diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 752d61f..07e353e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ jobs:
           components: rustfmt, clippy
           targets: wasm32-wasip2, x86_64-pc-windows-gnu
       - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@6323deb102c322ba6fcbdcafc7e3dddab59af2b6 # v2.9.2
+      # Ubuntu's AppArmor lets an unprivileged process create a user namespace but not map
+      # its uid in it, so no confined test could run. A laptop installs the amem profile in
+      # packaging/apparmor; the tests' own probe is unshare, not amem, so this throwaway VM
+      # turns the restriction off instead
+      - run: sudo sysctl -w kernel.apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns=0
       - run: make check
         # the embedded PostgreSQL for the ledger tests lists its releases through GitHub's
         # API; unauthenticated, a runner's address is soon refused
@@ -164,6 +169,8 @@ jobs:
       - uses: taiki-e/install-action@83ac0ad63c0167e6f06796fab0fce28db1bf3db0 # v2.87.22
         with:
           tool: cargo-llvm-cov
+      # the confined tests run here too, as in the check job
+      - run: sudo sysctl -w kernel.apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns=0
       - run: make coverage
         # the embedded PostgreSQL for the ledger tests lists its releases through GitHub's
         # API; unauthenticated, a runner's address is soon refused
diff --git a/crates/memory/tests/launch.rs b/crates/memory/tests/launch.rs
index 6188226..f03c519 100644
--- a/crates/memory/tests/launch.rs
+++ b/crates/memory/tests/launch.rs
@@ -205,16 +205,21 @@ fn launch_refuses_without_the_credential_its_mode_needs() {
 }
 
 /// Whether this kernel lets an unprivileged process create user and network namespaces.
-/// Ubuntu's AppArmor restriction and some CI kernels say no; the confined test is then
-/// reported as skipped rather than failed.
+/// Ubuntu's AppArmor restriction says no by default; a confined test is then reported as
+/// skipped rather than failed, except on CI, which is set up to run it and fails instead.
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn namespaces_available() -> bool {
-    Command::new("unshare")
+    let available = Command::new("unshare")
         .args(["--user", "--map-root-user", "--net", "--mount", "true"])
         .stdout(Stdio::null())
         .stderr(Stdio::null())
         .status()
-        .is_ok_and(|s| s.success())
+        .is_ok_and(|s| s.success());
+    assert!(
+        available || std::env::var_os("CI").is_none(),
+        "unprivileged namespaces are not available, and on CI the confined tests must run"
+    );
+    available
 }
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
@@ -1037,7 +1042,8 @@ fn a_kept_tree_is_the_commit_and_repeated_runs_are_not_a_subscription_s() {
 
 /// The projection as a live mount: a shell `cat` inside the sandbox, which no hook
 /// sees, is a `get` the memory serves and logs. Where this host has no FUSE the launch
-/// says the projection is a render, and the test says it skipped the rest.
+/// says the projection is a render, and the test says it skipped the rest; on CI, which
+/// has FUSE, that is a failure.
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 #[test]
 fn a_file_read_inside_the_sandbox_is_a_get_the_memory_serves() {
@@ -1079,6 +1085,10 @@ fn a_file_read_inside_the_sandbox_is_a_get_the_memory_serves() {
     let reads = dm_server::reads::all(&root).unwrap();
     let gets: Vec<_> = reads.iter().filter(|r| r.tool == "get").collect();
     if stderr.contains("is a render:") {
+        assert!(
+            std::env::var_os("CI").is_none(),
+            "on CI the projection must be a live mount: {stderr}"
+        );
         eprintln!("skipping the rest: {stderr}");
         assert!(gets.is_empty(), "no hook, no mount, no get: {gets:?}");
         return;
diff --git a/crates/mount/tests/live.rs b/crates/mount/tests/live.rs
index 5a5c889..c354bb7 100644
--- a/crates/mount/tests/live.rs
+++ b/crates/mount/tests/live.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //! The mount, live: a memory's render served over FUSE, read with ordinary file calls.
-//! Skipped where the host has no FUSE, saying so.
+//! Skipped where the host has no FUSE, saying so; on CI that is a failure.
 
 // An integration test is test code; a panic here is the failure being reported.
 #![allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
@@ -30,6 +30,20 @@ async fn rendered(root: &Path) -> (Arc<Memory>, String, PathBuf) {
     (m, w.id, render)
 }
 
+/// Whether this host can serve a FUSE mount. Without it a test says it skipped, except on
+/// CI, which is set up to run it and fails instead.
+fn fuse_available() -> bool {
+    let Err(why) = dm_mount::availability() else {
+        return true;
+    };
+    assert!(
+        std::env::var_os("CI").is_none(),
+        "{why}, and on CI the mount tests must run"
+    );
+    eprintln!("skipping: {why}");
+    false
+}
+
 fn names(dir: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
     let mut v: Vec<String> = std::fs::read_dir(dir)
         .unwrap()
@@ -42,8 +56,7 @@ fn names(dir: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
 
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn an_open_in_the_mount_is_a_get_the_memory_serves_logs_and_tapes() {
-    if let Err(why) = dm_mount::availability() {
-        eprintln!("skipping: {why}");
+    if !fuse_available() {
         return;
     }
     let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
@@ -124,8 +137,7 @@ async fn an_open_in_the_mount_is_a_get_the_memory_serves_logs_and_tapes() {
 
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn the_record_s_word_decides_an_open_not_the_render_s() {
-    if let Err(why) = dm_mount::availability() {
-        eprintln!("skipping: {why}");
+    if !fuse_available() {
         return;
     }
     let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();