diff --git a/tests/functional/duplicate_target_names.rs b/tests/functional/duplicate_target_names.rs
index d107bc7..ede6954 100644
--- a/tests/functional/duplicate_target_names.rs
+++ b/tests/functional/duplicate_target_names.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,22 @@ fn cargo_affected_stripped(dir: &Path, args: &[&str]) -> Output {
         .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to run cargo-affected: {e}"))
 }
 
+/// Distinct `binary_id`s the database holds for the `builds` test. Two crates
+/// each ship one, so anything other than two means the shim merged or dropped
+/// a target.
+fn builds_binary_ids(dir: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+    let conn = rusqlite::Connection::open(dir.join("target/affected/coverage.db")).unwrap();
+    let mut stmt = conn
+        .prepare("SELECT DISTINCT binary_id FROM test_regions WHERE test_name = 'builds'")
+        .unwrap();
+    let ids = stmt
+        .query_map([], |r| r.get(0))
+        .unwrap()
+        .map(|r| r.unwrap())
+        .collect();
+    ids
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn duplicate_basename_with_stripped_debuginfo_resolves_correctly() {
     let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
@@ -80,24 +96,20 @@ fn duplicate_basename_with_stripped_debuginfo_resolves_correctly() {
         "collect failed: stderr=\n{collect_stderr}\nstdout=\n{}",
         String::from_utf8_lossy(&collect.stdout)
     );
+    // A `binary_id` the shim can't resolve is a *soft* failure: that test
+    // lands as `Skipped` and collect still exits 0 on whatever the other
+    // binary produced, so `status.success()` above doesn't cover it.
+    // `collect` prints this line for any skip.
     assert!(
-        !collect_stderr.contains("failed to resolve binary_id"),
-        "shim must not error on duplicate-basename binaries; stderr:\n{collect_stderr}"
+        !collect_stderr.contains("produced no coverage"),
+        "duplicate-basename binaries must not cost a test its coverage; stderr:\n{collect_stderr}"
     );
 
     // Both crates' `builds` test must land under DISTINCT binary_ids — the
     // whole point of the fix. If the shim merged them, only one binary_id
     // would appear (and one set of regions would silently overwrite the
     // other).
-    let db = dir.join("target/affected/coverage.db");
-    let conn = rusqlite::Connection::open(&db).unwrap();
-    let ids: Vec<String> = conn
-        .prepare("SELECT DISTINCT binary_id FROM test_regions WHERE test_name = 'builds'")
-        .unwrap()
-        .query_map([], |r| r.get(0))
-        .unwrap()
-        .map(|r| r.unwrap())
-        .collect();
+    let ids = builds_binary_ids(dir);
     assert_eq!(
         ids.len(),
         2,
@@ -161,8 +173,18 @@ fn duplicate_basename_with_stripped_debuginfo_resolves_correctly() {
         String::from_utf8_lossy(&recollect.stdout)
     );
     assert!(
-        !recollect_stderr.contains("failed to resolve binary_id"),
-        "shim must not error on the post-edit collect; stderr:\n{recollect_stderr}"
+        !recollect_stderr.contains("produced no coverage"),
+        "post-edit collect must not drop a test's coverage; stderr:\n{recollect_stderr}"
+    );
+    // Re-check the database, not just stderr. The assertion above greps a
+    // `collect` message, so a reword of it would silently retire the guard —
+    // exactly the drift this scenario has already suffered once. The row
+    // check pins the property itself.
+    let ids = builds_binary_ids(dir);
+    assert_eq!(
+        ids.len(),
+        2,
+        "post-edit collect must keep both binary_ids for `builds`, got {ids:?}"
     );
 
     git(dir, &["checkout", "--", "mock-stub/src/lib.rs"]);
diff --git a/tests/functional/lib_bin_collision.rs b/tests/functional/lib_bin_collision.rs
index 17dd70e..ec56b26 100644
--- a/tests/functional/lib_bin_collision.rs
+++ b/tests/functional/lib_bin_collision.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,29 @@ fn cargo_affected_stripped(dir: &Path, args: &[&str]) -> Output {
         .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to run cargo-affected: {e}"))
 }
 
+/// The lib and the bin must each hold rows under their own `binary_id`. A
+/// merged or dropped target loses one of the two; `when` names which collect
+/// the check follows so a failure points at the right one.
+fn assert_both_binary_ids(dir: &Path, when: &str) {
+    let conn = rusqlite::Connection::open(dir.join("target/affected/coverage.db")).unwrap();
+    let mut stmt = conn
+        .prepare("SELECT DISTINCT binary_id FROM test_regions")
+        .unwrap();
+    let ids: Vec<String> = stmt
+        .query_map([], |r| r.get(0))
+        .unwrap()
+        .map(|r| r.unwrap())
+        .collect();
+    assert!(
+        ids.iter().any(|id| id == "wt_perf_collide"),
+        "expected lib binary_id {when}, got {ids:?}",
+    );
+    assert!(
+        ids.iter().any(|id| id == "wt_perf_collide::bin/wt-perf"),
+        "expected bin binary_id {when}, got {ids:?}",
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn lib_bin_same_basename_resolves_via_nextest_binary_id() {
     let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
@@ -112,34 +135,20 @@ fn lib_bin_same_basename_resolves_via_nextest_binary_id() {
         "collect failed: stderr=\n{stderr}\nstdout=\n{}",
         String::from_utf8_lossy(&collect.stdout)
     );
+    // Every test must produce coverage. A `binary_id` the shim can't resolve
+    // is a *soft* failure — that test lands as `Skipped` and collect still
+    // exits 0 on the other binary's rows — so the exit status above proves
+    // nothing on its own. `collect` prints this line for any skip. On this
+    // first collect the binary_id assertions below would also catch a drop;
+    // this line just fails earlier, with a clearer reason.
     assert!(
-        !stderr.contains("failed to resolve binary_id"),
-        "shim must not bail on lib+bin same-basename: stderr=\n{stderr}",
-    );
-    assert!(
-        !stderr.contains("basename fallback ambiguous"),
-        "marker probe must disambiguate lib+bin: stderr=\n{stderr}",
+        !stderr.contains("produced no coverage"),
+        "lib+bin same-basename must not cost a target its coverage: stderr=\n{stderr}",
     );
 
     // Both targets must land under their own binary_ids — nextest's
     // `<package>` for the lib and `<package>::bin/<name>` for the bin.
-    let db = dir.join("target/affected/coverage.db");
-    let conn = rusqlite::Connection::open(&db).unwrap();
-    let ids: Vec<String> = conn
-        .prepare("SELECT DISTINCT binary_id FROM test_regions")
-        .unwrap()
-        .query_map([], |r| r.get(0))
-        .unwrap()
-        .map(|r| r.unwrap())
-        .collect();
-    assert!(
-        ids.iter().any(|id| id == "wt_perf_collide"),
-        "expected lib binary_id in {ids:?}",
-    );
-    assert!(
-        ids.iter().any(|id| id == "wt_perf_collide::bin/wt-perf"),
-        "expected bin binary_id in {ids:?}",
-    );
+    assert_both_binary_ids(dir, "after the first collect");
 
     // A second collect drives the pre-run listing through the same probe
     // path again — confirms it stays stable run-to-run, not just on a
@@ -151,7 +160,12 @@ fn lib_bin_same_basename_resolves_via_nextest_binary_id() {
         "second collect failed: {combined}"
     );
     assert!(
-        !combined.contains("failed to resolve binary_id"),
+        !combined.contains("produced no coverage"),
         "second collect must not regress: {combined}",
     );
+    // Re-check the database, not just stderr. The assertion above greps a
+    // `collect` message, so a reword of it would silently retire the guard —
+    // exactly the drift this scenario has already suffered once. The row
+    // check pins the property itself.
+    assert_both_binary_ids(dir, "after the second collect");
 }