diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index bbda02a..055677c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -68,7 +68,15 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Unit tests (pulse)
         working-directory: packages/pulse
-        run: bun test
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          OUTPUT=$(bun test 2>&1)
+          echo "$OUTPUT"
+          FAIL_COUNT=$(echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -oP '\d+ fail' | grep -oP '\d+' || echo "0")
+          if [ "$FAIL_COUNT" != "0" ]; then
+            echo "Tests failed: $FAIL_COUNT"
+            exit 1
+          fi
 
       - name: Unit tests (pulse-hermes)
         working-directory: packages/pulse-hermes
diff --git a/packages/pulse/src/index.test.ts b/packages/pulse/src/index.test.ts
index 6d7c16a..6cefb44 100644
--- a/packages/pulse/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/pulse/src/index.test.ts
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ describe('rebuildSnapshot', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     store.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
@@ -310,7 +311,8 @@ describe('runPulse effects', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     store.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
@@ -485,7 +487,8 @@ describe('findEffectiveEpoch', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     store.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
@@ -551,7 +554,8 @@ describe('rebuildSnapshot with epoch', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     store.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
@@ -781,7 +785,8 @@ describe('rebuildSnapshot vitals priority', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     store.close();
     vitalsStore.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
@@ -890,7 +895,8 @@ describe('runPulse execute-driven collect', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     store.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
@@ -957,7 +963,9 @@ describe('runPulse with ScopedStore', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    // Wait for async watcher/tick loops to settle before closing DBs
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
     scopedStore.close();
     rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
diff --git a/packages/pulse/src/rule-projections.test.ts b/packages/pulse/src/rule-projections.test.ts
index 9548447..6754a86 100644
--- a/packages/pulse/src/rule-projections.test.ts
+++ b/packages/pulse/src/rule-projections.test.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ beforeEach(async () => {
   });
 });
 
-afterEach(() => {
+afterEach(async () => {
+  // Wait for async runPulseV2 loops to settle before cleanup
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
   systemDb?.close();
   scopedStore?.close();
   rmSync(tempDir, { recursive: true });