diff --git a/crates/mobile/src/tests.rs b/crates/mobile/src/tests.rs
index 8f72cb28cc207356a327e0c8f97dff199de5adf2..282826da36a458ece5149638ab7ae7060b9f1378 100644
--- a/crates/mobile/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/mobile/src/tests.rs
@@ -1173,10 +1173,14 @@ fn a_share_notebook_names_its_files_from_the_share_s_top() {
     );
 }
 
-/// A notebook copy with its library, and a section of it open for editing.
-fn notebook_open(path: &str) -> (tempfile::TempDir, PathBuf, Arc<Library>, Section) {
+/// A notebook copy with its library, and a section of it open for editing. Working
+/// `offline` from the start, no sync step can publish the section's edits.
+fn notebook_open(path: &str, offline: bool) -> (tempfile::TempDir, PathBuf, Arc<Library>, Section) {
     let (directory, root) = copy("m6/native-features-01/notebook");
     let library = Arc::new(Library::open(&root, &directory.path().join("cache"), true).unwrap());
+    if offline {
+        sb_library_set_offline(&library, true);
+    }
     let section = open(&library, path);
     (directory, root, library, section)
 }
@@ -1195,7 +1199,7 @@ fn eventually(mut ready: impl FnMut() -> bool) -> bool {
 
 #[test]
 fn sync_status_lists_every_section_and_work_offline_holds_edits_until_sync_now() {
-    let (_directory, root, library, section) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+    let (_directory, root, library, section) = notebook_open("Features.one", false);
     // Every readable section, the open one's from its session.
     assert!(eventually(|| {
         let status = library.sync_status();
@@ -1499,8 +1503,7 @@ fn the_accent_pen_and_shapes_draw_as_the_desktop_and_a_cancelled_sweep_stores_no
 /// Queues an offline edit to Features.one and closes its session, leaving the edit to the
 /// background; the replicas in the cache, and the text edited in.
 fn unpublished_edit() -> (tempfile::TempDir, PathBuf, Arc<Library>, ExGuid) {
-    let (directory, root, library, section) = notebook_open("Features.one");
-    sb_library_set_offline(&library, true);
+    let (directory, root, library, section) = notebook_open("Features.one", true);
     let mut canvas = canvas(&section, "Paragraph controls");
     focus(&mut canvas, "Collapsed parent");
     canvas.insert("Unpublished ".into()).unwrap();
@@ -1699,34 +1702,38 @@ fn levels(section: &Section) -> Vec<(ExGuid, u32)> {
 
 #[test]
 fn pages_drag_indent_and_undo_as_one_edit_each() {
-    let (_directory, _root, _library, section) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+    let (_directory, _root, _library, section) = notebook_open("Features.one", true);
+    let queued = || {
+        section.shared.section.written().unwrap();
+        section.shared.section.pending().unwrap().len()
+    };
     let before = levels(&section);
     assert!(before.len() > 2);
     let last = before.last().unwrap().0;
     let mut dragged = before.clone();
     let moved = dragged.pop().unwrap();
     dragged.insert(0, moved);
-    let revisions = section.shared.section.pending().unwrap().len();
-    assert!(section.arrange(&dragged, &[last]).unwrap());
-    assert_eq!(levels(&section), dragged);
-    assert_eq!(
-        section.shared.section.pending().unwrap().len(),
-        revisions + 1
-    );
+    let mut edits = queued();
+    let mut arrange = |order: &[(ExGuid, u32)], moved: ExGuid| {
+        assert!(section.arrange(order, &[moved]).unwrap());
+        assert_eq!(levels(&section), order);
+        edits += 1;
+        assert_eq!(queued(), edits);
+    };
+    arrange(&dragged, last);
     let second = dragged[1].0;
     let mut indented = dragged.clone();
     indented[1].1 = 2;
-    assert!(section.arrange(&indented, &[second]).unwrap());
-    assert_eq!(levels(&section), indented);
-    assert!(section.arrange(&dragged, &[second]).unwrap());
-    assert!(section.arrange(&before, &[last]).unwrap());
-    assert_eq!(levels(&section), before);
+    arrange(&indented, second);
+    arrange(&dragged, second);
+    arrange(&before, last);
     assert!(!section.arrange(&before, &[ExGuid::default()]).unwrap());
+    assert_eq!(queued(), edits);
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn a_page_moves_to_another_section_and_back_where_it_was() {
-    let (_directory, root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+    let (_directory, root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one", false);
     let before = levels(&features);
     let (space, level) = before[1];
     let title = features.shared.section.page(space).unwrap().title;
@@ -1785,7 +1792,7 @@ fn a_page_moves_to_another_section_and_back_where_it_was() {
 fn a_page_edited_while_it_moves_stays_with_its_edit() {
     library::sb_set_coordinator(coordinator);
     for edited in [true, false] {
-        let (_directory, root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+        let (_directory, root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one", false);
         assert!(eventually(|| {
             let status = library.sync_status();
             !status.is_empty()
@@ -1861,7 +1868,7 @@ fn a_page_its_section_cannot_retire_stays_beside_its_copy() {
     let _exclusive = vfs::EXCLUSIVE
         .lock()
         .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
-    let (directory, root, library, empty) = notebook_open("Empty.one");
+    let (directory, root, library, empty) = notebook_open("Empty.one", false);
     let features = open(&library, "Features.one");
     let space = space(&features, "Task controls");
     drop(features);
@@ -1908,7 +1915,7 @@ fn a_page_its_section_cannot_retire_stays_beside_its_copy() {
 /// A page the section it moves to refuses stays where it was, and the move fails.
 #[test]
 fn a_page_the_other_section_refuses_stays() {
-    let (_directory, _root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+    let (_directory, _root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one", false);
     let before = levels(&features);
     let (space, _) = before[1];
     let page = features.shared.section.page(space).unwrap();
@@ -1938,7 +1945,7 @@ fn a_page_the_other_section_refuses_stays() {
 
 #[test]
 fn a_sections_last_page_moving_leaves_a_page_that_undo_takes_out() {
-    let (_directory, _root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+    let (_directory, _root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one", false);
     let date = ["Thursday, October 1, 2026", "9:02 AM"];
     let page = features.new_page(None, date[0], date[1]).unwrap();
     let arrived: ExGuid = library
@@ -1989,7 +1996,7 @@ fn a_sections_last_page_moving_leaves_a_page_that_undo_takes_out() {
 
 #[test]
 fn sections_reorder_and_move_between_groups_and_back() {
-    let (_directory, root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one");
+    let (_directory, root, library, features) = notebook_open("Features.one", false);
     drop(features);
     let top = |library: &Library| -> Vec<String> {
         let tabs = library.tabs().unwrap();