diff --git a/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_config_verify.py b/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_config_verify.py
index a49ff6512..511b06500 100644
--- a/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_config_verify.py
+++ b/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_config_verify.py
@@ -2,19 +2,15 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import json
+import shutil
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from metaobjects.cli import main
 from tests.codegen.gen_suite import GEN_SUITE
 from tests.codegen.config_helpers import as_config
 
-FITNESS = (
-    Path(__file__).parents[4]
-    / "fixtures"
-    / "persistence-conformance"
-    / "canonical"
-    / "meta.fitness.json"
-)
+CANONICAL = Path(__file__).parents[4] / "fixtures" / "persistence-conformance" / "canonical"
+FITNESS = CANONICAL / "meta.fitness.json"
 
 TWO_TARGETS = """
 targets:
@@ -59,6 +55,9 @@ def test_verify_codegen_no_args_in_sync(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 
 def test_verify_codegen_bare_defaults_to_codegen(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch) -> None:
     _project(tmp_path)
+    # Bare verify also runs the template gate against `prompts/` (the default root), and the
+    # fitness model's `template.prompt` refs resolve there.
+    shutil.copytree(CANONICAL / "prompts", tmp_path / "prompts")
     monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
     assert main(["gen"]) == 0
     assert main(["verify"]) == 0  # bare verify → --codegen (config-driven), plus --templates
diff --git a/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_verify_requirements.py b/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_verify_requirements.py
index 544ef81b6..c8f3dec2a 100644
--- a/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_verify_requirements.py
+++ b/server/python/tests/codegen/test_cli_verify_requirements.py
@@ -434,9 +434,12 @@ def test_a_model_with_no_requirement_and_no_generators_selected_still_exits_0_an
     assert _verify_with_nothing_selected(tmp_path, meta_dir) == 0
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert captured.out == _NOTHING_TO_CHECK_OUT
-    # stderr holds the one line a bare `verify` has always printed, and nothing else.
-    (note,) = captured.err.splitlines()
-    assert note.startswith("metaobjects verify — running --codegen (default).")
+    # stderr holds the two lines a bare `verify` over a named <metadata_dir> prints (the default
+    # gate-set note, then the template gate's skip note, since no --prompts root is named), and
+    # nothing else.
+    note, skipped = captured.err.splitlines()
+    assert note.startswith("metaobjects verify — running --codegen --templates (default).")
+    assert skipped.startswith("metaobjects verify — template gate skipped:")
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------