diff --git a/tests/fm-azure-pilot.test.sh b/tests/fm-azure-pilot.test.sh
index 61911b4daaa..859e8292a07 100755
--- a/tests/fm-azure-pilot.test.sh
+++ b/tests/fm-azure-pilot.test.sh
@@ -1883,6 +1883,13 @@ urllib.request.urlopen = urlopen
 ''', encoding="utf-8")
 PY
 
+  set --
+  # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
+  . "$sourceable"
+  SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
+  export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook" FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls"
+  export FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=throttle
+
   python3 - "$cache" <<'PY'
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -1892,17 +1899,8 @@ Path(sys.argv[1]).write_text(json.dumps({
     "Standard_D4as_v6": {"rate": 0.25, "fetched_at": time.time()},
 }) + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
 PY
-  output=$(
-    (
-      set --
-      # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
-      . "$sourceable"
-      SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
-      export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook"
-      export FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls" FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=throttle
-      retail_price Standard_D4as_v6
-    )
-  ) || fail "a fresh cached retail rate was refused: $output"
+  output=$(retail_price Standard_D4as_v6) || \
+    fail "a fresh cached retail rate was refused: $output"
   [ "$output" = 0.25 ] || fail "the fresh cached retail rate changed: $output"
   [ ! -e "$calls" ] || fail "a fresh retail-rate cache entry still called prices.azure.com"
 
@@ -1914,39 +1912,20 @@ Path(sys.argv[1]).write_text(json.dumps({
     "Standard_D4as_v6": {"rate": 0.25, "fetched_at": 0},
 }) + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
 PY
-  output=$(
-    (
-      set --
-      # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
-      . "$sourceable"
-      SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
-      export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook"
-      export FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls" FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=throttle
-      retail_price Standard_D4as_v6
-    )
-  ) || fail "a throttled live lookup did not fall back to the stale validated rate: $output"
+  output=$(retail_price Standard_D4as_v6) || \
+    fail "a throttled live lookup did not fall back to the stale validated rate: $output"
   [ "$output" = 0.25 ] || fail "the stale fallback retail rate changed: $output"
   [ "$(wc -l <"$calls" | tr -d ' ')" = 1 ] || fail "the stale rate did not make exactly one live refresh attempt"
 
   rm -f "$cache" "$calls"
   set +e
-  output=$(
-    (
-      set --
-      # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
-      . "$sourceable"
-      SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
-      export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook"
-      export FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls" FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=throttle
-      CAPACITY_PROFILE=full
-      SUPERVISOR_SKU=Standard_D2as_v6
-      WORKER_SKUS_JSON='[]'
-      COMMISSIONING_BUDGET_CEILING_USD=1500
-      WORKER_HOUR_PLANNING_THRESHOLD=3500
-      AUTHOR_CAPACITY_MODE=mixed-current
-      cost_gate
-    ) 2>&1
-  )
+  CAPACITY_PROFILE=full
+  SUPERVISOR_SKU=Standard_D2as_v6
+  WORKER_SKUS_JSON='[]'
+  COMMISSIONING_BUDGET_CEILING_USD=1500
+  WORKER_HOUR_PLANNING_THRESHOLD=3500
+  AUTHOR_CAPACITY_MODE=mixed-current
+  output=$(cost_gate 2>&1)
   status=$?
   set -e
   expect_code 2 "$status" "a missing cache plus throttled live rate must refuse admission: $output"
@@ -1964,57 +1943,30 @@ Path(sys.argv[1]).write_text(json.dumps({
 PY
   rm -f "$calls"
   set +e
-  output=$(
-    (
-      set --
-      # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
-      . "$sourceable"
-      SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
-      export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook"
-      export FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls" FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=throttle
-      retail_price Standard_D4as_v6
-    ) 2>&1
-  )
+  output=$(retail_price Standard_D4as_v6 2>&1)
   status=$?
   set -e
   [ "$status" -ne 0 ] || fail "a malformed cached retail rate bypassed the failed live lookup: $output"
 
   rm -f "$cache" "$calls"
-  output=$(
-    (
-      set --
-      # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
-      . "$sourceable"
-      SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
-      export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook"
-      export FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls" FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=exact
-      retail_price Standard_D4as_v6
-    )
-  ) || fail "the exact Linux on-demand primary meter was refused: $output"
+  FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=exact
+  output=$(retail_price Standard_D4as_v6) || \
+    fail "the exact Linux on-demand primary meter was refused: $output"
   [ "$output" = 0.25 ] || fail "the exact live meter returned an unexpected rate: $output"
 
   rm -f "$cache" "$calls"
   set +e
-  output=$(
-    (
-      set --
-      # shellcheck source=bin/fm-azure-pilot.sh
-      . "$sourceable"
-      SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$SCRIPT")
-      export FM_HOME="$tmp/home" PYTHONPATH="$hook"
-      export FM_PRICE_TEST_CALLS="$calls" FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=ambiguous
-      retail_price Standard_D4as_v6
-    ) 2>&1
-  )
+  FM_PRICE_TEST_MODE=ambiguous
+  output=$(retail_price Standard_D4as_v6 2>&1)
   status=$?
   set -e
   [ "$status" -ne 0 ] || fail "ambiguous eligible on-demand meters were accepted: $output"
   pass "pilot retail admission reuses fresh and stale exact-meter cache entries and fails closed without one"
 }
 
-run_retail_rate_cache_check
 run_create_replay_idempotence_check
 run_provider_action_bound_check
 run_worker_power_gate_check
+run_retail_rate_cache_check
 
 echo "# fm-azure-pilot.test.sh: all assertions passed"