diff --git a/cmd/server/paths_anchor_bias_test.go b/cmd/server/paths_anchor_bias_test.go
index 5678c404..1a966c5d 100644
--- a/cmd/server/paths_anchor_bias_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server/paths_anchor_bias_test.go
@@ -78,17 +78,8 @@ func TestHandleNodePaths_AnchorBiasInconsistency_Issue1278(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
-	// The path-hop index that /paths reads is built in a background goroutine
-	// (#1008); querying before it is ready races the build and yields a
-	// non-deterministic membership/canonical result (the flake). Wait for
-	// readiness so the test asserts against the fully-built index.
-	pathHopDeadline := time.After(5 * time.Second)
-	for !store.PathHopIndexReady() {
-		select {
-		case <-pathHopDeadline:
-			t.Fatal("path-hop index not ready within 5s")
-		case <-time.After(10 * time.Millisecond):
-		}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
 	}
 	srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
diff --git a/cmd/server/paths_hop_name_test.go b/cmd/server/paths_hop_name_test.go
index cee2fd06..56d6408e 100644
--- a/cmd/server/paths_hop_name_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server/paths_hop_name_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ func TestHandleNodePaths_HopName_CanonicalPathShowsTarget_1144(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
+	}
 	srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	srv.RegisterRoutes(router)
diff --git a/cmd/server/paths_sort_test.go b/cmd/server/paths_sort_test.go
index 1e9efcc2..aad84c1f 100644
--- a/cmd/server/paths_sort_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server/paths_sort_test.go
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ func TestHandleNodePaths_SortByRecency_1145(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
+	}
 	srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	srv.RegisterRoutes(router)
@@ -155,6 +158,9 @@ func TestHandleNodePaths_SortCountTiebreaker_1145(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
+	}
 	srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	srv.RegisterRoutes(router)
diff --git a/cmd/server/paths_through_collision_1352_test.go b/cmd/server/paths_through_collision_1352_test.go
index 013e15e8..00545bde 100644
--- a/cmd/server/paths_through_collision_1352_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server/paths_through_collision_1352_test.go
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ func (sc *collisionScenario) reloadStore(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
+	}
 	sc.srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	sc.srv.RegisterRoutes(router)
@@ -222,6 +225,9 @@ func TestHandleNodePaths_FallbackUniquePrefix_1352(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
+	}
 	srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	srv.RegisterRoutes(router)
diff --git a/cmd/server/paths_through_test.go b/cmd/server/paths_through_test.go
index e60cd84d..ee049b85 100644
--- a/cmd/server/paths_through_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server/paths_through_test.go
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ func TestHandleNodePaths_PrefixCollisionExclusion(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("store.Load: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !store.WaitIndexesReady(5 * time.Second) {
+		t.Fatal("background indexes not ready within 5s")
+	}
 	srv.store = store
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	srv.RegisterRoutes(router)