diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_release_lifecycle_rehearsal.py b/scripts/tests/test_release_lifecycle_rehearsal.py
index 97e5a7c7e6..00131f2f5b 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_release_lifecycle_rehearsal.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_release_lifecycle_rehearsal.py
@@ -490,11 +490,12 @@ def verify_browser_recovery_controls(controls_path: Path) -> None:
     fixed = {(kind, "upgrade") for kind in ("success", "anonymous-probes", "restart-gap",
                                            "wrong-preview", "silent-stream", "stuck-modal")}
     fixed.add(("success", "recovery"))
+    fixed.update((f"cleanup-{status}", "upgrade") for status in (401, 403))
     for endpoint in ("navigation", "authenticated-navigation", "login", "initial-version",
                      "authenticated-api", "check", "apply", "stream", "version", "health", "read"):
         fixed.update((f"{endpoint}-{status}", "upgrade") for status in (401, 403))
     results = controls["results"]
-    assert len(results) == len(fixed) == 29
+    assert len(results) == len(fixed) == 31
     assert {(row["fixture"], row["mode"]) for row in results} == fixed
     source = HARNESS_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     function = "run_browser_journey() {" + source.split("run_browser_journey() {", 1)[1].split("\n}\n", 1)[0] + "\n}"
diff --git a/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.cjs b/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.cjs
index 12fe55ce9b..1cb3c280fd 100644
--- a/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.cjs
+++ b/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.cjs
@@ -243,8 +243,13 @@ async function runJourney(browser, options) {
     throw error;
   } finally {
     await closeContext();
+    if (record.access_refused) {
+      record.status = 'failed';
+      record.failure_type ||= 'AssertionOrOperationError';
+    }
     if (options.outputDir) fs.writeFileSync(path.join(options.outputDir, `browser-${options.mode}.json`), JSON.stringify(record, null, 2) + '\n');
     assert.equal(record.context_closed, true, 'browser context cleanup failed');
+    requireAccess(); // A response received during cleanup cannot become a pass.
   }
   return record;
 }
diff --git a/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.test.cjs b/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.test.cjs
index dcca53da86..8a20120df5 100644
--- a/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/integration/scripts/release-browser-journey.test.cjs
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ function fixture(kind) {
       if (refuse('authenticated-api')) return;
       return json(200, {});
     }
+    if (url.pathname === '/api/cleanup-control') { refuse('cleanup'); return; }
     if (url.pathname === '/api/updates/check') {
       if (refuse('check')) return;
       return json(200, { latestVersion: kind === 'wrong-preview' ? '6.5.0-rc.1' : to.slice(1), downloadUrl });
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ async function runControls(outputDir) {
       ['anonymous-probes', 'upgrade', true, 1, 1], ['restart-gap', 'upgrade', true, 1, 1],
       ['wrong-preview', 'upgrade', false, 0, 1], ['silent-stream', 'upgrade', false, 1, 1],
       ['stuck-modal', 'upgrade', false, 1, 1],
+      ['cleanup-401', 'upgrade', false, 1, 1], ['cleanup-403', 'upgrade', false, 1, 1],
     ];
     for (const endpoint of ['navigation', 'authenticated-navigation', 'login', 'initial-version',
       'authenticated-api', 'check', 'apply', 'stream', 'version', 'health', 'read']) {
@@ -158,7 +160,22 @@ async function runControls(outputDir) {
       const folder = path.resolve(outputDir, `${kind}-${mode}`); fs.mkdirSync(folder, { recursive: true });
       let passed = false;
       try {
-        await runJourney(browser, { origin: `http://127.0.0.1:${target.server.address().port}`, mode, from, to,
+        // A real denied HTTP response deliberately arrives during cleanup,
+        // after the main checks. The observer must not leave a passed receipt.
+        // Only this fixture delays context disposal; no response is fabricated.
+        const testBrowser = kind.startsWith('cleanup-') ? {
+          version: () => browser.version(),
+          newContext: async options => {
+            const context = await browser.newContext(options);
+            const close = context.close.bind(context);
+            context.close = async () => {
+              await context.pages()[0].evaluate(() => fetch('/api/cleanup-control'));
+              await close();
+            };
+            return context;
+          },
+        } : browser;
+        await runJourney(testBrowser, { origin: `http://127.0.0.1:${target.server.address().port}`, mode, from, to,
           expected: mode === 'upgrade' ? to : from, auth: { username: 'synthetic', password: 'synthetic' },
           timeout: 1500, readinessTimeout: 3000, outputDir: folder });
         passed = true;