diff --git a/backend/tests/test_secure_runtime_defaults.py b/backend/tests/test_secure_runtime_defaults.py
index ed7b1c67..bf45a9ef 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_secure_runtime_defaults.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_secure_runtime_defaults.py
@@ -26,28 +26,21 @@ def test_production_yolo_rejects_disabled_validation_scope() -> None:
             app_env="production",
             yolo_enabled=True,
             yolo_enforce_validation_scope=False,
-        )
-
-
-def test_production_yolo_requires_validation_scope_manifest() -> None:
-    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="YOLO_VALIDATION_SCOPE_MANIFEST_PATH"):
-        _settings(
-            app_env="production",
-            yolo_enabled=True,
             yolo_require_cuda=True,
             yolo_device="cuda:0",
         )
 
 
-def test_production_yolo_requires_validation_scope_hash() -> None:
-    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="YOLO_VALIDATION_SCOPE_MANIFEST_SHA256"):
-        _settings(
-            app_env="production",
-            yolo_enabled=True,
-            yolo_validation_scope_manifest_path="/app/storage/model-scope.json",
-            yolo_require_cuda=True,
-            yolo_device="cuda:0",
-        )
+def test_production_yolo_can_start_without_scope_evidence() -> None:
+    settings = _settings(
+        app_env="production",
+        yolo_enabled=True,
+        yolo_require_cuda=True,
+        yolo_device="cuda:0",
+    )
+    assert settings.yolo_enforce_validation_scope is True
+    assert settings.yolo_validation_scope_manifest_path is None
+    assert settings.yolo_validation_scope_manifest_sha256 is None
 
 
 def test_production_yolo_requires_cuda() -> None:
@@ -55,8 +48,6 @@ def test_production_yolo_requires_cuda() -> None:
         _settings(
             app_env="production",
             yolo_enabled=True,
-            yolo_validation_scope_manifest_path="/app/storage/model-scope.json",
-            yolo_validation_scope_manifest_sha256="a" * 64,
             yolo_require_cuda=False,
             yolo_device="cuda:0",
         )
@@ -67,8 +58,6 @@ def test_production_yolo_requires_cuda_device() -> None:
         _settings(
             app_env="production",
             yolo_enabled=True,
-            yolo_validation_scope_manifest_path="/app/storage/model-scope.json",
-            yolo_validation_scope_manifest_sha256="a" * 64,
             yolo_require_cuda=True,
             yolo_device="cpu",
         )