diff --git a/tests/hypercache_distmemory_remove_readrepair_test.go b/tests/hypercache_distmemory_remove_readrepair_test.go
index e9eabb2..f975928 100644
--- a/tests/hypercache_distmemory_remove_readrepair_test.go
+++ b/tests/hypercache_distmemory_remove_readrepair_test.go
@@ -64,9 +64,12 @@ func TestDistMemoryReadRepair(t *testing.T) {
 
 	const key = "rr-key"
 
+	// Setup uses RF=2 with 2 nodes registered — Lookup must return both.
+	// A <2 result indicates a test-environment regression rather than a
+	// benign condition.
 	owners := dc.Ring.Lookup(key)
 	if len(owners) < 2 {
-		t.Skip("replication factor <2")
+		t.Fatalf("expected >=2 owners with RF=2 setup, got %d", len(owners))
 	}
 
 	item := &cache.Item{Key: key, Value: "val"}
diff --git a/tests/hypercache_distmemory_stale_quorum_test.go b/tests/hypercache_distmemory_stale_quorum_test.go
index 6cb9bd9..2398b6a 100644
--- a/tests/hypercache_distmemory_stale_quorum_test.go
+++ b/tests/hypercache_distmemory_stale_quorum_test.go
@@ -32,9 +32,13 @@ func TestDistMemoryStaleQuorum(t *testing.T) {
 
 	const key = "sq-key"
 
+	// Setup uses RF=3 with 3 nodes registered — Lookup must return all
+	// three. A non-3 result indicates a test-environment regression
+	// (e.g., a node failed to join membership), not a benign condition
+	// to skip past.
 	owners := dc.Ring.Lookup(key)
 	if len(owners) != 3 {
-		t.Skip("replication factor !=3")
+		t.Fatalf("expected 3 owners with RF=3 setup, got %d", len(owners))
 	}
 
 	item := &cache.Item{Key: key, Value: "v1"}
diff --git a/tests/integration/dist_phase1_test.go b/tests/integration/dist_phase1_test.go
index a93eb17..7e298de 100644
--- a/tests/integration/dist_phase1_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/dist_phase1_test.go
@@ -75,7 +75,14 @@ func awaitNodeReplication(ctx context.Context, node *backend.DistMemory, key str
 	return false
 }
 
-// TestDistPhase1BasicQuorum is a scaffolding test verifying three-node quorum Set/Get over HTTP transport.
+// TestDistPhase1BasicQuorum verifies three-node quorum Set/Get over the
+// HTTP transport. Originally a scaffolding test that t.Skipf'd when
+// replication hadn't propagated to the third node ("hint replay not yet
+// observable" — true at the time the test was written). Hint replay is
+// now fully wired (TestHintedHandoffReplay, TestDistFailureRecovery),
+// so the test now asserts strictly: every owner must hold the value
+// within the 3 s deadline. A failure here means the HTTP-transport
+// replication path regressed.
 func TestDistPhase1BasicQuorum(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -112,19 +119,16 @@ func TestDistPhase1BasicQuorum(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assertValue(t, got.Value)
 
-	if awaitNodeReplication(ctx, nodeC, "k1", 3*time.Second) {
-		return
-	}
-
-	it, ok := nodeC.Get(ctx, "k1")
-	if !ok {
-		t.Skipf("hint replay not yet observable; will be validated after full wiring (missing item)")
-
-		return
-	}
+	// Replication must reach C within deadline; the previous skip-on-miss
+	// branches were placeholders for pre-hint-replay behavior. Locally
+	// this completes in ~500 ms across 20 runs.
+	if !awaitNodeReplication(ctx, nodeC, "k1", 3*time.Second) {
+		it, present := nodeC.Get(ctx, "k1")
+		if !present {
+			t.Fatalf("nodeC never received replicated value within 3s")
+		}
 
-	if !valueOK(it.Value) {
-		t.Skipf("value mismatch after wait")
+		t.Fatalf("nodeC has wrong value after wait: %T %v", it.Value, it.Value)
 	}
 }