diff --git a/services/earnings/jobs/capture.py b/services/earnings/jobs/capture.py
index 91c828ff..79e109c5 100644
--- a/services/earnings/jobs/capture.py
+++ b/services/earnings/jobs/capture.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import importlib
 import json
 import logging
 import os
@@ -96,6 +97,22 @@
 
 _LOG = logging.getLogger("services.earnings.jobs.capture")
 
+
+def _load_gcs_storage() -> object:
+    """Resolve ``google.cloud.storage``, honoring a ``sys.modules`` stub.
+
+    Uses :func:`importlib.import_module` instead of ``from google.cloud import
+    storage``. ``google.cloud`` is a PEP-420 namespace package: once the real
+    ``google.cloud.storage`` submodule is imported anywhere in the process (e.g.
+    transitively via ``gcsfs`` under the ``[satellite]`` extra) Python binds it as
+    an attribute on the ``google.cloud`` package object, and a ``from google.cloud
+    import storage`` statement then reads that attribute and skips ``sys.modules`` —
+    silently bypassing a test's injected fake. ``importlib.import_module`` consults
+    ``sys.modules`` first, so the fake wins regardless of import order; runtime
+    behavior is byte-identical when no stub is present."""
+    return importlib.import_module("google.cloud.storage")
+
+
 #: The Pub/Sub ack-deadline (seconds) the lease loop resets the message to on each
 #: extension. Pub/Sub caps modify_ack_deadline at 600s; a 60-90 min capture needs
 #: many extensions, so we re-lease at 600 and refresh well before it lapses.
@@ -270,9 +287,11 @@ def _upload_handoff(audio_path: str, bucket: str, *, ticker: str, call_id: str)
     The cross-service handoff to STT (capture and STT do NOT share a disk). The
     object key is namespaced by ``(ticker, call_id)``; it lands in the private,
     in-firewall ``AUDIO_HANDOFF_BUCKET`` — NOT R2, NEVER served. STT downloads it,
-    transcribes, and deletes it. ``google-cloud-storage`` is lazy-imported here.
+    transcribes, and deletes it. ``google-cloud-storage`` is lazy-imported here
+    (via importlib so a test's sys.modules stub is honored even after the real
+    submodule was imported elsewhere — see _load_gcs_storage).
     """
-    from google.cloud import storage
+    storage = _load_gcs_storage()
 
     ext = os.path.splitext(audio_path)[1] or ".audio"
     blob_name = f"handoff/{ticker}/{call_id}{ext}"
diff --git a/services/earnings/jobs/stt.py b/services/earnings/jobs/stt.py
index a0391192..3eabff3d 100644
--- a/services/earnings/jobs/stt.py
+++ b/services/earnings/jobs/stt.py
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import importlib
 import logging
 import os
 import tempfile
@@ -64,6 +65,26 @@
 
 from services.earnings.jobs._env import optional_env, require_env
 
+
+def _load_gcs_storage() -> object:
+    """Resolve the ``google.cloud.storage`` module, honoring a ``sys.modules`` stub.
+
+    Uses :func:`importlib.import_module` rather than ``from google.cloud import
+    storage``. ``google.cloud`` is a PEP-420 namespace package: the first time the
+    real ``google.cloud.storage`` submodule is imported ANYWHERE in the process
+    (e.g. transitively via ``gcsfs`` under the ``[satellite]`` extra), Python binds
+    it as an attribute on the already-loaded ``google.cloud`` package object. After
+    that, a ``from google.cloud import storage`` statement reads that bound
+    attribute and NEVER consults ``sys.modules`` — so a test's
+    ``monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "google.cloud.storage", fake)`` is silently
+    bypassed and the real client is used (a test-isolation footgun that only
+    surfaces in a venv where something already imported the real submodule).
+    ``importlib.import_module`` consults ``sys.modules`` FIRST, so the injected fake
+    wins regardless of import order. Runtime behavior is byte-identical to the
+    import statement when no stub is present (same real module object)."""
+    return importlib.import_module("google.cloud.storage")
+
+
 _LOG = logging.getLogger("services.earnings.jobs.stt")
 
 
@@ -118,7 +139,10 @@ def _resolve_audio_reference(
 
     bucket, key = gs
     # Lazy import: google-cloud-storage only when a GCS handoff object is fetched.
-    from google.cloud import storage
+    # Resolved via importlib (not `from google.cloud import storage`) so a test's
+    # sys.modules stub is honored even after the real submodule was imported
+    # elsewhere (see _load_gcs_storage).
+    storage = _load_gcs_storage()
 
     ext = os.path.splitext(key)[1] or ".audio"
     fd, local_path = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix="earnings-stt-handoff-", suffix=ext)
@@ -143,7 +167,7 @@ def _delete_handoff_source(bucket: str, key: str) -> None:
     data (the ledger has the transcript) and is logged loudly (the bucket lifecycle
     policy is the backstop) rather than failing the already-successful call.
     """
-    from google.cloud import storage
+    storage = _load_gcs_storage()
 
     try:
         storage.Client().bucket(bucket).blob(key).delete()