diff --git a/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/06_VMs.Tests.ps1 b/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/06_VMs.Tests.ps1
index 86263c2..4190347 100644
--- a/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/06_VMs.Tests.ps1
+++ b/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/06_VMs.Tests.ps1
@@ -17,16 +17,8 @@ BeforeAll {
 }
 
 AfterAll {
-    if (-not $script:SkipReason -and $script:TestVmId) {
-        # Stop and remove pester-test-vm and any clone
-        foreach ($vmId in @($script:TestVmId, ($script:TestVmId + 1000))) {
-            try {
-                Stop-PveVm -Node $script:Node -VmId $vmId -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
-                Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
-                Remove-PveVm -Node $script:Node -VmId $vmId -Force -Purge -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-            } catch { }
-        }
-    }
+    # Do NOT clean up pester-test-vm here — later test files (07_Snapshots,
+    # 09_CloudInit, 15_Tasks) depend on it. 99_Cleanup handles removal.
     Disconnect-TestPve
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/10_Containers.Tests.ps1 b/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/10_Containers.Tests.ps1
index d1312df..f5cf4d3 100644
--- a/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/10_Containers.Tests.ps1
+++ b/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/10_Containers.Tests.ps1
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ AfterAll {
     if ($null -eq $script:SkipReason) {
         foreach ($ctId in $script:CreatedContainerIds) {
             try {
-                Stop-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -VmId $ctId -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
-                Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
+                Stop-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -VmId $ctId -Wait -Timeout 30 -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
+            } catch { }
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
+            try {
                 Remove-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -VmId $ctId -Force -Purge -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-            }
-            catch { <# non-fatal #> }
+            } catch { }
         }
     }
     Disconnect-TestPve
diff --git a/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/99_Cleanup.Tests.ps1 b/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/99_Cleanup.Tests.ps1
index 9fc8b1e..247324b 100644
--- a/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/99_Cleanup.Tests.ps1
+++ b/tests/PSProxmoxVE.Tests/Integration/99_Cleanup.Tests.ps1
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ Describe 'Safety-Net Cleanup — Integration' -Tag 'Integration' {
             $pesterVms = $vms | Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'pester-*' }
             foreach ($vm in $pesterVms) {
                 try {
-                    Stop-PveVm -Node $script:Node -VmId $vm.VmId -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
-                    Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
+                    Stop-PveVm -Node $script:Node -VmId $vm.VmId -Wait -Timeout 30 -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
                 } catch { }
+                Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
                 try {
                     # Try removing as template first (templates need Remove-PveTemplate)
                     Remove-PveTemplate -Node $script:Node -VmId $vm.VmId -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ Describe 'Safety-Net Cleanup — Integration' -Tag 'Integration' {
                     } catch { }
                 }
             }
+            # Wait for removals to complete
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
 
             # Verify
             $remaining = Get-PveVm -Node $script:Node -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
@@ -45,13 +47,15 @@ Describe 'Safety-Net Cleanup — Integration' -Tag 'Integration' {
             $pesterCts = $containers | Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'pester-*' }
             foreach ($ct in $pesterCts) {
                 try {
-                    Stop-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -VmId $ct.VmId -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
-                    Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
+                    Stop-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -VmId $ct.VmId -Wait -Timeout 30 -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
                 } catch { }
+                Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
                 try {
                     Remove-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -VmId $ct.VmId -Force -Purge -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                 } catch { }
             }
+            # Wait for removals to complete
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
 
             # Verify
             $remaining = Get-PveContainer -Node $script:Node -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |