diff --git a/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/InstallationDatabaseConfigTest.php b/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/InstallationDatabaseConfigTest.php
index 78436e23..8a716b45 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/InstallationDatabaseConfigTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/InstallationDatabaseConfigTest.php
@@ -11,11 +11,21 @@ use function Pest\Laravel\postJson;
 
 beforeEach(function () {
     Artisan::call('db:seed', ['--class' => 'DatabaseSeeder', '--force' => true]);
+    // CI has no .env; seed one the way an installer would so the
+    // env-writing paths under test have a real file to work against.
+    $this->envExisted = file_exists(base_path('.env'));
+    if (! $this->envExisted) {
+        copy(base_path('.env.example'), base_path('.env'));
+    }
     $this->envBackup = file_get_contents(base_path('.env'));
 });
 
 afterEach(function () {
-    file_put_contents(base_path('.env'), $this->envBackup);
+    if ($this->envExisted) {
+        file_put_contents(base_path('.env'), $this->envBackup);
+    } else {
+        @unlink(base_path('.env'));
+    }
 });
 
 it('returns connection defaults per driver', function () {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/SetDomainTest.php b/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/SetDomainTest.php
index 21d4598f..3a45bf87 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/SetDomainTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/SetDomainTest.php
@@ -8,11 +8,21 @@ use function Pest\Laravel\putJson;
 
 beforeEach(function () {
     Artisan::call('db:seed', ['--class' => 'DatabaseSeeder', '--force' => true]);
+    // CI has no .env; seed one the way an installer would so the
+    // env-writing paths under test have a real file to work against.
+    $this->envExisted = file_exists(base_path('.env'));
+    if (! $this->envExisted) {
+        copy(base_path('.env.example'), base_path('.env'));
+    }
     $this->envBackup = file_get_contents(base_path('.env'));
 });
 
 afterEach(function () {
-    file_put_contents(base_path('.env'), $this->envBackup);
+    if ($this->envExisted) {
+        file_put_contents(base_path('.env'), $this->envBackup);
+    } else {
+        @unlink(base_path('.env'));
+    }
 });
 
 it('requires a domain', function () {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/ZzDatabaseRefusalTest.php b/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/ZzDatabaseRefusalTest.php
index f6608474..dec8304c 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/ZzDatabaseRefusalTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/PilotSpec/ZzDatabaseRefusalTest.php
@@ -13,11 +13,21 @@ uses()->group('isolated');
 
 beforeEach(function () {
     Artisan::call('db:seed', ['--class' => 'DatabaseSeeder', '--force' => true]);
+    // CI has no .env; seed one the way an installer would so the
+    // env-writing paths under test have a real file to work against.
+    $this->envExisted = file_exists(base_path('.env'));
+    if (! $this->envExisted) {
+        copy(base_path('.env.example'), base_path('.env'));
+    }
     $this->envBackup = file_get_contents(base_path('.env'));
 });
 
 afterEach(function () {
-    file_put_contents(base_path('.env'), $this->envBackup);
+    if ($this->envExisted) {
+        file_put_contents(base_path('.env'), $this->envBackup);
+    } else {
+        @unlink(base_path('.env'));
+    }
 });
 
 it('refuses a database that already contains data, without touching the environment file', function () {