diff --git a/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.test.ts b/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.test.ts
index 3fd007c2..4886da83 100644
--- a/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.test.ts
+++ b/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.test.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,86 @@ describe('fleet CLI parsing', () => {
 })
 
 describe('fleet CLI runtime', () => {
+  it('uses real fleet and cloud mount for fixture-less factory configs on the operator path', async () => {
+    const root = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'fleet-cli-real-default-'))
+    try {
+      const configPath = await writeConfig(root)
+      const realFleet = new FakeFleetClient()
+      const realMount = new FakeMountClient({ [issuePath]: issueFile })
+      const createFleetCalls: unknown[] = []
+      const cloudMountCalls: unknown[] = []
+      const output = buffer()
+
+      const code = await runFleetCli([
+        'factory',
+        'run-once',
+        '--dry-run',
+        '--config',
+        configPath,
+      ], {
+        createFleet: (opts) => {
+          createFleetCalls.push(opts)
+          return realFleet
+        },
+        cloudMountFromConfig: async (opts) => {
+          cloudMountCalls.push(opts)
+          return realMount
+        },
+        stdout: output,
+        stderr: buffer(),
+      })
+
+      expect(code).toBe(0)
+      expect(createFleetCalls).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(cloudMountCalls).toHaveLength(1)
+      const report = JSON.parse(output.text())
+      expect(report).toMatchObject({
+        dryRun: true,
+        pulled: [{ key: 'AR-77' }],
+        dispatched: [{ issue: { key: 'AR-77' } }],
+      })
+    } finally {
+      await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('keeps explicit fixtureFiles configs on Fake fleet and mount for harness runs', async () => {
+    const root = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'fleet-cli-fixture-opt-in-'))
+    try {
+      const configPath = await writeConfig(root, {
+        fixtureFiles: { [issuePath]: issueFile },
+      })
+      const output = buffer()
+
+      const code = await runFleetCli([
+        'factory',
+        'run-once',
+        '--dry-run',
+        '--config',
+        configPath,
+      ], {
+        createFleet: () => {
+          throw new Error('real fleet should not be selected for fixture config')
+        },
+        cloudMountFromConfig: async () => {
+          throw new Error('real mount should not be selected for fixture config')
+        },
+        stdout: output,
+        stderr: buffer(),
+      })
+
+      expect(code).toBe(0)
+      const report = JSON.parse(output.text())
+      expect(report).toMatchObject({
+        dryRun: true,
+        pulled: [{ key: 'AR-77' }],
+        dispatched: [{ issue: { key: 'AR-77' } }],
+      })
+    } finally {
+      await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
+  })
+
   it('runs factory run-once dry-run over FleetClient and MountClient fakes with zero writes and zero spawns', async () => {
     const fleet = new FakeFleetClient()
     const mount = new FakeMountClient({ [issuePath]: issueFile })
diff --git a/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.ts b/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.ts
index dbc4172d..e13014d9 100644
--- a/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.ts
+++ b/packages/factory-sdk/src/cli/fleet.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,15 @@ import {
   type FleetClient,
   type MountClient,
   type ProbeCloser,
+  type RelayfileCloudMountClientConfig,
 } from '../index'
 import { FakeFleetClient, FakeMountClient } from '../testing'
 
 interface FleetCliDeps {
   fleet?: FleetClient
   mount?: MountClient
+  createFleet?: typeof createFleet
+  cloudMountFromConfig?: (config?: RelayfileCloudMountClientConfig) => Promise<MountClient>
   stdout?: Pick<NodeJS.WriteStream, 'write'>
   stderr?: Pick<NodeJS.WriteStream, 'write'>
   probeCloser?: ProbeCloser
@@ -274,14 +277,14 @@ async function loadConfig(path?: string): Promise<LoadedConfig> {
   const record = asRecord(raw)
   return {
     config: FactoryConfigSchema.parse(record.factoryConfig ?? record),
-    fixtureFiles: asRecord(record.fixtureFiles),
+    fixtureFiles: record.fixtureFiles ? asRecord(record.fixtureFiles) : undefined,
   }
 }
 
 async function buildFleet(globals: GlobalOptions, loaded: LoadedConfig | undefined, deps: FleetCliDeps): Promise<FleetClient> {
   if (deps.fleet) return deps.fleet
-  if (globals.backend === 'internal' && loaded?.fixtureFiles) return new FakeFleetClient()
-  return createFleet({
+  if (globals.backend === 'internal' && hasExplicitFixtureFiles(loaded)) return new FakeFleetClient()
+  return (deps.createFleet ?? createFleet)({
     backend: globals.backend,
     cwd: process.cwd(),
     connectionPath: resolveBrokerConnectionPath(process.cwd()),
@@ -305,15 +308,18 @@ export function resolveBrokerConnectionPath(startCwd = process.cwd()): string |
 
 async function buildMount(loaded: LoadedConfig, deps: FleetCliDeps): Promise<MountClient> {
   if (deps.mount) return deps.mount
-  if (loaded.fixtureFiles) return new FakeMountClient(loaded.fixtureFiles)
+  if (hasExplicitFixtureFiles(loaded)) return new FakeMountClient(loaded.fixtureFiles)
   let mount: MountClient
-  mount = await RelayfileCloudMountClient.fromConfig({
+  mount = await (deps.cloudMountFromConfig ?? RelayfileCloudMountClient.fromConfig)({
     workspaceId: loaded.config.workspaceId,
     isAllowedDraft: (path, content, opts) => isAllowedFactoryDraft(path, content, opts, mount, loaded.config),
   })
   return mount
 }
 
+const hasExplicitFixtureFiles = (loaded: LoadedConfig | undefined): loaded is LoadedConfig & { fixtureFiles: Record<string, unknown> } =>
+  loaded?.fixtureFiles !== undefined
+
 async function isAllowedFactoryDraft(
   path: string,
   content: unknown,