diff --git a/tests/control_plane/test_dated_vision_wait_cli.py b/tests/control_plane/test_dated_vision_wait_cli.py
index 5e0bad4753..e0c6a7eb95 100644
--- a/tests/control_plane/test_dated_vision_wait_cli.py
+++ b/tests/control_plane/test_dated_vision_wait_cli.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 from canonical_authority_fixture import read_fixture_todos, initialize_canonical_source_fixture
+from tests.control_plane.codex_checkpoint_fixture import read_cli_policy_payload
 
 from loopx.control_plane.effect_runtime import restart_effect_runtime
 
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ def cli(registry: Path, runtime: Path, *args: str) -> tuple[int, dict]:
         cwd=REPO, env={**os.environ, "PYTHONPATH": str(REPO), "LOOPX_USAGE_PING": "0"},
         capture_output=True, text=True, check=False, timeout=90,
     )
-    return result.returncode, json.loads(result.stdout)
+    return result.returncode, read_cli_policy_payload(result.stdout, returncode=result.returncode)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("provider", ["file", "sqlite"])
diff --git a/tests/control_plane/test_monitor_unavailable_closeout_cli.py b/tests/control_plane/test_monitor_unavailable_closeout_cli.py
index e2ca77178b..708ba6a1c9 100644
--- a/tests/control_plane/test_monitor_unavailable_closeout_cli.py
+++ b/tests/control_plane/test_monitor_unavailable_closeout_cli.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from canonical_authority_fixture import initialize_canonical_authority, isolate_sqlite_runtime, read_fixture_todos
+from tests.control_plane.codex_checkpoint_fixture import read_cli_policy_payload
 from loopx.cli import main as cli_main
 from loopx.control_plane.coordination.runtime_shadow import build_todo_runtime_shadow_projection
 from test_quota_settlement_cli import (
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ def cli(*args: str) -> tuple[int, dict]:
             context.chdir(project)
             rc = cli_main(["--registry", str(registry), "--runtime-root", str(runtime),
                            "--format", "json", *args])
-            return rc, json.loads(capsys.readouterr().out)
+            return rc, read_cli_policy_payload(capsys.readouterr().out, returncode=rc)
 
     if provider == "markdown":
         before = state.read_bytes()
@@ -327,7 +328,7 @@ def cli(*args: str) -> tuple[int, dict]:
             context.chdir(project)
             rc = cli_main(["--registry", str(registry), "--runtime-root", str(runtime),
                            "--format", "json", *args])
-            return rc, json.loads(capsys.readouterr().out)
+            return rc, read_cli_policy_payload(capsys.readouterr().out, returncode=rc)
 
     binding = ("--agent-id", AGENT_ID, "--todo-id", TODO_ID, "--turn-instance-id", "invalid-monitor")
     rc, guard = cli("quota", "should-run", "--goal-id", GOAL_ID, "--codex-app", *binding)