diff --git a/tests/gateway/conftest.py b/tests/gateway/conftest.py
index 7a21465dd3d7..13a94dee76df 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/conftest.py
@@ -94,6 +94,23 @@ def _ensure_telegram_mock() -> None:
     if "telegram" in sys.modules and hasattr(sys.modules["telegram"], "__file__"):
         return  # Real library is installed — nothing to mock
 
+    # Prefer the REAL library whenever it is importable. The mock below is
+    # process-wide and permanent, and it poisons every later-collected test
+    # that needs genuine PTB classes (tests/test_telegram_polling_progress_ptb
+    # subclasses the real BaseRequest) whenever a gateway file collects
+    # first. PTB is a production dependency, so in a normal venv this branch
+    # always wins; the mock survives only for genuinely PTB-less environments.
+    try:
+        import telegram  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.constants  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.error  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.ext  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.request  # noqa: F401
+        if hasattr(sys.modules.get("telegram"), "__file__"):
+            return
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
+
     mod = MagicMock()
     mod.ext.ContextTypes.DEFAULT_TYPE = type(None)
     # One shared PTB-faithful enum namespace per constant, attached to BOTH
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_telegram_approval_buttons.py b/tests/gateway/test_telegram_approval_buttons.py
index 0f6ba60db35a..875c74c87b5f 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_telegram_approval_buttons.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_telegram_approval_buttons.py
@@ -24,6 +24,18 @@ def _ensure_telegram_mock():
     if "telegram" in sys.modules and hasattr(sys.modules["telegram"], "__file__"):
         return
 
+    # Prefer the REAL library whenever it is importable — same rationale as
+    # the gateway conftest: the fakes below are process-wide and permanent.
+    try:
+        import telegram  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.constants  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.error  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.ext  # noqa: F401
+        import telegram.request  # noqa: F401
+        return
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
+
     mod = MagicMock()
     mod.ext.ContextTypes.DEFAULT_TYPE = type(None)
     mod.constants.ParseMode.MARKDOWN = "Markdown"
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_telegram_rich_messages.py b/tests/gateway/test_telegram_rich_messages.py
index 5e46cbc35dd3..e330a5c3e703 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_telegram_rich_messages.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_telegram_rich_messages.py
@@ -312,9 +312,12 @@ async def test_legacy_send_error_redacts_bot_token_without_traceback(monkeypatch
     assert result.success is False
     assert result.error is not None
     assert token not in result.error
-    assert "bot123456789:***/sendMessage" in result.error
+    # Real PTB TelegramError capitalize()s its message (the mock did not) —
+    # assert the token redaction case-insensitively; the property under
+    # test is the redaction, not the URL casing.
+    assert "bot123456789:***/sendmessage" in result.error.lower()
     assert token not in caplog.text
-    assert "bot123456789:***/sendMessage" in caplog.text
+    assert "bot123456789:***/sendmessage" in caplog.text.lower()
     adapter._bot.do_api_request.assert_not_called()
 
 
@@ -454,9 +457,9 @@ async def test_legacy_edit_error_logs_redacted_bot_token_without_traceback(monke
     assert result.success is False
     assert result.error is not None
     assert token not in result.error
-    assert "bot123456789:***/editMessageText" in result.error
+    assert "bot123456789:***/editmessagetext" in result.error.lower()
     assert token not in caplog.text
-    assert "bot123456789:***/editMessageText" in caplog.text
+    assert "bot123456789:***/editmessagetext" in caplog.text.lower()
 
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------