diff --git a/decnet/web/ingester.py b/decnet/web/ingester.py
index b7d51f1a..d8c791bc 100644
--- a/decnet/web/ingester.py
+++ b/decnet/web/ingester.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from decnet.web.db.repository import BaseRepository
 logger = get_logger("api")
 
 _INGEST_STATE_KEY = "ingest_worker_position"
+_sleep = asyncio.sleep  # module-level alias so tests patch here, not the global asyncio singleton
 
 
 async def log_ingestion_worker(repo: BaseRepository) -> None:
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ async def _run_loop(
     while True:
         try:
             if not _json_log_path.exists():
-                await asyncio.sleep(2)
+                await _sleep(2)
                 continue
 
             _stat: os.stat_result = _json_log_path.stat()
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ async def _run_loop(
 
             if _stat.st_size == _position:
                 # No new data
-                await asyncio.sleep(1)
+                await _sleep(1)
                 continue
 
             # Accumulate parsed rows and the file offset they end at.  We
@@ -149,9 +150,9 @@ async def _run_loop(
                 break  # Exit worker — DB is gone or uninitialized
 
             logger.error("ingest: error in worker: %s", _e)
-            await asyncio.sleep(5)
+            await _sleep(5)
 
-        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+        await _sleep(1)
 
 
 async def _publish_batch(bus: Any, flushed: int, position: int) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/web/test_api_startup_guards.py b/tests/web/test_api_startup_guards.py
index f6f9d17f..c2f335ce 100644
--- a/tests/web/test_api_startup_guards.py
+++ b/tests/web/test_api_startup_guards.py
@@ -30,17 +30,26 @@ def _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
 
 
 async def _run_lifespan_startup(api_mod) -> None:
-    """Run the lifespan up to (but not past) yield, then unwind cleanly."""
-    app = FastAPI()
-    cm = api_mod.lifespan(app)
-    await cm.__aenter__()
+    """Run the lifespan up to (but not past) yield, then unwind cleanly.
+
+    DECNET_CONTRACT_TEST suppresses all background workers (ingestion,
+    collector, TTP, tarpit) so no tasks escape test teardown.
+    """
+    import os
+    os.environ["DECNET_CONTRACT_TEST"] = "true"
     try:
-        return
-    finally:
+        app = FastAPI()
+        cm = api_mod.lifespan(app)
+        await cm.__aenter__()
         try:
-            await cm.__aexit__(None, None, None)
-        except Exception:
-            pass
+            return
+        finally:
+            try:
+                await cm.__aexit__(None, None, None)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+    finally:
+        os.environ.pop("DECNET_CONTRACT_TEST", None)
 
 
 def test_master_api_refuses_to_start_in_agent_mode(
diff --git a/tests/web/test_ingester.py b/tests/web/test_ingester.py
index d7efce6d..89b8669e 100644
--- a/tests/web/test_ingester.py
+++ b/tests/web/test_ingester.py
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
         mock_repo.add_logs.assert_not_awaited()
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)
 
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ class TestLogIngestionWorker:
                 raise asyncio.CancelledError()
 
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE": log_file}):
-            with patch("decnet.web.ingester.asyncio.sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
+            with patch("decnet.web.ingester._sleep", side_effect=fake_sleep):
                 with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
                     await log_ingestion_worker(mock_repo)