diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 27ece9e..0666239 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 /research/           export-ignore
 /tests/              export-ignore
 /.gitattributes      export-ignore
+/.gitleaks.toml      export-ignore
 /.gitignore          export-ignore
 /.editorconfig       export-ignore
 /BUILD-LOG.md        export-ignore
diff --git a/.gitguardian.yaml b/.gitguardian.yaml
index 800acfb..0a6ecef 100644
--- a/.gitguardian.yaml
+++ b/.gitguardian.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 version: 2
 
 secret:
+  ignored_paths:
+    - "tests/Fixtures/**/*"
   ignored-matches:
     # --- Still on `KEY=value` lines in the current tree, so these are the
     # --- entries actually doing work.
diff --git a/.gitleaks.toml b/.gitleaks.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e08482f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitleaks.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# gitleaks policy. Written by agent-kit's secret_scan.py; extend it by hand, narrowly.
+# Only named fixture and example-env paths are allowlisted; secret_scan.py still
+# searches them for live-format keys. A realistic fake elsewhere carries an inline
+# `gitleaks:allow` comment instead.
+[extend]
+useDefault = true
+
+[[allowlists]]
+description = "Named fixture and example-env paths (agent-kit secret_scan.py)"
+paths = [
+  '''^tests/Fixtures/(?:.*/)?[^/]*$''',
+]
diff --git a/tests/Feature/EncryptionTest.php b/tests/Feature/EncryptionTest.php
index 277c4b4..3f5bbcb 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/EncryptionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/EncryptionTest.php
@@ -44,23 +44,23 @@
 });
 
 it('encrypts a value at rest and decrypts it back', function () {
-    $path = $this->bindEnv("API_TOKEN=plaintext-secret\n", ['laranail.env-kit.auto_backup' => false]);
+    $path = $this->bindEnv("API_TOKEN=test-secret-not-real\n", ['laranail.env-kit.auto_backup' => false]);
 
     EnvKit::encrypt('API_TOKEN');
 
     // at rest the file holds ciphertext, not the plaintext
     $raw = (string) file_get_contents($path);
-    expect($raw)->not->toContain('plaintext-secret')
+    expect($raw)->not->toContain('test-secret-not-real')
         ->and($raw)->toContain('envkit:');
 
     // get() returns the at-rest ciphertext; getDecrypted() returns the plaintext
-    expect(EnvKit::get('API_TOKEN'))->not->toBe('plaintext-secret')
-        ->and(EnvKit::getDecrypted('API_TOKEN'))->toBe('plaintext-secret');
+    expect(EnvKit::get('API_TOKEN'))->not->toBe('test-secret-not-real')
+        ->and(EnvKit::getDecrypted('API_TOKEN'))->toBe('test-secret-not-real');
 
     // decrypt() restores plaintext at rest
     EnvKit::decrypt('API_TOKEN');
-    expect((string) file_get_contents($path))->toContain('API_TOKEN=plaintext-secret')
-        ->and(EnvKit::get('API_TOKEN'))->toBe('plaintext-secret');
+    expect((string) file_get_contents($path))->toContain('API_TOKEN=test-secret-not-real')
+        ->and(EnvKit::get('API_TOKEN'))->toBe('test-secret-not-real');
 });
 
 it('setEncrypted stores ciphertext that getDecrypted reads back', function () {
diff --git a/tests/Unit/SecretLeakTest.php b/tests/Unit/SecretLeakTest.php
index 5bdf3fc..cfd2abb 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/SecretLeakTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/SecretLeakTest.php
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 });
 
 it('scrubs a secret out of any message via the redactor', function () {
-    $secret = 'super-secret-token-ABC123';
+    $secret = 'test-secret-not-real';
 
-    $scrubbed = (new SecretRedactor)->scrub("dsn=postgres://u:{$secret}@h/db", [$secret]);
+    $scrubbed = (new SecretRedactor)->scrub('dsn=postgres://u:' . $secret . '@h/db', [$secret]);
 
     expect($scrubbed)->not->toContain($secret);
 });