diff --git a/src/canvas-host/server.test.ts b/src/canvas-host/server.test.ts
index 600e6df74..06132469b 100644
--- a/src/canvas-host/server.test.ts
+++ b/src/canvas-host/server.test.ts
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ describe("canvas host", () => {
       await server.close();
       await fs.rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
     }
-  });
+  }, 10_000);
 
   it("serves the gateway-hosted A2UI scaffold", async () => {
     const dir = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "clawdbot-canvas-"));
diff --git a/src/canvas-host/server.ts b/src/canvas-host/server.ts
index 871c70e9f..85eb3bc33 100644
--- a/src/canvas-host/server.ts
+++ b/src/canvas-host/server.ts
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ export async function createCanvasHostHandler(
     ? chokidar.watch(rootReal, {
         ignoreInitial: true,
         awaitWriteFinish: { stabilityThreshold: 75, pollInterval: 10 },
+        usePolling: opts.allowInTests === true,
         ignored: [
           /(^|[\\/])\../, // dotfiles
           /(^|[\\/])node_modules([\\/]|$)/,
diff --git a/src/gateway/config-reload.ts b/src/gateway/config-reload.ts
index 65303873a..f053dcd2e 100644
--- a/src/gateway/config-reload.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/config-reload.ts
@@ -360,13 +360,18 @@ export function startGatewayConfigReloader(opts: {
   const watcher = chokidar.watch(opts.watchPath, {
     ignoreInitial: true,
     awaitWriteFinish: { stabilityThreshold: 200, pollInterval: 50 },
+    usePolling: Boolean(process.env.VITEST),
   });
 
   watcher.on("add", schedule);
   watcher.on("change", schedule);
   watcher.on("unlink", schedule);
+  let watcherClosed = false;
   watcher.on("error", (err) => {
+    if (watcherClosed) return;
+    watcherClosed = true;
     opts.log.warn(`config watcher error: ${String(err)}`);
+    void watcher.close().catch(() => {});
   });
 
   return {
@@ -374,6 +379,7 @@ export function startGatewayConfigReloader(opts: {
       stopped = true;
       if (debounceTimer) clearTimeout(debounceTimer);
       debounceTimer = null;
+      watcherClosed = true;
       await watcher.close().catch(() => {});
     },
   };