diff --git a/internal/adapters/promptkit/adapter_test.go b/internal/adapters/promptkit/adapter_test.go
index 50ab792..76211c3 100644
--- a/internal/adapters/promptkit/adapter_test.go
+++ b/internal/adapters/promptkit/adapter_test.go
@@ -508,6 +508,7 @@ func TestNewValidatesConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLocalBackendAndMissingCredentialBehavior(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("WEATHERREPORTER_TEST_MISSING_KEY", "")
 	profiles := testProfileDirectory(t, `id: local-profile
 backend: local
 model: local-model
diff --git a/internal/app/generation_test.go b/internal/app/generation_test.go
index 284f8af..6097ca7 100644
--- a/internal/app/generation_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/generation_test.go
@@ -510,9 +510,7 @@ func TestGenerateDetailedDoesNotReplaceSymbolicLinkOutput(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	outputPath := filepath.Join(dir, "daily.md")
-	if err := os.Symlink(backing, outputPath); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	requireSymlink(t, backing, outputPath)
 	bundle := generationBundle(t)
 	collector := &generationCollector{bundle: &bundle}
 	executor := &generationExecutor{}
diff --git a/internal/app/output_test.go b/internal/app/output_test.go
index aedacbc..2d655fa 100644
--- a/internal/app/output_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/output_test.go
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@ func TestResolveComparisonOutputDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 func TestResolveOutputDirRejectsDanglingSymlinkComponents(t *testing.T) {
 	workingDir := t.TempDir()
 	dangling := filepath.Join(workingDir, "dangling")
-	if err := os.Symlink(filepath.Join(workingDir, "missing"), dangling); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	requireSymlink(t, filepath.Join(workingDir, "missing"), dangling)
 
 	for _, directory := range []string{dangling, filepath.Join(dangling, "reports")} {
 		t.Run(filepath.Base(directory), func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -63,9 +61,7 @@ func TestResolveOutputDirAllowsMissingDirectoryBelowValidSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	workingDir := t.TempDir()
 	target := t.TempDir()
 	link := filepath.Join(workingDir, "linked")
-	if err := os.Symlink(target, link); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	requireSymlink(t, target, link)
 
 	directory := filepath.Join(link, "reports")
 	got, err := resolveOutputDir(workingDir, directory)
@@ -73,3 +69,10 @@ func TestResolveOutputDirAllowsMissingDirectoryBelowValidSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("resolveOutputDir() = %q, %v, want %q, nil", got, err, directory)
 	}
 }
+
+func requireSymlink(t *testing.T, target string, link string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if err := os.Symlink(target, link); err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("symlink support is unavailable: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/comparison/publish_test.go b/internal/comparison/publish_test.go
index 511776a..88d8d78 100644
--- a/internal/comparison/publish_test.go
+++ b/internal/comparison/publish_test.go
@@ -47,18 +47,16 @@ func TestPlanDestination(t *testing.T) {
 	assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, string(os.PathSeparator), false, DestinationFilesystemRoot)
 	assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, "relative", false, DestinationInvalidPath)
 
-	link := filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "link")
-	if err := os.Symlink(empty, link); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, link, false, DestinationSymlink)
+	t.Run("symbolic links", func(t *testing.T) {
+		link := filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "link")
+		requireSymlink(t, empty, link)
+		assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, link, false, DestinationSymlink)
 
-	dangling := filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "dangling")
-	if err := os.Symlink(filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "missing"), dangling); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, dangling, false, DestinationSymlink)
-	assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, filepath.Join(dangling, "child"), false, DestinationInspection)
+		dangling := filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "dangling")
+		requireSymlink(t, filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "missing"), dangling)
+		assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, dangling, false, DestinationSymlink)
+		assertDestinationErrorKind(t, workingDirectory, filepath.Join(dangling, "child"), false, DestinationInspection)
+	})
 
 	nonempty := filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "nonempty")
 	if err := os.Mkdir(nonempty, 0o755); err != nil {
@@ -116,9 +114,7 @@ func TestRecognizeBundleRejectsUnsafeAndMalformedContents(t *testing.T) {
 			if err := os.Remove(path); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
-			if err := os.Symlink(filepath.Join(directory, DataPackageFilename), path); err != nil {
-				t.Fatal(err)
-			}
+			requireSymlink(t, filepath.Join(directory, DataPackageFilename), path)
 		}},
 		{name: "digest mismatch", mutate: func(t *testing.T, directory string) {
 			t.Helper()
@@ -298,9 +294,7 @@ func TestPublishReauthorizesMovedDestination(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			mutate: func(t *testing.T, target string) {
 				t.Helper()
-				if err := os.Symlink("unrelated-target", target); err != nil {
-					t.Fatal(err)
-				}
+				requireSymlink(t, "unrelated-target", target)
 			},
 			verify: func(t *testing.T, target string) {
 				t.Helper()
@@ -365,6 +359,13 @@ func TestPublishReauthorizesMovedDestination(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func requireSymlink(t *testing.T, target string, link string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if err := os.Symlink(target, link); err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("symlink support is unavailable: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPublishRetainsUnauthorizedMovedDestinationWhenRestoreFails(t *testing.T) {
 	workingDirectory := t.TempDir()
 	target := filepath.Join(workingDirectory, "comparison-daily")
diff --git a/internal/promptdebug/debug_writer_test.go b/internal/promptdebug/debug_writer_test.go
index 4fe15e1..a450015 100644
--- a/internal/promptdebug/debug_writer_test.go
+++ b/internal/promptdebug/debug_writer_test.go
@@ -253,9 +253,7 @@ func TestPromptDebugWriterKeepsWritesAnchoredToOpenedRoot(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := os.Rename(root, anchoredRoot); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("replace opened root: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := os.Symlink(outside, root); err != nil {
-		t.Skipf("symlink creation is unavailable: %v", err)
-	}
+	requireSymlink(t, outside, root)
 
 	ref := promptDebugRef()
 	ref.RunID = "run-anchored"
@@ -307,9 +305,7 @@ func TestPromptDebugWriterRejectsUnsafeRootsAndReferences(t *testing.T) {
 		if err := os.Mkdir(target, debugDirectoryMode); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("create root symlink target: %v", err)
 		}
-		if err := os.Symlink(target, link); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("create root symlink: %v", err)
-		}
+		requireSymlink(t, target, link)
 		if _, err := NewPromptDebugWriter(link); err == nil {
 			t.Fatal("NewPromptDebugWriter(symlink) error = nil")
 		}
@@ -334,15 +330,20 @@ func TestPromptDebugWriterRejectsUnsafeRootsAndReferences(t *testing.T) {
 		if err := os.Mkdir(outside, debugDirectoryMode); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("create symlink component target: %v", err)
 		}
-		if err := os.Symlink(outside, filepath.Join(root, "debug", "daily")); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("create symlink component: %v", err)
-		}
+		requireSymlink(t, outside, filepath.Join(root, "debug", "daily"))
 		if _, err := writer.WritePreparation(promptDebugRef(), promptDebugPreparationFixture(), nil); err == nil {
 			t.Fatal("WritePreparation(symlink component) error = nil")
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+func requireSymlink(t *testing.T, target string, link string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if err := os.Symlink(target, link); err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("symlink support is unavailable: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func promptDebugRef() PromptDebugRef {
 	return PromptDebugRef{ReportID: report.Daily, ValidDate: "2026-05-29", RunID: "run-123"}
 }