diff --git a/src/agents/code-mode-headless.test.ts b/src/agents/code-mode-headless.test.ts
index 0ca9c93f39a..7a65b85a1dd 100644
--- a/src/agents/code-mode-headless.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/code-mode-headless.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { createDeferred } from "../shared/deferred.js";
 import { runCodeModeScriptHeadless, testing, type CodeModeHeadlessResult } from "./code-mode.js";
 import {
   createToolSearchCatalogRef,
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ function expectFailed(result: CodeModeHeadlessResult) {
 
 describe("headless Code Mode", () => {
   afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
     expect(testing.activeRuns.size).toBe(0);
     testing.activeRuns.clear();
     testing.resumingRunIds.clear();
@@ -174,7 +176,10 @@ describe("headless Code Mode", () => {
   });
 
   it("enforces one wall-clock deadline across worker and tool legs", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ["setTimeout", "clearTimeout", "Date"] });
+    const toolStarted = createDeferred();
     const slow = fakeTool("slow_leg", async (_toolCallId, _input, signal) => {
+      toolStarted.resolve();
       await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
         const timer = setTimeout(resolve, 30_000);
         signal?.addEventListener(
@@ -188,16 +193,19 @@ describe("headless Code Mode", () => {
       });
       return jsonResult({ ok: true });
     });
-    const result = expectFailed(
-      await runCodeModeScriptHeadless({
-        ctx: createHeadlessHarness([slow]),
-        code: `
-          await tools.call("openclaw:core:slow_leg", {});
-          return true;
-        `,
-        wallClockMs: 15_000,
-      }),
-    );
+    const resultPromise = runCodeModeScriptHeadless({
+      ctx: createHeadlessHarness([slow]),
+      code: `
+        await tools.call("openclaw:core:slow_leg", {});
+        return true;
+      `,
+      wallClockMs: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Advance the shared deadline only after the real worker reaches the tool leg.
+    await toolStarted.promise;
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15_000);
+    const result = expectFailed(await resultPromise);
 
     expect(result.code).toBe("timeout");
     expect(result.toolCallCount).toBe(1);
diff --git a/src/agents/tools/image-tool.test.ts b/src/agents/tools/image-tool.test.ts
index 17ecf43b269..9c3674f51d0 100644
--- a/src/agents/tools/image-tool.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/tools/image-tool.test.ts
@@ -314,11 +314,11 @@ vi.mock("../model-auth.js", () => ({
   },
 }));
 
-vi.mock("../openclaw-tools.js", async (importOriginal) => {
-  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("../openclaw-tools.js")>();
+// Client-cap filtering has dedicated coverage; this suite only needs image-tool propagation.
+vi.mock("../openclaw-tools.js", async () => {
   const { createImageTool: createImageToolLocal } = await import("./image-tool.js");
   return {
-    filterToolsByClientCaps: actual.filterToolsByClientCaps,
+    filterToolsByClientCaps: (tools: unknown[]) => tools,
     createOpenClawTools: vi.fn((options?: MockOpenClawToolsOptions) => {
       const imageTool = createImageToolLocal({
         config: options?.config,