diff --git a/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-session-metadata-store.test.ts b/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-session-metadata-store.test.ts
index 9f2e5df8a1..889b8ecd3f 100644
--- a/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-session-metadata-store.test.ts
+++ b/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-session-metadata-store.test.ts
@@ -478,6 +478,10 @@ describe('SqliteSessionMetadataStore', () => {
     let rejectedRequestId: string | undefined;
     try {
       await store.create(fullHeader());
+      // Each request stays near MAX_SANDBOX_BOUNDARY_SERIALIZED_BYTES so the
+      // cumulative boundary crosses capacity in the fewest settles, using few
+      // near-MAX_SANDBOX_BOUNDARY_PATH_CHARS entries to keep the per-settle
+      // boundary scans cheap.
       for (let request = 0; request < 30; request += 1) {
         const requestId = `capacity-${request}`;
         await store.createSandboxBoundaryRequest({
@@ -486,8 +490,8 @@ describe('SqliteSessionMetadataStore', () => {
           turnId: 'turn-1',
           expansion: {
             filesystem: {
-              entries: Array.from({ length: 32 }, (_, entry) => ({
-                path: `/outside/${request}/${entry}-${'x'.repeat(1_800)}`,
+              entries: Array.from({ length: 15 }, (_, entry) => ({
+                path: `/outside/${request}/${entry}-${'x'.repeat(4_000)}`,
                 access: 'read' as const,
                 scope: 'exact' as const,
               })),
diff --git a/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-workflow-store.test.ts b/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-workflow-store.test.ts
index 3fd1f00d24..bfd1f4a3cf 100644
--- a/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-workflow-store.test.ts
+++ b/packages/storage/src/__tests__/sqlite-workflow-store.test.ts
@@ -414,11 +414,16 @@ describe('SQLite workflow stores', () => {
 function seedLegacyPlanLedger(root: string, eventCount = 3): void {
   const lease = acquireOperationalStateDatabase(root);
   try {
-    const steps = Array.from({ length: 50 }, (_, index) => ({
+    // Each dimension exceeds its projection bound by just enough to force
+    // truncation: 51 files > PLAN_MAX_FILES_PER_STEP, 21 risks >
+    // PLAN_MAX_RISKS, 31 title chars > PLAN_STEP_TITLE_MAX_CHARS, and four
+    // 4_000-byte descriptions oversubscribe PLAN_PROJECTION_ITEM_MAX_BYTES so
+    // the shared text budget must settle below 4_000 bytes.
+    const steps = Array.from({ length: 4 }, (_, index) => ({
       id: `legacy step ${index}`,
-      title: '"'.repeat(100),
+      title: '"'.repeat(31),
       description: '"'.repeat(4_000),
-      files: Array.from({ length: 60 }, () => '"'.repeat(100)),
+      files: Array.from({ length: 51 }, () => '"'.repeat(100)),
     }));
     const proposal = {
       planId: 'legacy-plan',
@@ -428,7 +433,7 @@ function seedLegacyPlanLedger(root: string, eventCount = 3): void {
       revision: 1,
       title: '"'.repeat(16 * 1024),
       steps,
-      risks: Array.from({ length: 25 }, (_, index) => `Legacy risk ${index}`),
+      risks: Array.from({ length: 21 }, (_, index) => `Legacy risk ${index}`),
       status: 'pending_approval',
       submittedAt: 1,
     };