diff --git a/tests/boundary/cli/adbCli.test.ts b/tests/boundary/cli/adbCli.test.ts
index 26d376977e..f361667804 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/cli/adbCli.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/cli/adbCli.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 
-import { serveCli as serve } from "./cliServeHarness.js";
+import {
+  expectConfigurationRefusal,
+  serveCli as serve,
+} from "./cliServeHarness.js";
 
 it.each([
   ["inspect-adb-client"],
@@ -35,25 +38,26 @@ it.each([
 });
 
 it.each([
-  ["inspect-adb-client", "/nonexistent/adb", "not found"],
-  ["list-adb-devices", "relative/adb", "absolute path"],
+  [
+    ["inspect-adb-client", "--json"],
+    "/nonexistent/adb",
+    "The selected adb binary was not found: /nonexistent/adb. Set REA_ADB_PATH",
+  ],
+  [
+    ["list-adb-devices", "--json"],
+    "/nonexistent/adb",
+    "The selected adb binary was not found: /nonexistent/adb. Set REA_ADB_PATH",
+  ],
+  [
+    ["list-adb-devices", "--json"],
+    "relative/adb",
+    "REA_ADB_PATH must be an absolute path to the adb binary.",
+  ],
 ])(
-  "%s names the adb configuration requirement",
-  async (command, binary, cause) => {
-    const result = await serve([command, "--json"], {
-      REA_ADB_PATH: binary,
-    });
-    const output = JSON.parse(result.stdout) as {
-      code?: unknown;
-      message?: unknown;
-      remediation?: { action?: unknown };
-    };
-    expect(output.code).toBe("capability_unavailable");
-    expect(output.message).toEqual(expect.stringContaining(cause));
-    expect(output.message).toEqual(expect.stringContaining("REA_ADB_PATH"));
-    expect(output.remediation?.action).toEqual(
-      expect.stringContaining("REA_ADB_PATH"),
-    );
+  "%j with REA_ADB_PATH=%s names the host requirement",
+  async (argv, binary, reason) => {
+    const result = await serve(argv, { REA_ADB_PATH: binary });
+    expectConfigurationRefusal(result, reason);
   },
 );
 
diff --git a/tests/boundary/cli/apktoolCli.test.ts b/tests/boundary/cli/apktoolCli.test.ts
index e3415e6f0b..f52855b788 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/cli/apktoolCli.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/cli/apktoolCli.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 
-import { serveCli as serve } from "./cliServeHarness.js";
+import {
+  expectConfigurationRefusal,
+  serveCli as serve,
+} from "./cliServeHarness.js";
 
 it.each(["inspect-apktool-client", "decode-android-resources"])(
   "%s advertises a schema through the public CLI",
@@ -32,15 +35,7 @@ it.each([
   "%j with REA_APKTOOL_COMMAND=%s names the host requirement",
   async (argv, command, reason) => {
     const result = await serve(argv, { REA_APKTOOL_COMMAND: command });
-    const output = JSON.parse(result.stdout) as {
-      code?: unknown;
-      message?: unknown;
-      remediation?: { action?: unknown };
-    };
-    expect(output.code).toBe("capability_unavailable");
-    // The target is not the problem; the refusal must say what to configure.
-    expect(output.message).toEqual(expect.stringContaining(reason));
-    expect(output.remediation?.action).toEqual(expect.stringContaining(reason));
+    expectConfigurationRefusal(result, reason);
   },
 );
 
diff --git a/tests/boundary/cli/cliServeHarness.ts b/tests/boundary/cli/cliServeHarness.ts
index 35676e842b..827d1c3e32 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/cli/cliServeHarness.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/cli/cliServeHarness.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+
 import { createCli } from "../../../src/cli.js";
 
 /** Captured CLI invocation for boundary tests. */
@@ -25,3 +27,18 @@ export const serveCli = async (
   });
   return { stdout, exitCode };
 };
+
+/** A host tool configuration refusal names what to configure, not the target. */
+export const expectConfigurationRefusal = (
+  result: ServedCli,
+  reason: string,
+): void => {
+  const output = JSON.parse(result.stdout) as {
+    code?: unknown;
+    message?: unknown;
+    remediation?: { action?: unknown };
+  };
+  expect(output.code).toBe("capability_unavailable");
+  expect(output.message).toEqual(expect.stringContaining(reason));
+  expect(output.remediation?.action).toEqual(expect.stringContaining(reason));
+};