diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 2abe642..9a3bffc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 20
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          # Tests run git log against this repository and need the full history.
+          fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4
         with:
           version: 11
@@ -18,6 +21,13 @@ jobs:
         with:
           node-version: 22
           cache: pnpm
+      # The plugin's git revert/cherry-pick spawn git without setting an
+      # identity (deliberate, see tests/smoke.spec.ts) and rely on ambient
+      # config; the runner has none by default.
+      - name: Configure git identity for tests
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.name "dsh-better-sidebar-ci"
+          git config --global user.email "ci@dsh.invalid"
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
       - name: Typecheck
diff --git a/tests/unit.spec.ts b/tests/unit.spec.ts
index 4b18516..cdab6dd 100644
--- a/tests/unit.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit.spec.ts
@@ -865,15 +865,21 @@ describe('pty helpers', () => {
     if (process.platform === 'win32') return
     ensureSpawnHelper()
     ensureSpawnHelper()
-    const { existsSync } = require('node:fs') as typeof import('node:fs')
+    const { existsSync, statSync } = require('node:fs') as typeof import('node:fs')
     const { dirname, join } = require('node:path') as typeof import('node:path')
     const { createRequire } = require('node:module') as typeof import('node:module')
     const entry = createRequire(import.meta.url).resolve('node-pty')
     const root = dirname(dirname(entry))
-    const helper = join(root, 'prebuilds', `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`, 'spawn-helper')
-    expect(existsSync(helper)).toBe(true)
-    const { statSync } = require('node:fs') as typeof import('node:fs')
-    expect((statSync(helper).mode & 0o111) !== 0).toBe(true)
+    // node-pty ships a prebuilt spawn-helper for darwin/win32; on other
+    // platforms (linux) node-gyp compiles it into build/Release. Mirror
+    // ensureSpawnHelper's candidate list: either location is acceptable.
+    const candidates = [
+      join(root, 'prebuilds', `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`, 'spawn-helper'),
+      join(root, 'build', 'Release', 'spawn-helper'),
+    ]
+    const helper = candidates.find(existsSync)
+    expect(helper).toBeTruthy()
+    expect((statSync(helper!).mode & 0o111) !== 0).toBe(true)
   })
 })