diff --git a/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/session_manager.rs b/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/session_manager.rs
index 22b7c2d..487d969 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/session_manager.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/session_manager.rs
@@ -84,6 +84,19 @@ async fn create_rolls_back_tmux_session_when_sidecar_write_fails() {
     std::fs::create_dir_all(&sidecar_dir).unwrap();
     std::fs::set_permissions(&sidecar_dir, std::fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o500)).unwrap();
 
+    // The failure is injected by making the sidecar dir read-only — but root
+    // bypasses directory permission bits, so the write would succeed and the
+    // rollback path never trigger. CI runs as root; detect that with a write
+    // probe and skip rather than report a spurious failure (the rollback is
+    // still covered in any non-root environment).
+    let probe = sidecar_dir.join(".perm_probe");
+    if std::fs::write(&probe, b"x").is_ok() {
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&probe);
+        std::fs::set_permissions(&sidecar_dir, std::fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o700)).unwrap();
+        eprintln!("skipping: sidecar dir writable despite 0o500 (running as root?)");
+        return;
+    }
+
     let res = fx
         .manager
         .create(CreateSessionRequest {