diff --git a/tests/kora_cli/handlers/test_email_inbound_handler.py b/tests/kora_cli/handlers/test_email_inbound_handler.py
index 42608031b114..5c9660c28d19 100644
--- a/tests/kora_cli/handlers/test_email_inbound_handler.py
+++ b/tests/kora_cli/handlers/test_email_inbound_handler.py
@@ -106,6 +106,37 @@ def _isolate(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     return tmp_path
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_operational_state_holder():
+    """Self-protective reset of the ``OperationalStateHolder``
+    singleton — KR-TEST-STABILITY-XDIST.
+
+    The handler's state-gate (``_check_state_gate`` in
+    ``email_inbound_handler.py``) calls ``get_holder()`` to decide
+    whether to drop the message as ``filtered_paused`` /
+    ``filtered_stopped``. State-gate tests in this file (lines
+    151-200) ``patch`` the accessor; the other ~30 tests expect
+    the singleton to be ``None`` so ``get_holder()`` returns
+    ``None`` and the handler proceeds.
+
+    Under pytest-xdist, OTHER test files in the same worker may
+    install a non-None holder (e.g.
+    ``test_mcp_tools_stop_control.py`` from KR-MCP-STOP-CONTROL ST1
+    installed PAUSED holders without teardown reset before this
+    bucket landed). A bleed surfaces as flaky
+    ``HANDLED_RECEIVED vs filtered_paused`` assertions.
+
+    This fixture is BELT-AND-SUSPENDERS: the leaking test files
+    now also reset their holders, but a future test author who
+    forgets the teardown won't poison email-handler tests.
+    """
+    from agent import operational_state_holder as h_mod
+
+    h_mod._HOLDER = None
+    yield
+    h_mod._HOLDER = None
+
+
 def _log_path(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
     return tmp_path / "email_inbound_log.jsonl"
 
diff --git a/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_audit_on_denial.py b/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_audit_on_denial.py
index a65ff3573262..27d8e05791c8 100644
--- a/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_audit_on_denial.py
+++ b/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_audit_on_denial.py
@@ -57,6 +57,26 @@ def _reset_caller_cache():
     mcp_caller_auth._reset_cache_for_tests()
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_operational_state_holder():
+    """Reset the module-level ``OperationalStateHolder`` singleton
+    between tests — KR-TEST-STABILITY-XDIST.
+
+    ``test_successful_call_does_not_emit_denial_audit`` installs an
+    ACTIVE holder via direct ``h_mod._HOLDER = ...`` so the pause
+    executor can transition. Without this autouse reset, that
+    holder persists across worker boundaries to subsequent tests in
+    the same xdist worker — surfacing as ``test_email_inbound_
+    handler.py`` flakes where the state-gate sees an unexpected
+    holder.
+    """
+    from agent import operational_state_holder as h_mod
+
+    h_mod._HOLDER = None
+    yield
+    h_mod._HOLDER = None
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def empty_caps_token(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     """Caller authenticated but with NO caps — every mutating tool denies."""
diff --git a/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_tools_stop_control.py b/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_tools_stop_control.py
index 69d2d4e843d1..1eb63c7de113 100644
--- a/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_tools_stop_control.py
+++ b/tests/kora_cli/test_listeners/test_mcp_tools_stop_control.py
@@ -48,6 +48,32 @@ def _reset_caller_cache():
     mcp_caller_auth._reset_cache_for_tests()
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_operational_state_holder():
+    """Reset the module-level ``OperationalStateHolder`` singleton
+    between tests — KR-TEST-STABILITY-XDIST.
+
+    The ``_holder_with_state`` helper below installs a holder via
+    direct ``h_mod._HOLDER = holder`` assignment (rather than
+    ``monkeypatch.setattr``) because most tests use the helper for
+    its side effect WITHOUT taking ``monkeypatch`` as a fixture arg.
+    Without this autouse reset, a test that sets the holder to
+    PAUSED leaks into the next test on the same xdist worker —
+    surfacing as ``test_email_inbound_handler.py`` flakes where the
+    state-gate sees a stale PAUSED holder and returns
+    ``filtered_paused`` instead of ``received``.
+
+    Resetting at BOTH setup and teardown is intentional: a previous
+    test in the same worker may have left a dirty holder, AND this
+    test may dirty the holder. Either path catches the leak.
+    """
+    from agent import operational_state_holder as h_mod
+
+    h_mod._HOLDER = None
+    yield
+    h_mod._HOLDER = None
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def authorized_token(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     """Caller with BOTH pause + resume caps (no full transition cap)."""