diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.test.ts
index 76954deee40..549e9eb9949 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.test.ts
@@ -949,7 +949,9 @@ describe("runDetachedForwardStartWithRetries", () => {
         events.push("spawn-1");
         fs.writeSync(
           stderr,
-          "Error: code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's execution', message: \"sandbox is not ready\"\n",
+          `Error:   × code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's
+  │ execution', message: "sandbox is not ready"
+`,
         );
         return { pid: 784 };
       })
@@ -988,7 +990,9 @@ describe("runDetachedForwardStartWithRetries", () => {
     const spawn = vi.fn().mockImplementation(({ stderr }: { stderr: number }) => {
       fs.writeSync(
         stderr,
-        "Permission denied (publickey); previous attempt reported Error: code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's execution', message: \"sandbox is not ready\"\n",
+        `Permission denied (publickey); previous attempt reported Error:   × code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's
+  │ execution', message: "sandbox is not ready"
+`,
       );
       return { pid: 784 };
     });
@@ -1132,7 +1136,8 @@ describe("looksLikeForwardListenerStartFailure", () => {
   it("matches only definitive listener termination diagnostics", () => {
     expect(
       looksLikeForwardListenerStartFailure(
-        "Error: code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's execution', message: \"sandbox is not ready\"",
+        `Error:   × code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's
+  │ execution', message: "sandbox is not ready"`,
       ),
     ).toBe(true);
     expect(
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.ts b/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.ts
index 18ee12564ed..219c8a8d9ea 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/forward-start.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ const OPENSHELL_SANDBOX_NOT_READY_DIAGNOSTIC =
   /^Error: code: 'The system is not in a state required for the operation's execution', message: "sandbox is not ready"$/i;
 
 function looksLikeSandboxNotReadyForwardStart(diagnostic: string): boolean {
-  return OPENSHELL_SANDBOX_NOT_READY_DIAGNOSTIC.test(diagnostic);
+  const normalized = compactText(diagnostic.replace(/[×│]/gu, " "));
+  return OPENSHELL_SANDBOX_NOT_READY_DIAGNOSTIC.test(normalized);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/e2e/live/gateway-guard-recovery.test.ts b/test/e2e/live/gateway-guard-recovery.test.ts
index 92fd65b0bdd..72453288f45 100644
--- a/test/e2e/live/gateway-guard-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/live/gateway-guard-recovery.test.ts
@@ -157,13 +157,14 @@ async function inspectStartupCommand(
   return result.stdout.trim();
 }
 
-async function waitForSandboxExecAfterContainerRestart(
+async function waitForSandboxExecReady(
   host: HostCliClient,
   sandboxName: string,
   progress: TestProgress,
+  artifactPrefix: string,
 ): Promise<void> {
   await pollUntil({
-    artifactPrefix: "legacy-restart-openshell-ready",
+    artifactPrefix,
     attempts: 12,
     delayMs: 3_000,
     probe: async (_attempt, artifactName) =>
@@ -454,6 +455,15 @@ test("gateway recovery restores /tmp guard chain after pod-recreate wipe (#2701)
     },
   );
   expect(createLegacyKeepalive.exitCode, resultText(createLegacyKeepalive)).toBe(0);
+  // Do not overlap the fixture's recreation with the restart below. The
+  // fixture runs in its own process, so the host must observe the replacement
+  // through OpenShell before starting the next container lifecycle transition.
+  await waitForSandboxExecReady(
+    host,
+    instance.sandboxName,
+    progress,
+    "legacy-recreate-openshell-ready",
+  );
 
   const legacyContainerId = await findSandboxContainer(host, "legacy-restart-container-before");
   expect(legacyContainerId).not.toBe(recoveredContainerId);
@@ -466,7 +476,12 @@ test("gateway recovery restores /tmp guard chain after pod-recreate wipe (#2701)
     timeoutMs: 120_000,
   });
   expect(legacyRestart.exitCode, resultText(legacyRestart)).toBe(0);
-  await waitForSandboxExecAfterContainerRestart(host, instance.sandboxName, progress);
+  await waitForSandboxExecReady(
+    host,
+    instance.sandboxName,
+    progress,
+    "legacy-restart-openshell-ready",
+  );
   await gateway.waitForMissingManagedSupervisor(legacyContainerId, {
     onRetry: (attempt) => progress.event(`managed supervisor absence proof retry ${attempt}`),
   });