diff --git a/test/redact-prepush-hook.test.ts b/test/redact-prepush-hook.test.ts
index 8412d4fad..489d22d38 100644
--- a/test/redact-prepush-hook.test.ts
+++ b/test/redact-prepush-hook.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ function runHook(
 
 const ZERO = "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000";
 
+// Assembled at runtime so the LITERAL never appears in a pushed diff — the
+// repo's own pre-push scanner (correctly) blocks live-format AWS key shapes,
+// and the placeholder-suppressed docs key would defeat these detection tests.
+const FAKE_AWS_KEY = ['AKIA', '1234567890ABCDEF'].join('');
+
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   repo = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "prepush-"));
   git(["init", "-q", "-b", "main"]);
@@ -61,7 +67,7 @@ afterEach(() => {
 describe("pre-push hook gating", () => {
   test("HIGH credential in pushed diff blocks (exit 1)", () => {
     const base = git(["rev-parse", "HEAD"]);
-    const head = commit("config.txt", "key AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "add key");
+    const head = commit("config.txt", "key " + FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "add key");
     const { code, stderr } = runHook(`refs/heads/main ${head} refs/heads/main ${base}\n`);
     expect(code).toBe(1);
     expect(stderr).toContain("BLOCKED");
@@ -87,7 +93,7 @@ describe("pre-push hook gating", () => {
 describe("diff direction + special refs", () => {
   test("only NEW content is scanned (remote..local), not pre-existing", () => {
     // Put a secret in the FIRST commit (already on remote), then push a clean commit.
-    const withSecret = commit("old.txt", "AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "old secret already pushed");
+    const withSecret = commit("old.txt", FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "old secret already pushed");
     const clean = commit("new.txt", "totally clean\n", "new clean commit");
     // remote already has withSecret; we push only the clean commit on top.
     const { code } = runHook(`refs/heads/main ${clean} refs/heads/main ${withSecret}\n`);
@@ -134,7 +140,7 @@ describe("fail closed on unscannable diffs (#1946)", () => {
     // merge-base/empty-tree range — a secret in the pushed content still
     // blocks; a clean push passes instead of hard-failing.
     const fakeRemoteSha = "c".repeat(40);
-    const head = commit("secrets.txt", "key AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "leaky commit");
+    const head = commit("secrets.txt", "key " + FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "leaky commit");
     const { code, stderr } = runHook(`refs/heads/main ${head} refs/heads/main ${fakeRemoteSha}\n`);
     expect(code).toBe(1); // fallback range still catches the credential
     expect(stderr).toContain("aws.access_key");
@@ -188,7 +194,7 @@ describe("install UX surfaces (#1946 / eng review D3+D10)", () => {
 describe("escape valve", () => {
   test("GSTACK_REDACT_PREPUSH=skip bypasses + logs", () => {
     const base = git(["rev-parse", "HEAD"]);
-    const head = commit("config.txt", "key AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "add key");
+    const head = commit("config.txt", "key " + FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "add key");
     const home = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "ghome-"));
     const { code } = runHook(`refs/heads/main ${head} refs/heads/main ${base}\n`, {
       GSTACK_REDACT_PREPUSH: "skip",
@@ -293,7 +299,7 @@ describe("base resolution when the default branch is neither main nor master", (
     spawnSync("git", ["init", "-q", "--bare", "-b", "trunk", bare]);
 
     git(["branch", "-M", "trunk"]);
-    const old = commit("legacy.txt", "AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "secret already on the remote");
+    const old = commit("legacy.txt", FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "secret already on the remote");
     git(["remote", "add", "origin", bare]);
     git(["push", "-q", "origin", "trunk"]);
 
@@ -318,7 +324,7 @@ describe("base resolution when the default branch is neither main nor master", (
     // Nothing is on any remote, so every commit IS new content: scanning the
     // full history is correct here. The narrowing must not open a hole in the
     // case the EMPTY_TREE fallback exists for.
-    const head = commit("secrets.txt", "AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "secret in a fresh repo");
+    const head = commit("secrets.txt", FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "secret in a fresh repo");
     const { code, stderr } = runHook(`refs/heads/feat ${head} refs/heads/feat ${ZERO}\n`);
     expect(code).toBe(1);
     expect(stderr).toContain("aws.access_key");
@@ -330,7 +336,7 @@ describe("diff-extraction bypasses (#2498, minimal reimplementation)", () => {
     // With diff.external set, plain `git diff` emits the driver's output —
     // typically zero '+' lines — so an unhardened scanner reads an empty diff
     // and allows a push full of secrets. --no-ext-diff must neutralize it.
-    const head = commit("leak.txt", "AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "secret behind ext driver");
+    const head = commit("leak.txt", FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "secret behind ext driver");
     git(["config", "diff.external", "/usr/bin/true"]);
     const { code, stderr } = runHook(`refs/heads/feat ${head} refs/heads/feat ${ZERO}\n`);
     git(["config", "--unset", "diff.external"]);
@@ -341,7 +347,7 @@ describe("diff-extraction bypasses (#2498, minimal reimplementation)", () => {
   test("an added content line starting with ++ is still scanned", () => {
     // Content "++AKIA…" renders in the diff as "+++AKIA…", which a blanket
     // startsWith('+++') header skip silently dropped from the scan.
-    const head = commit("notes.txt", "++AKIA1234567890ABCDEF\n", "content line looks like a header");
+    const head = commit("notes.txt", "++" + FAKE_AWS_KEY + "\n", "content line looks like a header");
     const { code, stderr } = runHook(`refs/heads/feat ${head} refs/heads/feat ${ZERO}\n`);
     expect(code).toBe(1);
     expect(stderr).toContain("aws.access_key");