diff --git a/modules/home/tests/home.integration.tests.js b/modules/home/tests/home.integration.tests.js
index 8112dfa08..9e21df963 100644
--- a/modules/home/tests/home.integration.tests.js
+++ b/modules/home/tests/home.integration.tests.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import config from '../../../config/index.js';
  * Unit tests
  */
 describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
+  let app; // Express app instance for fresh (unauthenticated) requests (#3472)
   let agent;
   let HomeService;
   let adminToken;
@@ -40,7 +41,8 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
       config.organizations.enabled = false;
       const init = await bootstrap();
       HomeService = (await import(path.resolve('./modules/home/services/home.service.js'))).default;
-      agent = request.agent(init.app);
+      app = init.app;
+      agent = request.agent(app);
 
       // Create admin user and sign JWT for health endpoint test
       const User = mongoose.model('User');
@@ -72,16 +74,20 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  // Public ("logged out") route tests. Use a fresh `request(app)` per test
+  // instead of the shared `agent` so no cookie state from this block leaks
+  // into later describes (#3472). Auth-required cases still use explicit
+  // `set('Cookie', 'TOKEN=...')` headers derived from JWTs.
   describe('Logout', () => {
     test('should be able to get releases', async () => {
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/home/releases').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/releases').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       expect(result.body.message).toBe('releases');
       expect(result.body.data).toBeInstanceOf(Array);
     });
 
     test('should be able to get changelogs', async () => {
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/home/changelogs').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/changelogs').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       expect(result.body.message).toBe('changelogs');
       expect(result.body.data).toBeInstanceOf(Array);
@@ -89,7 +95,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should be able to get team members', async () => {
       try {
-        const result = await agent.get('/api/home/team').expect(200);
+        const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/team').expect(200);
         expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
         expect(result.body.message).toBe('team list');
         expect(result.body.data).toBeInstanceOf(Array);
@@ -101,7 +107,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should be able to get an existing page', async () => {
       try {
-        const result = await agent.get('/api/home/pages/terms').expect(200);
+        const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/pages/terms').expect(200);
         expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
         expect(result.body.message).toBe('page');
         expect(result.body.data[0].title).toBe('Terms');
@@ -115,7 +121,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should be able to catch error of unknown page', async () => {
       try {
-        const result = await agent.get('/api/home/pages/test').expect(404);
+        const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/pages/test').expect(404);
         expect(result.body.type).toBe('error');
         expect(result.body.message).toBe('Not Found');
         expect(result.body.description).toBe('No page with that name has been found');
@@ -127,7 +133,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should return empty releases gracefully when GitHub API fails', async () => {
       axios.get.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('GitHub API unavailable'));
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/home/releases').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/releases').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       expect(result.body.message).toBe('releases');
       expect(result.body.data).toEqual([]);
@@ -135,7 +141,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should return empty changelogs gracefully when GitHub API fails', async () => {
       axios.get.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('GitHub API unavailable'));
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/home/changelogs').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/changelogs').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       expect(result.body.message).toBe('changelogs');
       expect(result.body.data).toEqual([]);
@@ -146,7 +152,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
       axios.get.mockClear();
       // Temporarily set a fake token to cover the token-truthy branch in home.service releases()
       config.repos = originalRepos.map((repo) => ({ ...repo, token: 'fake-test-token' }));
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/home/releases').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/releases').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       const releaseCalls = axios.get.mock.calls.filter(([url]) => url.includes('/releases'));
       expect(releaseCalls.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
@@ -160,7 +166,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
       const originalRepos = config.repos;
       axios.get.mockClear();
       config.repos = originalRepos.map((repo) => ({ ...repo, token: 'fake-test-token' }));
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/home/changelogs').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/home/changelogs').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       const changelogCalls = axios.get.mock.calls.filter(([url]) => url.includes('/contents/'));
       expect(changelogCalls.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
@@ -171,7 +177,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
     });
 
     test('should return minimal health status without auth', async () => {
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/health').expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/health').expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       expect(result.body.data.status).toBe('ok');
       expect(result.body.data.db).toBeUndefined();
@@ -179,7 +185,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
     });
 
     test('should return detailed health status for admin', async () => {
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/health').set('Cookie', `TOKEN=${adminToken}`).expect(200);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/health').set('Cookie', `TOKEN=${adminToken}`).expect(200);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
       expect(result.body.data.status).toBe('ok');
       expect(result.body.data.db).toBe('connected');
@@ -196,7 +202,7 @@ describe('Home integration tests:', () => {
         version: '0.0.0',
         memory: process.memoryUsage(),
       });
-      const result = await agent.get('/api/health').expect(503);
+      const result = await request(app).get('/api/health').expect(503);
       expect(result.body.type).toBe('error');
       expect(result.body.message).toBe('Service Unavailable');
     });
diff --git a/modules/users/tests/user.account.integration.tests.js b/modules/users/tests/user.account.integration.tests.js
index 973a9b8f1..5d1eab93a 100644
--- a/modules/users/tests/user.account.integration.tests.js
+++ b/modules/users/tests/user.account.integration.tests.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import mongooseService from '../../../lib/services/mongoose.js';
  */
 describe('User integration tests:', () => {
   let UserService = null;
+  let app; // Express app instance for fresh (unauthenticated) requests (#3472)
   let agent;
   let credentials;
   let user;
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
     try {
       const init = await bootstrap();
       UserService = (await import(path.resolve('./modules/users/services/users.service.js'))).default;
-      agent = request.agent(init.app);
+      app = init.app;
+      agent = request.agent(app);
     } catch (err) {
       console.log(err);
       expect(err).toBeFalsy();
@@ -415,10 +417,14 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  // Unauthenticated ("logged out") route tests. Use a fresh `request(app)` per
+  // test instead of the shared `agent` so a stale cookie from a previous
+  // describe block (user deleted in afterEach) can never invalidate subsequent
+  // authenticated tests in later describes. See #3472.
   describe('Logout', () => {
     test('should not be able to update Terms sign date if not logged in', async () => {
       try {
-        await agent.get('/api/users/terms').expect(401);
+        await request(app).get('/api/users/terms').expect(401);
       } catch (err) {
         console.log(err);
         expect(err).toBeFalsy();
@@ -427,7 +433,7 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should not be able to change user own password if not signed in', async () => {
       try {
-        await agent
+        await request(app)
           .post('/api/users/password')
           .send({
             newPassword: '1234567890Aa$',
@@ -445,7 +451,7 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should not be able to get any user details if not logged in', async () => {
       try {
-        await agent.get('/api/users/me').expect(401);
+        await request(app).get('/api/users/me').expect(401);
         // TODO error message
         // result.body.message.should.equal('User is not signed in');
       } catch (err) {
@@ -461,7 +467,7 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
           lastName: 'user_update_last',
         };
 
-        await agent.put('/api/users').send(userUpdate).expect(401);
+        await request(app).put('/api/users').send(userUpdate).expect(401);
         // TODO error message
         // result.body.message.should.equal('User is not signed in');
       } catch (err) {
@@ -472,7 +478,7 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should not be able to update own user profile avatar without being logged-in', async () => {
       try {
-        await agent.post('/api/users/avatar').send({}).expect(401);
+        await request(app).post('/api/users/avatar').send({}).expect(401);
         // TODO error message
         // result.body.message.should.equal('User is not signed in');
       } catch (err) {
@@ -483,7 +489,7 @@ describe('User integration tests:', () => {
 
     test('should be able to get a users stats', async () => {
       try {
-        const result = await agent.get('/api/users/stats').expect(200);
+        const result = await request(app).get('/api/users/stats').expect(200);
         expect(result.body.type).toBe('success');
         expect(result.body.message).toBe('users stats');
       } catch (err) {