diff --git a/internal/gateway/codex_accounts_test.go b/internal/gateway/codex_accounts_test.go
index b1a0fcea..11f989e3 100644
--- a/internal/gateway/codex_accounts_test.go
+++ b/internal/gateway/codex_accounts_test.go
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ func codexSignedIn(t *testing.T, spares ...string) {
 	}
 	os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(provider.Path()), 0o755)
 	os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(provider.Path()), "logins.json"), mustJSON(saved), 0o600)
+	// signed in behind magpie's back: an earlier test's look at its own
+	// home within 30s would otherwise keep Codex's sign-in off the list
+	provider.ForgetAccounts()
+	t.Cleanup(provider.ForgetAccounts)
 }
 
 // usedUp stands in for the ChatGPT backend with acct-1 out of its