diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 5fb1c80..0b6958f 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from the contributing guide before submitting a pull request. Common checks:
 
 ```bash
 uv run --no-sync ruff check .
-uv run --no-sync pytest -q
+uv run --no-sync python -m pytest -q
 npm --prefix desktop run check
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md b/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 1fcb66d..e4f4a48 100644
--- a/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -62,9 +62,13 @@ Initialize and verify the local media runtime:
 uv run --no-sync vidxp init
 uv run --no-sync vidxp --version
 uv run --no-sync vidxp doctor
-uv run --no-sync pytest -q
+uv run --no-sync python -m pytest -q
 ```
 
+Run the test suite as `python -m pytest`. That form puts the repository root
+on the import path, which the root-level tooling tests require. Calling
+`pytest` directly fails to collect them.
+
 `vidxp init` verifies FFmpeg, ffprobe, `libx264`, and `aac`. A fresh checkout
 may report that model files have not been prepared; that is expected. Prepare
 only the capability needed for manual testing:
@@ -143,7 +147,7 @@ Common checks are:
 
 ```bash
 uv run --no-sync ruff check .
-uv run --no-sync pytest -q
+uv run --no-sync python -m pytest -q
 npm --prefix desktop run check
 docker compose config --quiet
 ```