diff --git a/src/native/metadata/NativeSectionDirectory.ts b/src/native/metadata/NativeSectionDirectory.ts
index dc88f86538..7c2fe417c4 100644
--- a/src/native/metadata/NativeSectionDirectory.ts
+++ b/src/native/metadata/NativeSectionDirectory.ts
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ export function* readElfSectionDirectory(
   }
   return {
     format: "elf",
-    elf_os_abi: parsed.value.osAbi,
+    elf_os_abi: header.osAbi,
     bits,
     little,
     machine,
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/elfDeclaredRanges.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/elfDeclaredRanges.test.ts
index 81e0041c40..0437fc359d 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/elfDeclaredRanges.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/elfDeclaredRanges.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { join } from "node:path";
 import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { parseBinaryTarget } from "../../../src/application/BinaryTargetResolver.js";
 import { elf } from "../../../src/domain/binaryTarget.fixture.js";
+import { expectBinaryTargetError } from "../../fixtures/binaryTargetAdmission.js";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
 
 const image = (bits: 32 | 64, little: boolean) => {
@@ -85,8 +86,9 @@ for (const bits of [32, 64] as const) {
             reason: expect.stringContaining(`truncated ELF ${declaration}`),
           },
         });
-        if (result.ok) throw new Error("Expected a declared range refusal");
-        expect(result.error.reason).toContain(`${length}-byte file`);
+        expect(expectBinaryTargetError(result).reason).toContain(
+          `${length}-byte file`,
+        );
       }
     });
 
@@ -117,8 +119,9 @@ for (const bits of [32, 64] as const) {
       fixture.word(fixture.program + (bits === 64 ? 8 : 4), maximum);
       const result = await admit(fixture.bytes);
       expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: false });
-      if (result.ok) throw new Error("Expected an out-of-file range");
-      expect(result.error.reason).toContain(`${maximum}..${maximum + 16n}`);
+      expect(expectBinaryTargetError(result).reason).toContain(
+        `${maximum}..${maximum + 16n}`,
+      );
     });
   }
 }
@@ -153,7 +156,8 @@ it.each(["sections", "programs", "section names"] as const)(
     expect((await admit(bytes)).ok).toBe(true);
     const truncated = await admit(bytes.subarray(0, bytes.length - 1));
     expect(truncated).toMatchObject({ ok: false });
-    if (truncated.ok) throw new Error("Expected an extended table refusal");
-    expect(truncated.error.reason).toContain("truncated ELF");
+    expect(expectBinaryTargetError(truncated).reason).toContain(
+      "truncated ELF",
+    );
   },
 );
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/mipsSharedLoad.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/mipsSharedLoad.test.ts
index 9f8665e5b7..ac52cd7936 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/mipsSharedLoad.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/mipsSharedLoad.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { it } from "vitest";
 import { parseBinaryTarget } from "../../../src/application/BinaryTargetResolver.js";
 import { readMipsElfMetadata } from "../../../src/application/MipsElfMetadata.js";
 import { AnalysisCancelledError } from "../../../src/domain/analysisErrorCore.js";
+import { expectBinaryTargetError } from "../../fixtures/binaryTargetAdmission.js";
 import {
   ghidraMipsProfileParameters,
   ghidraMipsUnsupportedReason,
@@ -224,8 +225,10 @@ it("does not treat uncaptured ABI declaration headers as an inspected absence",
   bytes.writeUInt16LE(1, 48);
   const path = await writeFixture(bytes);
   const admitted = await parseBinaryTarget(path);
-  assert.ok(!admitted.ok);
-  assert.match(admitted.error.reason, /truncated ELF section header table/u);
+  assert.match(
+    expectBinaryTargetError(admitted).reason,
+    /truncated ELF section header table/u,
+  );
   // The specialized inspector still retains unknown source facts if used on
   // damaged evidence; normal target admission refuses its impossible extent.
   const declarations = await inspectSource(path);
@@ -304,8 +307,10 @@ it.each(malformed)(
     if (rejectsExtent) {
       const path = await writeFixture(bytes);
       const admitted = await parseBinaryTarget(path);
-      assert.ok(!admitted.ok);
-      assert.match(admitted.error.reason, /truncated ELF program \d/u);
+      assert.match(
+        expectBinaryTargetError(admitted).reason,
+        /truncated ELF program \d/u,
+      );
       const declarations = await inspectSource(path);
       assert.ok(declarations.ok);
       assert.equal(declarations.value.sharedLoad?.status, "unavailable");
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/binaryTargetAdmission.ts b/tests/fixtures/binaryTargetAdmission.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..41e14984e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/binaryTargetAdmission.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import type { parseBinaryTarget } from "../../src/application/BinaryTargetResolver.js";
+import { BinaryTargetError } from "../../src/domain/configurationErrors.js";
+
+/** Require target admission failure rather than an unrelated cancellation. */
+export const expectBinaryTargetError = (
+  result: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof parseBinaryTarget>>,
+): BinaryTargetError => {
+  assert.ok(!result.ok, "Expected target admission to fail");
+  assert.ok(
+    result.error instanceof BinaryTargetError,
+    "Expected a target admission error",
+  );
+  return result.error;
+};