diff --git a/tests/integration/test_astrolabe_session_jwt_search.py b/tests/integration/test_astrolabe_session_jwt_search.py
index 6ad6bcf2..583a300a 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_astrolabe_session_jwt_search.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_astrolabe_session_jwt_search.py
@@ -44,17 +44,17 @@ _SEARCH_TIMEOUT = httpx.Timeout(90.0)
 
 
 async def _get_with_retry(
-    client: httpx.AsyncClient, url: str, *, retries: int = 2, **kwargs
+    client: httpx.AsyncClient, url: str, *, max_attempts: int = 3, **kwargs
 ) -> httpx.Response:
-    """GET with retries on transient transport errors (timeouts/conn resets)."""
+    """GET, retrying on transient transport errors (timeouts/conn resets)."""
     last_exc: httpx.TransportError | None = None
-    for attempt in range(retries + 1):
+    for attempt in range(1, max_attempts + 1):
         try:
             return await client.get(url, **kwargs)
         except httpx.TransportError as e:  # covers timeouts + connect/read errors
             last_exc = e
             logger.warning(
-                "GET %s failed (attempt %s/%s): %s", url, attempt + 1, retries + 1, e
+                "GET %s failed (attempt %s/%s): %s", url, attempt, max_attempts, e
             )
             await anyio.sleep(2)
     raise last_exc  # type: ignore[misc]
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_rag.py b/tests/integration/test_rag.py
index a0c32834..41e8956c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_rag.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_rag.py
@@ -174,16 +174,22 @@ async def indexed_manual_pdf(nc_client, nc_mcp_client):
                 content = json.loads(result.content[0].text) if result.content else {}
                 indexed = content.get("indexed_count", 0)
                 pending = content.get("pending_count", 1)
+                status = content.get("status")
 
                 logger.info(
-                    "Attempt %s/%s: indexed=%s, pending=%s",
+                    "Attempt %s/%s: indexed=%s, pending=%s, status=%s",
                     attempt,
                     max_attempts,
                     indexed,
                     pending,
+                    status,
                 )
 
-                if indexed > 0 and pending == 0:
+                # Require indexed > 0 (the manual must actually be indexed —
+                # idle/pending==0 is also the *initial* empty state) AND a
+                # settled idle scan so we don't break during a transient
+                # pending==0 window mid re-scan churn.
+                if indexed > 0 and pending == 0 and status == "idle":
                     logger.info(
                         "Vector indexing complete: %s documents indexed", indexed
                     )