diff --git a/server/core_test.go b/server/core_test.go
index ac759ff..a8cb1b5 100644
--- a/server/core_test.go
+++ b/server/core_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestCoreTaskLifecyclePG(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// create a task → 201, returns PG task (string id + exploration_id)
-	code, out := doRetry("POST", "/api/tasks", map[string]string{"description": "smoke", "goal": "test SQLi/XSS"})
+	code, out := doRetry("POST", "/api/tasks", map[string]string{"description": "smoke", "goal": "Probe the lab target at http://127.0.0.1:9/v1 for unauthenticated data exposure; record one record as evidence and stop."})
 	if code != 201 {
 		t.Fatalf("create task: %d (%v)", code, out)
 	}
diff --git a/server/task_credentials_test.go b/server/task_credentials_test.go
index d53005b..215b3af 100644
--- a/server/task_credentials_test.go
+++ b/server/task_credentials_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func TestTaskCredentialsFlow(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	resp := request("POST", "/api/tasks", `{
 		"description": "credential flow test",
-		"goal": "verify task credentials",
+		"goal": "Verify credential handling against the lab target at http://127.0.0.1:9/v1 and record the outcome.",
 		"credentials": [
 			{"domain": "target.example.com", "username": "alias@test", "password": "s3cret!", "note": "program alias account"},
 			{"domain": "target.example.com", "username": "", "password": ""}
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func TestTaskCredentialsFlow(t *testing.T) {
 
 	resp = request("POST", "/api/tasks", `{
 		"description": "credential flow test",
-		"goal": "verify task credentials",
+		"goal": "Verify credential handling against the lab target at http://127.0.0.1:9/v1 and record the outcome.",
 		"credentials": [
 			{"domain": "target.example.com", "username": "alias@test", "password": "s3cret!", "note": "program alias account"},
 			{"domain": "app.target.example.com", "username": "agent-account", "password": ""}
diff --git a/server/task_llm.go b/server/task_llm.go
index a00b24d..4b4d078 100644
--- a/server/task_llm.go
+++ b/server/task_llm.go
@@ -120,6 +120,14 @@ func noteLLMCallFailure(taskID string, profileID int64) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// resetLLMFailStreaksForTest clears every streak; test isolation only (the
+// escalation counter is package-global in-memory state).
+func resetLLMFailStreaksForTest() {
+	llmFailStreaks.Lock()
+	llmFailStreaks.m = map[string]int{}
+	llmFailStreaks.Unlock()
+}
+
 func resetLLMFailStreak(taskID string, profileID int64) {
 	llmFailStreaks.Lock()
 	defer llmFailStreaks.Unlock()
diff --git a/server/task_llm_escalation_test.go b/server/task_llm_escalation_test.go
index 725b24d..e394e14 100644
--- a/server/task_llm_escalation_test.go
+++ b/server/task_llm_escalation_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (f *failingProvider) Complete(ctx context.Context, req llm.CompletionReques
 }
 
 func TestEscalationAdvancesAfterConsecutiveFailures(t *testing.T) {
-	resetAllLLMFailStreaksForTest()
+	resetLLMFailStreaksForTest()
 	prov := &failingProvider{err: errors.New("boom: upstream 500")}
 	profile := int64(7)
 	nextProfile := int64(8)
@@ -78,8 +78,3 @@ func TestEscalationAdvancesAfterConsecutiveFailures(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func resetAllLLMFailStreaksForTest() {
-	llmFailStreaks.Lock()
-	llmFailStreaks.m = map[string]int{}
-	llmFailStreaks.Unlock()
-}
diff --git a/server/task_llm_test.go b/server/task_llm_test.go
index be6fdd0..63ecd96 100644
--- a/server/task_llm_test.go
+++ b/server/task_llm_test.go
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ func TestTaskLLMStreamDoesNotSwitchForOrdinaryErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, message := range tests {
 		t.Run(message, func(t *testing.T) {
+			resetLLMFailStreaksForTest() // package-global streaks must not leak across subtests
 			provider := &scriptedLLMProvider{err: errors.New(message)}
 			exhausted := 0
 			hooks := taskLLMStreamHooks{