's shared .gstack/browse.json,
-  // even with distinct Chromium profiles. Concurrent shards and surviving
-  // daemons from prior runs can then replace or remove each other's state.
-  // Override inherited state too; the shard owns this directory's cleanup.
+  // CLI renders otherwise share the repo's .gstack/browse.json, where concurrent
+  // shards and prior daemons replace each other's state; override inherited state.
   env.BROWSE_STATE_FILE = path.join(stateDir, '.gstack', 'browse.json');
   env.GSTACK_FREE_SHARD_ID = randomUUID();
 
@@ -1849,37 +1927,11 @@ export async function runFreeShard(
   const captureFailures = new Map<StreamOrigin, Error>();
   const drained = new Set<StreamOrigin>();
   const consumeStream = (stream: NodeJS.ReadableStream | null, origin: StreamOrigin): Promise<void> =>
-    new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-      if (!stream) {
-        captureFailures.set(origin, new Error('configured pipe is missing'));
-        resolve();
-        return;
-      }
-      const readable = stream as NodeJS.ReadableStream & { readableEnded: boolean; destroyed: boolean; errored: Error | null };
-      let ended = readable.readableEnded;
-      const incomplete = (error?: Error | null): void => {
-        // A delayed error replaces the initial destroyed-stream diagnostic
-        // with its original cause. Failures are data, never early rejections
-        // while the caller is still waiting for the child's real exit.
-        if (error) captureFailures.set(origin, error);
-        else if (!captureFailures.has(origin)) captureFailures.set(origin, new Error('stream closed before end'));
-        resolve();
-      };
-      // Even an already-destroyed pipe can emit error on the next tick.
-      stream.on('error', incomplete);
-      stream.once('end', () => { ended = true; resolve(); });
-      stream.once('close', () => {
-        if (!ended) incomplete(readable.errored);
-        else resolve();
-      });
-      stream.on('data', (chunk: Buffer | string) => {
-        classifier.write(chunk, origin); // strict verdict ALWAYS sees the full stream
-        shardLog.write(chunk);
-        reporter.write(chunk, origin);
-        if (options.verbose) emitToConsole(typeof chunk === 'string' ? chunk : chunk.toString('utf8'), origin);
-      });
-      if (ended) resolve();
-      else if (readable.destroyed) incomplete(readable.errored);
+    captureFreeStream(stream, origin, captureFailures, (chunk) => {
+      classifier.write(chunk, origin); // strict verdict ALWAYS sees the full stream
+      shardLog.write(chunk);
+      reporter.write(chunk, origin);
+      if (options.verbose) emitToConsole(typeof chunk === 'string' ? chunk : chunk.toString('utf8'), origin);
     }).then(() => { drained.add(origin); });
 
   let child: ShardChildResult = { exitCode: null, timedOut: false, groupPid: null };
@@ -1932,23 +1984,10 @@ export async function runFreeShard(
     status = 'failed';
   }
 
-  if (cleanupError) console.error(`${label} browser cleanup failed: ${cleanupError}; retained ${stateDir}`);
-
-  if (status === 'timed-out') {
-    console.error(
-      `${label} exceeded the ${Math.round(wallTimeoutMs / 1000)}s wall-clock deadline — `
-      + 'killed the process group. Reporting as TIMED-OUT (distinct from failed).',
-    );
-  } else if (status === 'failed' && !cleanupError && !logWriteFailed && captureFailures.size === 0 && (exitCode ?? 1) === 0) {
-    const reason = summary.failedTests > 0 || summary.unhandledBetweenTests > 0
-      ? `reported ${summary.failedTests} failing test(s) and ${summary.unhandledBetweenTests} unhandled error(s) between tests`
-      : summary.terminalFileCounts.length === 0
-        ? "never printed bun's terminal summary — the run was truncated (a process.exit fired mid-suite)"
-        : `bun's summary reported ${summary.terminalFileCounts.join(', ')} file(s), expected ${files.length}`;
-    console.error(`${label} exited 0 but ${reason}. Treating as FAILED.`);
-  } else if (status === 'failed' && (exitCode ?? 1) !== 0) {
-    console.error(`${label} failed with exit code ${exitCode ?? 'signal'}`);
-  }
+  explainFreeVerdict(label, status, {
+    cleanupError, stateDir, exitCode, summary, expectedFiles: files.length, wallTimeoutMs,
+    evidenceComplete: !cleanupError && !logWriteFailed && captureFailures.size === 0,
+  });
 
   const report = reporter.report();
   const failingFiles = status === 'passed' ? [] : [...new Set([
@@ -1970,18 +2009,9 @@ export async function runFreeShard(
   log(shardEpilogue(outcome, totalShards));
   for (const line of buildRunEpilogue(status, report, outcome.elapsedMs, logPath)) log(line);
   if (status !== 'passed') {
-    const problem = cleanupError ? 'Owned-process cleanup is unconfirmed; inspect the retained state before another run.'
-      : logWriteFailed ? 'The evidence log could not be retained; repair the log destination before another run.'
-        : captureFailures.size || !report.sawTerminalSummary ? 'Evidence capture is incomplete; repair the stream or early exit before another run.'
-          : status === 'timed-out' ? 'Execution exceeded its deadline; inspect the last completed step before changing code or rerunning.'
-            : 'A test or module failed; the root cause is not established. Inspect the full log and repair the cause first.';
-    log(`[test:free] Recovery: ${problem} See docs/TESTING_INTERNALS.md.`);
-    const focused = failingFiles.filter(file => files.includes(file) && fs.existsSync(path.resolve(rootDir, file)));
-    if (!unattributedFailures && focused.length) {
-      log(`[test:free] After repair, focused check: bun test ${focused.map(file => `'${file.replaceAll("'", "'\\''")}'`).join(' ')}`);
-    } else {
-      log('[test:free] No complete narrower failure scope is available; do not treat a subset rerun as complete coverage.');
-    }
+    logFreeRecovery(log, outcome, {
+      cleanupError, logWriteFailed, rootDir, captureIncomplete: captureFailures.size > 0 || !report.sawTerminalSummary,
+    });
   }
   return outcome;
 }
diff --git a/scripts/test-paid-shards.ts b/scripts/test-paid-shards.ts
index eb80b1887..f60bf4b54 100644
--- a/scripts/test-paid-shards.ts
+++ b/scripts/test-paid-shards.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ import {
   zeroExecutionVerdict,
   type LanePolicy,
   type ShardChildResult,
+  type ShardLog,
 } from './lib/shard-engine';
 import { PAID_TEST_GLOBS, isPaidTestFile } from '../test/helpers/paid-test-set';
 import { PERIODIC_CI_EXCLUDE } from '../test/helpers/periodic-exclude-data';
@@ -696,6 +697,80 @@ function readLogTail(logPath: string, maxBytes = FAILURE_TAIL_BYTES): string {
   }
 }
 
+function paidShardCommand(files: string[], rootDir: string, timeoutMs: number, options: RunShardsOptions): ShardCommand {
+  return {
+    command: process.execPath,
+    args: [...buildPaidShardArgs(
+      exactTestFileSelectors(files, rootDir),
+      timeoutMs,
+      options.withinShardConcurrency ?? DEFAULT_WITHIN_SHARD_CONCURRENCY,
+      retriesForFiles(files),
+    ), ...(options.casePatterns ? ['--test-name-pattern', options.casePatterns[files[0]]] : [])],
+  };
+}
+
+/** Print the last FAILURE_TAIL_BYTES of a failed shard's log to stdout. */
+function printLogTail(label: string, logPath: string): void {
+  const tail = readLogTail(logPath);
+  if (tail.length === 0) return;
+  process.stdout.write(`${label} last ${Math.min(tail.length, FAILURE_TAIL_BYTES)} bytes of ${logPath}:\n`);
+  process.stdout.write(tail.endsWith('\n') ? tail : `${tail}\n`);
+}
+
+/** Acknowledge bootstrap dependency retention; an unconfirmed scope keeps the shard state. */
+async function settleBootstrapRetention(
+  scope: NonNullable<ReturnType<typeof createBootstrapRetentionScope>>,
+  deadlineMs: number,
+  label: string,
+  log: (line: string) => void,
+): Promise<{ failed: boolean; removable: boolean }> {
+  try {
+    const retained = await scope.cleanup(deadlineMs);
+    if (!retained.complete) log(`${label} bootstrap retention incomplete; qualification failed`);
+    return { failed: !retained.complete, removable: retained.removable };
+  } catch {
+    log(`${label} bootstrap retention acknowledgment failed; preserving shard state`);
+    return { failed: true, removable: false };
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * End the shard's log spool within the shard's own deadline. An error, a
+ * premature close or the deadline marks the spool failed (and logs once);
+ * returns true when the deadline expired first.
+ */
+function settleShardSpool(spool: ShardLog, deadlineMs: number, onIncomplete: () => void): Promise<boolean> {
+  const logStream = spool.stream;
+  return new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+    let settled = false;
+    let expired = false;
+    let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
+    const finish = (complete: boolean) => {
+      if (settled) return;
+      settled = true;
+      clearTimeout(timer);
+      logStream.off('error', onError);
+      logStream.off('close', onClose);
+      if (!complete) {
+        spool.failed = true;
+        logStream.destroy();
+        onIncomplete();
+      }
+      resolve(expired);
+    };
+    const onError = () => finish(false);
+    const onClose = () => finish(logStream.writableFinished && !spool.failed);
+    const expire = () => { expired = true; finish(false); };
+    logStream.once('error', onError);
+    logStream.once('close', onClose);
+    if (Date.now() >= deadlineMs) { expire(); return; }
+    if (spool.failed || logStream.destroyed) { finish(false); return; }
+    timer = setTimeout(expire, deadlineMs - Date.now());
+    try { logStream.end(() => finish(logStream.writableFinished && !spool.failed)); }
+    catch { finish(false); }
+  });
+}
+
 export async function runPaidShard(
   files: string[],
   shardNumber: number,
@@ -712,17 +787,7 @@ export async function runPaidShard(
   const log = options.log ?? ((line: string) => console.log(line));
   const label = `[test:paid] shard ${shardNumber}/${totalShards}`;
 
-  const { command, args } = options.commandFor
-    ? options.commandFor(files)
-    : {
-      command: process.execPath,
-      args: [...buildPaidShardArgs(
-        exactTestFileSelectors(files, rootDir),
-        timeoutMs,
-        options.withinShardConcurrency ?? DEFAULT_WITHIN_SHARD_CONCURRENCY,
-        retriesForFiles(files),
-      ), ...(options.casePatterns ? ['--test-name-pattern', options.casePatterns[files[0]]] : [])],
-    };
+  const { command, args } = options.commandFor ? options.commandFor(files) : paidShardCommand(files, rootDir, timeoutMs, options);
 
   const baseEnv = { ...(options.env ?? process.env) };
   if (options.evalDirBase) {
@@ -763,7 +828,6 @@ export async function runPaidShard(
   // Printed at START so a wedged shard is inspectable live, mid-run.
   const logPath = nextShardLogPath(options.logDir ?? os.tmpdir(), `gstack-paid-shard-${shardSlug(files)}`);
   const spool = openShardLog(logPath, label);
-  const logStream = spool.stream;
   log(`${label} full log: ${logPath}`);
 
   const classifier = new BunTestOutputClassifier();
@@ -814,45 +878,10 @@ export async function runPaidShard(
     throw error;
   } finally {
     if (incompleteCapture) log(`${label} incomplete child capture: ${JSON.stringify(incompleteCapture)}; retained log prefix: ${logPath}`);
-    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-      let settled = false;
-      let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
-      const finish = (complete: boolean) => {
-        if (settled) return;
-        settled = true;
-        clearTimeout(timer);
-        logStream.off('error', onError);
-        logStream.off('close', onClose);
-        if (!complete) {
-          spool.failed = true;
-          logStream.destroy();
-          log(`${label} incomplete log capture; retained prefix: ${logPath}`);
-        }
-        resolve();
-      };
-      const onError = () => finish(false);
-      const onClose = () => finish(logStream.writableFinished && !spool.failed);
-      const expire = () => { timedOut = true; finish(false); };
-      logStream.once('error', onError);
-      logStream.once('close', onClose);
-      if (Date.now() >= shardDeadline) { expire(); return; }
-      if (spool.failed || logStream.destroyed) { finish(false); return; }
-      timer = setTimeout(expire, shardDeadline - Date.now());
-      try { logStream.end(() => finish(logStream.writableFinished && !spool.failed)); }
-      catch { finish(false); }
-    });
+    if (await settleShardSpool(spool, shardDeadline, () => log(`${label} incomplete log capture; retained prefix: ${logPath}`))) timedOut = true;
     let retentionRemovable = true;
     if (bootstrapRetention) {
-      try {
-        const retained = await bootstrapRetention.cleanup(shardDeadline);
-        retentionFailed = !retained.complete;
-        retentionRemovable = retained.removable;
-        if (retentionFailed) log(`${label} bootstrap retention incomplete; qualification failed`);
-      } catch {
-        retentionFailed = true;
-        retentionRemovable = false;
-        log(`${label} bootstrap retention acknowledgment failed; preserving shard state`);
-      }
+      ({ failed: retentionFailed, removable: retentionRemovable } = await settleBootstrapRetention(bootstrapRetention, shardDeadline, label, log));
     }
     // Async, best-effort backstop: group-SIGKILLed tests never clean up.
     if (retentionRemovable) await removeShardSandbox(stateDir);
@@ -860,14 +889,9 @@ export async function runPaidShard(
 
   const summary = classifier.end();
 
-  // Pass expectedFiles so a shard whose bun child ran fewer files than planned
-  // (or zero, all self-skipped) with exit 0 is NOT recorded 'passed' — the
-  // invisible-non-execution class this runner exists to kill. bun prints
-  // "Ran N tests across M files" with M = selected files even when every test
-  // self-skips, so terminalFileCounts must include files.length. Enforced for
-  // injected commandFor (tests) too, matching the free runner — fake passing
-  // commands must print a synthetic `Ran N tests across M files. [Xms]` line,
-  // so tests can pin the summary-missing => failure backstop.
+  // expectedFiles: a shard whose bun child ran fewer files than planned with
+  // exit 0 is NOT 'passed' (bun counts self-skipped files, so M = planned).
+  // Fake commandFor children must print a synthetic `Ran N tests across M files`.
   const expectedFiles = files.length;
   let status: ShardStatus = strictShardStatus({
     timedOut, exitCode, summary, expectedFiles,
@@ -885,13 +909,7 @@ export async function runPaidShard(
 
   // Failure debuggability without the RAM cost: read back only the log's
   // tail. Live mode already streamed everything, so no re-print there.
-  if (status !== 'passed' && !streamLive) {
-    const tail = readLogTail(logPath);
-    if (tail.length > 0) {
-      process.stdout.write(`${label} last ${Math.min(tail.length, FAILURE_TAIL_BYTES)} bytes of ${logPath}:\n`);
-      process.stdout.write(tail.endsWith('\n') ? tail : `${tail}\n`);
-    }
-  }
+  if (status !== 'passed' && !streamLive) printLogTail(label, logPath);
   const logSuffix = status === 'passed' ? '' : ` — full log: ${logPath}`;
   log(`${label} ${status.toUpperCase()} in ${Math.round(elapsedMs / 1000)}s (exit ${exitCode ?? 'signal'})${logSuffix}`);