diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4643f630a..7f2c4519c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -212,16 +212,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run pytest scene tests (a2a3sim)
         run: |
-          set +e
-          pytest examples tests/st --platform a2a3sim --device 0-15 -v --pto-session-timeout 600 --clone-protocol https --require-pto-isa
-          rc=$?
-          if [ $rc -ne 0 ]; then
-            echo "pytest failed with rc=$rc; retrying with pinned PTO-ISA commit"
-            pytest examples tests/st --platform a2a3sim --device 0-15 -v \
-              --pto-session-timeout 600 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol https --require-pto-isa
-            rc=$?
-          fi
-          exit $rc
+          pytest examples tests/st --platform a2a3sim --device 0-15 -v \
+            --pto-session-timeout 600 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol https --require-pto-isa
 
       # DFX per-feature smokes — the default pytest above passes no --enable-*
       # flag, so each capture pipeline gets its own invocation here. Kept as
@@ -304,16 +296,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run pytest scene tests (a5sim)
         run: |
-          set +e
-          pytest examples tests/st --platform a5sim --device 0-15 -v --pto-session-timeout 600 --clone-protocol https --require-pto-isa
-          rc=$?
-          if [ $rc -ne 0 ]; then
-            echo "pytest failed with rc=$rc; retrying with pinned PTO-ISA commit"
-            pytest examples tests/st --platform a5sim --device 0-15 -v \
-              --pto-session-timeout 600 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol https --require-pto-isa
-            rc=$?
-          fi
-          exit $rc
+          pytest examples tests/st --platform a5sim --device 0-15 -v \
+            --pto-session-timeout 600 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol https --require-pto-isa
 
   # ---------- Profiling sub-flags smoke (compile + run) ----------
   # PTO2_PROFILING / PTO2_ORCH_PROFILING / PTO2_SCHED_PROFILING /
@@ -517,17 +501,9 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run pytest scene tests (a2a3)
         run: |
-          set +e
           source .venv/bin/activate
-          python -m pytest examples tests/st --platform a2a3 --device ${DEVICE_RANGE} -v --pto-session-timeout 600 --clone-protocol ssh --require-pto-isa
-          rc=$?
-          if [ $rc -ne 0 ]; then
-            echo "pytest failed with rc=$rc; retrying with pinned PTO-ISA commit"
-            python -m pytest examples tests/st --platform a2a3 --device ${DEVICE_RANGE} -v \
-              --pto-session-timeout 600 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol ssh --require-pto-isa
-            rc=$?
-          fi
-          exit $rc
+          python -m pytest examples tests/st --platform a2a3 --device ${DEVICE_RANGE} -v \
+            --pto-session-timeout 600 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol ssh --require-pto-isa
 
       # DFX per-feature smokes — hardware mirror of the st-sim-a2a3 set. The
       # race window in dep_gen only fires on real timing, so this row is
@@ -665,4 +641,4 @@ jobs:
           source .venv/bin/activate
           DEVICE_LIST=$(python -c "s,e='${DEVICE_RANGE}'.split('-'); print(','.join(str(i) for i in range(int(s),int(e)+1)))")
           PYTEST="python -m pytest examples tests/st --platform a5 --device ${DEVICE_RANGE} -v --clone-protocol ssh --require-pto-isa"
-          task-submit --timeout 1800 --max-time 1800 --device "$DEVICE_LIST" --run "set +e; $PYTEST --pto-session-timeout 1200; rc=\$?; if [ \$rc -ne 0 ]; then echo \"pytest failed with rc=\$rc; retrying with pinned PTO-ISA commit\"; $PYTEST --pto-session-timeout 1200 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }} --clone-protocol ssh; rc=\$?; fi; exit \$rc"
+          task-submit --timeout 1800 --max-time 1800 --device "$DEVICE_LIST" --run "$PYTEST --pto-session-timeout 1200 --pto-isa-commit ${{ env.PTO_ISA_COMMIT }}"