diff --git a/tests/router_unit_tests/test_router_index_management.py b/tests/router_unit_tests/test_router_index_management.py
index 87ddaadaf3d..35d295d581a 100644
--- a/tests/router_unit_tests/test_router_index_management.py
+++ b/tests/router_unit_tests/test_router_index_management.py
@@ -237,10 +237,12 @@ class TestRouterIndexManagement:
         - model_name_to_deployment_indices for O(1) + O(k) model_name lookups
         """
         # Methods that are allowed to iterate through self.model_list
-        ALLOWED_METHODS = [
-            "_get_deployment_by_litellm_model",  # Edge case: lookup by litellm_params.model (not indexed)
-            "_finalize_adaptive_router_if_configured",  # Init-time prefix scan for "auto_router/adaptive_router" (no index for prefix match)
-        ]
+        ALLOWED_METHODS = {
+            "_get_deployment_by_litellm_model": "lookup by litellm_params.model, which is not indexed",
+            "_finalize_adaptive_router_if_configured": 'init-time prefix scan for "auto_router/adaptive_router"; no index for prefix match',
+            "config_deployments": "filters the whole list on model_info.db_model; admin path only (model add/upsert)",
+            "heuristic_v2_router_limit_violation": "counts heuristic_v2 routers across the whole list; admin path only (auto-router init/upsert)",
+        }
 
         # Get path to router.py
         router_file = os.path.join(
diff --git a/tests/rust-python-harness/shared/native_build.py b/tests/rust-python-harness/shared/native_build.py
index 2ca7131c2c1..7df0f999847 100644
--- a/tests/rust-python-harness/shared/native_build.py
+++ b/tests/rust-python-harness/shared/native_build.py
@@ -73,6 +73,16 @@ def _rebuild(repo_root: Path) -> tuple[bool, str]:
     return completed.returncode == 0, "\n".join(lines[-_FAILURE_OUTPUT_LINES:])
 
 
+def trace_bridge_error() -> str | None:
+    """Why the installed bridge cannot serve trace parity, or None when it can. Never rebuilds."""
+    bridge: Final = get_native_bridge()
+    if bridge is None:
+        return "native Rust bridge is not importable"
+    if getattr(bridge, "_trace", None) is None:
+        return f"native Rust bridge does not expose _trace; it must be built with the {BRIDGE_FEATURE} feature"
+    return None
+
+
 def ensure_trace_bridge(repo_root: Path) -> str | None:
     native_path: Final = _native_module_path()
     native_mtime: Final = native_path.stat().st_mtime if native_path is not None and native_path.exists() else None
@@ -84,9 +94,4 @@ def ensure_trace_bridge(repo_root: Path) -> str | None:
         if not succeeded:
             return f"native Rust bridge rebuild failed:\n{output}"
         _drop_imported_bridge()
-    bridge: Final = get_native_bridge()
-    if bridge is None:
-        return "native Rust bridge is not importable"
-    if getattr(bridge, "_trace", None) is None:
-        return f"native Rust bridge does not expose _trace; it must be built with the {BRIDGE_FEATURE} feature"
-    return None
+    return trace_bridge_error()
diff --git a/tests/store_model_in_db_tests/test_openai_error_handling.py b/tests/store_model_in_db_tests/test_openai_error_handling.py
index 554ddf49cce..9a18d7f3420 100644
--- a/tests/store_model_in_db_tests/test_openai_error_handling.py
+++ b/tests/store_model_in_db_tests/test_openai_error_handling.py
@@ -106,15 +106,22 @@ def test_missing_model_parameter_curl(curl_command):
     # Run the curl command and capture the output
     key = generate_key_sync()
     curl_command = curl_command.replace("sk-1234", key)
-    result = subprocess.run(curl_command, shell=True, capture_output=True, text=True)
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        f'{curl_command} -s -w "\\n%{{http_code}}"',
+        shell=True,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    body, _, status_code = result.stdout.rpartition("\n")
     # Parse the JSON response
-    response = json.loads(result.stdout)
+    response = json.loads(body)
 
     # Check that we got an error response
     assert "error" in response
     print("error in response", json.dumps(response, indent=4))
 
-    assert "litellm.BadRequestError" in response["error"]["message"]
+    assert status_code == "400", f"expected HTTP 400, got {status_code}: {response}"
+    assert isinstance(response["error"]["message"], str) and response["error"]["message"]
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
diff --git a/tests/test_models.py b/tests/test_models.py
index 151fb70b665..186752af2bc 100644
--- a/tests/test_models.py
+++ b/tests/test_models.py
@@ -487,6 +487,9 @@ async def test_get_personal_models_for_user():
 async def test_model_group_info_e2e():
     """
     Test /model/group/info endpoint
+
+    The proxy config declares a wildcard "anthropic/*" deployment, and the endpoint resolves
+    wildcards into the concrete models they cover, so the raw pattern is never returned.
     """
     async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
         models = await get_models(session=session, key="sk-1234")
@@ -495,16 +498,13 @@ async def test_model_group_info_e2e():
         model_group_info = await get_model_group_info(session=session, key="sk-1234")
         print(model_group_info)
 
-        # Check that the endpoint returns data and contains the wildcard
-        # anthropic model group from the proxy config
-        has_anthropic_wildcard = False
-        for model in model_group_info["data"]:
-            if model["model_group"] == "anthropic/*":
-                has_anthropic_wildcard = True
+        model_groups = [m["model_group"] for m in model_group_info["data"]]
 
-        assert has_anthropic_wildcard, (
-            f"Expected 'anthropic/*' in model groups, got: "
-            f"{[m['model_group'] for m in model_group_info['data']]}"
+        assert "anthropic/*" not in model_groups, (
+            f"Expected 'anthropic/*' to be expanded, but it was returned verbatim: {model_groups}"
+        )
+        assert any(m.startswith("anthropic/") for m in model_groups), (
+            f"Expected concrete anthropic models from the 'anthropic/*' config entry, got: {model_groups}"
         )
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_rust_python_harness.py b/tests/test_rust_python_harness.py
index b27d1c83597..179660dd4e9 100644
--- a/tests/test_rust_python_harness.py
+++ b/tests/test_rust_python_harness.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import importlib
 from pathlib import Path
+from types import SimpleNamespace
 from typing import Final
 
 import pytest
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ mapping_validator = importlib.import_module("tests.rust-python-harness.strategie
 mappings = importlib.import_module("tests.rust-python-harness.strategies.unit_tests_mapping.mappings")
 ocr_mapping = importlib.import_module("tests.rust-python-harness.strategies.unit_tests_mapping.cases.ocr")
 cli = importlib.import_module("tests.rust-python-harness.cli")
+native_build = importlib.import_module("tests.rust-python-harness.shared.native_build")
 
 audit_mapping = mapping_validator.audit_mapping
 UNIT_TEST_CONTRACTS = mappings.UNIT_TEST_CONTRACTS
@@ -119,7 +121,51 @@ def test_should_leave_functions_without_mapping_contracts_unimplemented() -> Non
     assert "messages" not in UNIT_TEST_CONTRACTS
 
 
+def test_should_report_a_bridge_that_cannot_be_imported() -> None:
+    with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as patch:
+        patch.setattr(native_build, "get_native_bridge", lambda: None)
+        message = native_build.trace_bridge_error()
+
+    assert message is not None
+    assert "not importable" in message
+
+
+def test_should_report_a_bridge_built_without_the_trace_feature() -> None:
+    with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as patch:
+        patch.setattr(native_build, "get_native_bridge", lambda: SimpleNamespace(_trace=None))
+        message = native_build.trace_bridge_error()
+
+    assert message is not None
+    assert native_build.BRIDGE_FEATURE in message
+
+
+def test_should_accept_a_bridge_built_with_the_trace_feature() -> None:
+    with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as patch:
+        patch.setattr(native_build, "get_native_bridge", lambda: SimpleNamespace(_trace=object()))
+
+        assert native_build.trace_bridge_error() is None
+
+
+def test_should_not_rebuild_the_bridge_while_reporting_its_state() -> None:
+    rebuilds: list[object] = []
+
+    def fake_rebuild(repo_root: object) -> tuple[bool, str]:
+        rebuilds.append(repo_root)
+        return True, ""
+
+    with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as patch:
+        patch.setattr(native_build, "_rebuild", fake_rebuild)
+        patch.setattr(native_build, "get_native_bridge", lambda: None)
+        native_build.trace_bridge_error()
+
+    assert rebuilds == []
+
+
 def test_should_derive_ocr_mapping_status_from_live_tests() -> None:
+    bridge_error: Final = native_build.trace_bridge_error()
+    if bridge_error is not None:
+        pytest.skip(bridge_error)
+
     report = audit_mapping(OCR_CONTRACT, repo_root=REPO_ROOT)
 
     assert report.is_valid, (