diff --git a/src/openhuman/memory/ops/documents.rs b/src/openhuman/memory/ops/documents.rs
index 9314f81bf3..bb2cca8116 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/memory/ops/documents.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/memory/ops/documents.rs
@@ -496,8 +496,53 @@ mod tests {
 
     use super::*;
 
-    fn ensure_memory_client() {
-        crate::openhuman::memory::ops::ensure_shared_memory_client();
+    /// Pins `OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE` to the shared memory workspace for a test's
+    /// duration, holding [`crate::openhuman::config::TEST_ENV_LOCK`] so sibling
+    /// tests that mutate the env var (e.g. `config::ops`, `update::ops`,
+    /// autonomy settings) cannot change it mid-run.
+    ///
+    /// `documents` tests are the only `memory::ops` tests that resolve the
+    /// workspace from the env var (`memory_init` → `current_workspace_dir` →
+    /// `Config::load_or_init`), so without this pin they race those tests and
+    /// `memory_init` intermittently fails — surfaced under `cargo-llvm-cov`
+    /// timing. Lock order is `GLOBAL_MEMORY_TEST_LOCK` → `TEST_ENV_LOCK` (the
+    /// test takes the memory lock first, then this guard takes the env lock); no
+    /// code path takes them in the opposite order, so there is no deadlock.
+    struct WorkspaceEnvGuard {
+        _env_lock: std::sync::MutexGuard<'static, ()>,
+        previous: Option<std::ffi::OsString>,
+    }
+
+    impl WorkspaceEnvGuard {
+        fn pin(workspace: &std::path::Path) -> Self {
+            let env_lock = crate::openhuman::config::TEST_ENV_LOCK
+                .lock()
+                .unwrap_or_else(|poisoned| poisoned.into_inner());
+            let previous = std::env::var_os("OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE");
+            std::env::set_var("OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE", workspace);
+            Self {
+                _env_lock: env_lock,
+                previous,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl Drop for WorkspaceEnvGuard {
+        fn drop(&mut self) {
+            match self.previous.take() {
+                Some(value) => std::env::set_var("OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE", value),
+                None => std::env::remove_var("OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE"),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Bind the shared memory client and pin `OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE` to its
+    /// workspace for the test (see [`WorkspaceEnvGuard`]). Hold the returned
+    /// guard for the whole test: `let _env = ensure_memory_client();`.
+    #[must_use]
+    fn ensure_memory_client() -> WorkspaceEnvGuard {
+        let workspace = crate::openhuman::memory::ops::ensure_shared_memory_client();
+        WorkspaceEnvGuard::pin(&workspace)
     }
 
     fn unique_namespace(prefix: &str) -> String {
diff --git a/src/openhuman/memory/ops/test_support.rs b/src/openhuman/memory/ops/test_support.rs
index ce543a93c5..f231a5d59e 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/memory/ops/test_support.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/memory/ops/test_support.rs
@@ -10,11 +10,17 @@
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 
-/// Binds the process-global memory client to a single shared temp workspace.
+/// Binds the process-global memory client to a single shared temp workspace and
+/// returns that workspace path.
 ///
 /// Safe to call from multiple test threads concurrently — subsequent calls with
 /// the same workspace path return the existing client without rebinding.
-pub(crate) fn ensure_shared_memory_client() {
+///
+/// The returned path lets callers whose RPC path *also* resolves the workspace
+/// from `OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE` (notably `memory::ops::documents` via
+/// `memory_init` → `current_workspace_dir`) pin the env var to this same path so
+/// the env and the bound client agree. See `documents::tests`.
+pub(crate) fn ensure_shared_memory_client() -> PathBuf {
     static WORKSPACE: OnceLock<PathBuf> = OnceLock::new();
     let workspace = WORKSPACE.get_or_init(|| {
         let tmp = tempfile::TempDir::new().expect("tempdir");
@@ -25,4 +31,5 @@ pub(crate) fn ensure_shared_memory_client() {
     });
     crate::openhuman::memory::global::init(workspace.clone())
         .expect("initialize shared test memory client");
+    workspace.clone()
 }