diff --git a/src/scheduler/testsuite/test_sim_reconcile_unaccounted.c b/src/scheduler/testsuite/test_sim_reconcile_unaccounted.c
index 25ae9b65..cbef3fbf 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/testsuite/test_sim_reconcile_unaccounted.c
+++ b/src/scheduler/testsuite/test_sim_reconcile_unaccounted.c
@@ -800,6 +800,7 @@ static void test_reconcile_skips_job_that_already_has_accounts(void)
         TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(nread == len);
     }
     close(fd);
+    unlink(tmp); /* capture read back -- drop the scratch file (bug-924) */
 
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_PTR_MESSAGE(
         accounts_before, job->accounts,
@@ -1189,6 +1190,7 @@ test_reconcile_reports_reconstructed_decision_through_existing_channel(void)
         TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(nread == len);
     }
     close(fd);
+    unlink(tmp); /* capture read back -- drop the scratch file (bug-924) */
 
     /* The reconciliation itself (task 2.3) still happened. */
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_PTR(jalloc, job->allocs);
@@ -1886,6 +1888,7 @@ test_reconcile_continue_mode_with_repl_state_suppresses_bare_decision_line(
         TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(nread == len);
     }
     close(fd);
+    unlink(tmp); /* capture read back -- drop the scratch file (bug-924) */
 
     /* The reconciliation itself (task 2.3) still happened -- this gate only
      * ever affects the console print, nothing else in the reporting chain. */
@@ -1982,6 +1985,7 @@ test_reconcile_step_mode_with_repl_state_still_prints_bare_decision_line(
         TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(nread == len);
     }
     close(fd);
+    unlink(tmp); /* capture read back -- drop the scratch file (bug-924) */
 
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_PTR(jalloc, job->allocs);
     TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(job->accounts);