chore(release): 10.4.13

Closing the last live instance inside the SIGTERM/SIGINT handler calls
close() -> deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle(), which removes Brainy's own
signal listener from process synchronously, before that same handler
invocation has reached the point where it decides whether to exit.
That opens a window with no registered listener for the signal at
all: a second/concurrent delivery of the same signal during that
window falls through to Node's default disposition and kills the
process outright, after the clean shutdown already finished, so the
process reports a signal kill instead of the 0 clause (a) and (b) of
shutdown-single-owner.test.ts pin — intermittent under load, which is
why it only ever showed up on the box.

Add a static flag that stays true for the whole closeOnShutdown() run
and makes deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle() defer rather than remove the
listener while that run is still deciding; closeOnShutdown()'s own
finally re-runs the deregistration check once it is actually done, so
the listener never leaks past its use.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file. See [standard-version](https://github.com/conventional-changelog/standard-version) for commit guidelines.
 
 
+### [10.4.13](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v10.4.12...v10.4.13) (2026-09-03)
+
+- A shutdown that holds its listener until the exit decision, and a test suite that closes every brain it opens
+- fix(shutdown): the engine's signal handler keeps its listener registered until the exit decision is made — closing the last live instance no longer deregisters the handler mid-run, so a second signal delivery during a clean shutdown can never kill the process after the work is done (a2ea21b3)
+- fix(release): the release wall entry commits under an explicit git identity read from the developer's checkout; a host with no identity refuses by name instead of failing inside git (aac853d3)
+- test(hygiene): every brain a test file creates is closed by that file — 40 files fixed, the leaks that let a stray cadence narrate into later files are gone; brains whose init() was expected to fail are closed too (6eb5e448)
+
 ### [10.4.12](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v10.4.11...v10.4.12) (2026-09-03)
 
 - Mixed-kind fields index exactly, arrays to 256, a drained loop is not a shutdown, and finds project from the column store

package-lock.json

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@soulcraftlabs/brainy",
-  "version": "10.4.12",
+  "version": "10.4.13",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@soulcraftlabs/brainy",
-      "version": "10.4.12",
+      "version": "10.4.13",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@msgpack/msgpack": "^3.1.2",

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@soulcraftlabs/brainy",
-  "version": "10.4.12",
+  "version": "10.4.13",
   "brainyContract": 1,
   "description": "Universal Knowledge Protocol™ - World's first Triple Intelligence database unifying vector, graph, and document search in one API. Stage 3 CANONICAL: 42 nouns × 127 verbs covering 96-97% of all human knowledge.",
   "main": "dist/index.js",

scripts/wall-entry.mjs

@@ -337,6 +337,36 @@ function git(args, cwd) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Resolve the git identity for the wall commit from the repository the rail
+ * is actually running in — the developer's own checkout (`process.cwd()`;
+ * `release.sh` invokes this script from the repo root with no `cd`), via
+ * git's normal config precedence (repo-local, then global, then system).
+ * Never guessed and never left to git's own "who are you?" prompt: a host
+ * with no configured identity anywhere (a bare CI box, say) must refuse
+ * loudly rather than have git manufacture a placeholder identity or hang.
+ * @returns {{name: string, email: string}}
+ */
+function resolveWallCommitIdentity() {
+  const repo = process.cwd()
+  let name = ''
+  let email = ''
+  try {
+    name = git(['config', 'user.name'], repo)
+  } catch {
+    name = ''
+  }
+  try {
+    email = git(['config', 'user.email'], repo)
+  } catch {
+    email = ''
+  }
+  if (!name || !email) {
+    fail('no git identity for the wall commit — set user.name/user.email')
+  }
+  return { name, email }
+}
+
 /**
  * Ensure a clean, up-to-date local clone of the releases repo at
  * `cacheDir`, checked out on `main` — cloning fresh if `cacheDir` has no
@@ -423,9 +453,14 @@ function publishEntry(entry, product, remote, cacheDir) {
     return
   }
 
+  const identity = resolveWallCommitIdentity()
+
   try {
     git(['add', `${product}.json`], cacheDir)
-    git(['commit', '-m', `chore(wall): ${product} ${entry.version}`], cacheDir)
+    git(
+      ['-c', `user.name=${identity.name}`, '-c', `user.email=${identity.email}`, 'commit', '-m', `chore(wall): ${product} ${entry.version}`],
+      cacheDir,
+    )
   } catch (err) {
     fail(`cannot commit the wall entry in "${cacheDir}" — ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}\n  cure: inspect "${cacheDir}" by hand and re-run once its git state is clean`)
   }

src/brainy.ts

@@ -544,6 +544,23 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    *  and narrate forever. Reset by {@link deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle}. */
   private static beforeExitNarrated = false
 
+  /** True for the entire duration of ONE `closeOnShutdown()` run (the
+   *  signal-path handler in {@link registerShutdownHooks}) — from before it
+   *  starts closing instances until after it has decided whether to exit.
+   *  THE RACE THIS CLOSES: closing the LAST live instance calls
+   *  `close()` → `deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle()` synchronously, which
+   *  removes `Brainy.sigtermListener` from `process` — while `closeOnShutdown`
+   *  (that very listener's OWN still-running invocation) hasn't yet reached
+   *  `exitIfSoleShutdownOwner()`'s `process.exit(0)`. In that window Node has
+   *  NO registered SIGTERM listener, so a second/concurrent delivery of the
+   *  same signal (a raced re-send, common on a loaded host) falls through to
+   *  Node's default disposition and kills the process outright — the
+   *  clean-shutdown work already finished, but the process never reports the
+   *  0 it earned. `deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle()` checks this flag and
+   *  defers; `closeOnShutdown()`'s `finally` re-runs the deregistration check
+   *  once it is done, so the listener never actually leaks past its use. */
+  private static shutdownSignalHandlerActive = false
+
   /** Poll cadence (ms) for the migration LOCK when a provider exposes no
    *  event-driven `whenMigrationComplete()` signal. See {@link awaitMigrationLock}. */
   private static readonly MIGRATION_POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 250
@@ -2196,51 +2213,74 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
      */
     const closeOnShutdown = async () => {
       console.log('Shutdown signal received - flushing pending data...')
-      // DEFER ONE MACROTASK. A host application registers its own listener on
-      // the same signal, and Node runs listeners in registration order — ours
-      // is usually first, because the brain was opened before the host wired
-      // its shutdown. Yielding once lets every other listener for this signal
-      // run its synchronous prologue, so a host that calls close() gets to be
-      // the owner. It is only a courtesy, never the safety: close()'s own
-      // single-flight gate is what makes a lost race harmless.
-      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve))
+      // HOLD THE LISTENER FOR THE WHOLE RUN. Closing the LAST live instance
+      // below calls close() → deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle(), which removes
+      // Brainy's own SIGTERM/SIGINT listeners from `process` — synchronously,
+      // before THIS invocation has reached exitIfSoleShutdownOwner()'s
+      // process.exit(0). Left alone, that opens a window with no registered
+      // listener for the signal at all, so a second/concurrent delivery of
+      // the same signal (a raced re-send — not rare on a loaded host) falls
+      // through to Node's default disposition and kills the process outright
+      // AFTER the clean-shutdown work already finished, reporting a signal
+      // kill instead of the 0 the shutdown earned. Setting this flag makes
+      // deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle() defer; the `finally` below re-checks
+      // it once this run is fully done — closeOnShutdown, not a nested
+      // close(), owns exactly when the listener actually comes off.
+      Brainy.shutdownSignalHandlerActive = true
+      try {
+        // DEFER ONE MACROTASK. A host application registers its own listener
+        // on the same signal, and Node runs listeners in registration order —
+        // ours is usually first, because the brain was opened before the
+        // host wired its shutdown. Yielding once lets every other listener
+        // for this signal run its synchronous prologue, so a host that calls
+        // close() gets to be the owner. It is only a courtesy, never the
+        // safety: close()'s own single-flight gate is what makes a lost race
+        // harmless.
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve))
 
-      let closedCount = 0
-      let deferredCount = 0
-      let failedCount = 0
-      // Snapshot: close() splices Brainy.instances while we iterate.
-      for (const instance of [...Brainy.instances]) {
-        if (!instance.initialized) continue
-        // SOMEONE ELSE OWNS THIS ONE. Not a flush, not a lock release, not a
-        // component close — nothing. Touching a brain whose close is running
-        // is the whole defect this handler was rewritten for.
-        if (instance.closed || instance._closeInFlight !== null) {
-          deferredCount++
-          continue
+        let closedCount = 0
+        let deferredCount = 0
+        let failedCount = 0
+        // Snapshot: close() splices Brainy.instances while we iterate.
+        for (const instance of [...Brainy.instances]) {
+          if (!instance.initialized) continue
+          // SOMEONE ELSE OWNS THIS ONE. Not a flush, not a lock release, not a
+          // component close — nothing. Touching a brain whose close is running
+          // is the whole defect this handler was rewritten for.
+          if (instance.closed || instance._closeInFlight !== null) {
+            deferredCount++
+            continue
+          }
+          try {
+            // Law 1: this try/catch is the isolation — the loop continues.
+            await instance.close()
+            closedCount++
+          } catch (error) {
+            failedCount++
+            console.error('Failed to close one Brainy instance on shutdown:', error)
+          }
         }
-        try {
-          // Law 1: this try/catch is the isolation — the loop continues.
-          await instance.close()
-          closedCount++
-        } catch (error) {
-          failedCount++
-          console.error('Failed to close one Brainy instance on shutdown:', error)
+        if (closedCount > 0) {
+          console.log(`Flushed successfully (${closedCount} instance${closedCount > 1 ? 's' : ''})`)
         }
-      }
-      if (closedCount > 0) {
-        console.log(`Flushed successfully (${closedCount} instance${closedCount > 1 ? 's' : ''})`)
-      }
-      if (deferredCount > 0) {
-        console.log(
-          `${deferredCount} Brainy instance${deferredCount > 1 ? 's are' : ' is'} already ` +
-            `closing — left to the caller that owns that close.`
-        )
-      }
-      if (failedCount > 0) {
-        console.error(
-          `${failedCount} Brainy instance${failedCount > 1 ? 's' : ''} did not complete shutdown — ` +
-            `their writer locks were released, but their next open will run crash recovery.`
-        )
+        if (deferredCount > 0) {
+          console.log(
+            `${deferredCount} Brainy instance${deferredCount > 1 ? 's are' : ' is'} already ` +
+              `closing — left to the caller that owns that close.`
+          )
+        }
+        if (failedCount > 0) {
+          console.error(
+            `${failedCount} Brainy instance${failedCount > 1 ? 's' : ''} did not complete shutdown — ` +
+              `their writer locks were released, but their next open will run crash recovery.`
+          )
+        }
+      } finally {
+        // Release the hold and run the deferred check ourselves — the last
+        // close() above may have found the flag set and skipped its own
+        // deregistration, so nobody else will do this if we don't.
+        Brainy.shutdownSignalHandlerActive = false
+        Brainy.deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle()
       }
     }
 
@@ -2404,9 +2444,17 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    * script that closed every brain exits on its own — a library must never
    * keep its host process alive. Re-initializing later re-registers them
    * (the `shutdownHooksRegisteredGlobally` flag resets here).
+   *
+   * Deferred (not skipped — {@link closeOnShutdown}'s `finally` always
+   * re-checks) while a signal-path shutdown is actively running: that
+   * handler's OWN still-in-flight invocation is `Brainy.sigtermListener`, and
+   * removing it out from under itself — which closing the LAST instance here
+   * would otherwise do, synchronously, mid-run — would leave `process` with
+   * no listener for the signal for the remainder of that run. See
+   * {@link shutdownSignalHandlerActive}'s doc for the exact race this closes.
    */
   private static deregisterShutdownHooksIfIdle(): void {
-    if (Brainy.instances.length > 0 || !Brainy.shutdownHooksRegisteredGlobally) {
+    if (Brainy.instances.length > 0 || !Brainy.shutdownHooksRegisteredGlobally || Brainy.shutdownSignalHandlerActive) {
       return
     }
     if (Brainy.sigtermListener) process.off('SIGTERM', Brainy.sigtermListener)

tests/integration/api-parameter-validation.test.ts

@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ describe('API Parameter Validation', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('should use "where" parameter for metadata filtering', async () => {
     const results = await brain.find({
       where: { category: 'test-category' },

tests/integration/entity-confidence-weight.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * - Backward compatibility preserved
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { NounType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes.js'
 
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ describe('Entity Confidence & Weight Exposure', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('Entity interface', () => {
     it('should expose confidence when adding entity with confidence', async () => {
       const id = await brain.add({

tests/integration/find-fields-projection.test.ts

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  * index-served (a body field, or a bucketed timestamp), exactly the owing rows
  * are read and the rest are still served from the index.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes'
 import { generateTestVector } from '../helpers/test-factory'
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ describe('find/get({ fields }) — projection', () => {
     await brain.flush()
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   /** Count canonical record reads for one call. */
   const countingReads = async <R>(body: () => Promise<R>): Promise<{ out: R; reads: number }> => {
     const spy = vi.spyOn(brain as any, 'batchGet')

tests/integration/find-hybrid-filter-before-hydrate.test.ts

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
  * never the legs. And the text leg is asked about the universe's ids only —
  * what it marshals is bounded by the universe, not by the store.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType, VerbType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes'
 import { rankIndicesByScore, reorderByIndices } from '../../src/utils/resultRanking'
@@ -287,6 +287,10 @@ describe('hybrid find: filter before hydrate — the answer is unchanged', () =>
     expect(typeof (brain as any).metadataIndex.getIdSetForFilter).not.toBe('function')
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('the fixture does not truncate the text leg — the universe covers every text match', async () => {
     const index = (brain as any).metadataIndex
     const textMatches = await index.getIdsForTextQuery(QUERY)
@@ -553,6 +557,10 @@ describe('hybrid find: the text leg ranks inside the filter, not around it', ()
     }
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('the old order let the filter consume the whole text leg', async () => {
     const index = (brain as any).metadataIndex
     const universe: string[] = await (brain as any).filterIdsBelted({ lane: 'alpha' })

tests/integration/find-near.test.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  * it). Now the anchor is fetched with its vector, and an anchor without one
  * refuses by name instead of failing inside the index.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes'
 import { v5 } from '../../src/universal/uuid'
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ describe('find({ near }) uses the anchor vector', () => {
     await brain.add({ id: 'far', data: 'far row', type: NounType.Thing, vector: generateTestVector() })
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('returns the anchor\'s neighbours by its own vector', async () => {
     const results = await brain.find({ near: { id: 'anchor' }, limit: 3 })
     expect(results.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)

tests/integration/find-orderby-every-path.test.ts

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
  * the covering is ASSERTED from the leg's own output rather than assumed. This
  * pin is about ordering, and it says nothing about recall.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType, VerbType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes'
 import { resolveEntityId } from '../../src/utils/idNormalization'
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ describe('find(): orderBy is the order on every path', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('the fixture: the hybrid candidate set covers the whole filter universe', async () => {
     const universe: string[] = await (brain as any).filterIdsBelted({ lane: 'alpha' })
     expect(universe).toHaveLength(ROWS)

tests/integration/find-planner-door.test.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
  * against the adjacency before it is believed, so a not-serving graph refuses
  * loudly instead of answering `[]` as truth.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType, VerbType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes'
 import { generateTestVector } from '../helpers/test-factory'
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ describe('find(): the optional planner door', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   /** Install a planner door for one call, then remove it. */
   const withDoor = async <T>(
     door: (...a: any[]) => Promise<any>,

tests/integration/find-unified-integration.test.ts

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ describe('Unified Find() Integration Tests', () => {
 
   afterAll(async () => {
     await cleanup.cleanup()
+    await brain.close()
     brain = null as any
   })
 

tests/integration/id-normalization.test.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  * All entities carry explicit 384-dim vectors so no test invokes the embedder.
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { NounType, VerbType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes.js'
 import { v5, v7, isUUID } from '../../src/universal/uuid.js'
@@ -37,8 +37,15 @@ async function makeBrain(): Promise<Brainy> {
 }
 
 describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
+  const opened: Brainy[] = []
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    for (const b of opened.splice(0)) await b.close().catch(() => {})
+  })
+
   it('1. add() returns v5(key); get(key) and get(returnedId) both resolve; _originalId preserved', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     const returnedId = await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person })
 
@@ -60,6 +67,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('2. relate() by string keys; related(key) and related({from:key}) return the edge to v5(toKey)', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person })
     await brain.add({ id: 'doc-1', vector: vec(2), type: NounType.Document })
@@ -85,6 +93,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('3. update() by string key reflects on get(key)', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person, metadata: { role: 'admin' } })
     await brain.update({ id: 'user-1', metadata: { role: 'owner' } })
@@ -98,6 +107,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('4. remove() by string key deletes; get(key) is null', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person })
     expect(await brain.get('user-1')).not.toBeNull()
@@ -110,6 +120,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('5. find({ connected: { from: key } }) resolves the anchor key', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person })
     await brain.add({ id: 'doc-1', vector: vec(2), type: NounType.Document })
@@ -122,6 +133,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('6. transact() add+relate by string keys round-trips with consistent canonical ids', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     // Seed user-1 so the relate op has a target to point at.
     await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person })
@@ -149,6 +161,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('7. addMany() + relateMany() with string ids round-trip', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     const added = await brain.addMany({
       items: [
@@ -175,6 +188,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('8. determinism: same key maps to same UUID — two adds upsert ONE entity, not two', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     const id1 = await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person, metadata: { n: 1 } })
     const id2 = await brain.add({ id: 'user-1', vector: vec(1), type: NounType.Person, metadata: { n: 2 } })
@@ -193,6 +207,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('9. valid-UUID passthrough: a real UUID is kept verbatim with NO _originalId', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     const realUuid = v7()
     const returnedId = await brain.add({ id: realUuid, vector: vec(5), type: NounType.Thing })
@@ -207,6 +222,7 @@ describe('id normalization — transparent string-key round-trips', () => {
 
   it('10. no-id add() mints a v7; newId() mints a v7', async () => {
     const brain = await makeBrain()
+    opened.push(brain)
 
     const autoId = await brain.add({ vector: vec(6), type: NounType.Thing })
     expect(isUUID(autoId)).toBe(true)

tests/integration/multi-process-safety.test.ts

@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ describe('Multi-process safety + read-only mode', () => {
 
       const blocked = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'filesystem', path: dir } })
       await expect(blocked.init()).rejects.toThrow(/another writer holds/i)
-      // Don't track `blocked` for afterEach cleanup since init failed.
+      // A rejected init() still registered `blocked` in Brainy's global
+      // instance registry (the constructor does that unconditionally) — close()
+      // is safe to call even though init() never completed, and is what
+      // deregisters it (and, once idle, the process-level shutdown hooks).
+      await blocked.close().catch(() => {})
     })
 
     it('takes over a STALE foreign lock (dead PID + old heartbeat) and claims atomically', async () => {
@@ -151,6 +155,7 @@ describe('Multi-process safety + read-only mode', () => {
       const err: any = await blocked.init().catch((e) => e)
       expect(err.code).toBe('BRAINY_WRITER_LOCKED')
       expect(err.lockInfo?.pid).toBe(otherPid)
+      await blocked.close().catch(() => {})
     })
 
     it('release drains an in-flight heartbeat — no phantom lock re-created after unlink', async () => {

tests/integration/related-verb-array.test.ts

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ describe('related() with a verb-type array returns every requested type', () =>
   })
 
   afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
     brain = null as any
   })
 

tests/integration/relationship-intelligence.test.ts

@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ describe('Relationship Intelligence', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
     if (fs.existsSync(testDir)) {
       fs.rmSync(testDir, { recursive: true })
     }

tests/integration/rev-and-ifabsent.test.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  *   - addMany({ ifAbsent: true }) applies the flag to every item
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { RevisionConflictError } from '../../src/transaction/RevisionConflictError.js'
 import { NounType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes.js'
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ describe('7.31.0 — _rev CAS + ifAbsent', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('_rev initialization + surface', () => {
     it('initializes _rev to 1 on add()', async () => {
       const id = await brain.add({ data: 'hello', type: NounType.Document })

tests/integration/vfs-containment-batched.test.ts

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ describe('repairContainment: batched pass 2', () => {
   })
 
   afterAll(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
     brain = null as any
   })
 

tests/integration/vfs-debug.test.ts

@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import * as XLSX from 'xlsx'
 describe('VFS Debug', () => {
   it('minimal VFS writeFile test', async () => {
     const brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' } })
-    await brain.init()
+    try {
+      await brain.init()
 
-    console.log('✅ Brain initialized')
+      console.log('✅ Brain initialized')
 
     // Get VFS and initialize
     const vfs = brain.vfs
@@ -77,5 +78,8 @@ describe('VFS Debug', () => {
     // THE REAL TEST: Can we query VFS?
     expect(children.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
     expect(rootContents.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    } finally {
+      await brain.close()
+    }
   })
 })

tests/integration/writer-lock-fencing.test.ts

@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ describe('writer-lock fencing', () => {
     // Old rule: heartbeat-age eviction → silent takeover → split brain.
     // New rule: live PID = live writer; the second opener throws typed.
     const second = new Brainy({ storage: { type: 'filesystem', path: dir }, requireSubtype: false })
+    brains.push(second)
     await expect(second.init()).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'BRAINY_WRITER_LOCKED' })
   }, 120000)
 

tests/performance/typeAware.bench.test.ts

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  * - Note limitations and edge cases
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { TypeAwareStorageAdapter } from '../../src/storage/adapters/typeAwareStorageAdapter.js'
 import { FileSystemStorage } from '../../src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.js'
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ describe('TypeAware Performance Benchmarks', () => {
       }
     })
 
+    afterEach(async () => {
+      await brainMemory.close()
+    })
+
     it('should measure type-based query performance', async () => {
       // MEASURED: Query for one type (200 entities)
       const start = performance.now()

tests/unit/brainy-core.unit.test.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * No mocks, no fakes, real implementation
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { NounType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes.js'
 
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ describe('Brainy 3.0 Core (Unit Tests)', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('CRUD Operations', () => {
     it('should create items with add', async () => {
       const id = await brain.add({ 

tests/unit/brainy/degraded-reads-surfaced.test.ts

@@ -19,13 +19,19 @@ import { prodLog } from '../../../src/utils/logger.js'
 const UUID = (suffix: string): string => `00000000-0000-4000-8000-0000000000${suffix}`
 
 describe('Finding 10 — degraded derived-index state is surfaced on reads', () => {
+  const opened: Brainy[] = []
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
   })
-  afterEach(() => vi.restoreAllMocks())
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+    for (const b of opened.splice(0)) await b.close().catch(() => {})
+  })
 
   it('checkHealth() reports adopt-forward degraded ids as unhealthy', async () => {
     const brain = new Brainy({ storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384, requireSubtype: false })
+    opened.push(brain)
     await brain.init()
     ;(brain as any)._indexDegradedIds.add(UUID('de'))
 
@@ -37,6 +43,7 @@ describe('Finding 10 — degraded derived-index state is surfaced on reads', ()
   it('find()/get() warn loudly while degraded, ONCE, then repairIndex() clears it', async () => {
     const warn = vi.spyOn(prodLog, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
     const brain = new Brainy({ storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384, requireSubtype: false })
+    opened.push(brain)
     await brain.init()
     await brain.add({ id: UUID('a1'), data: 'x', type: NounType.Document })
     ;(brain as any)._indexRebuildFailed = new Error('rebuild boom')
@@ -59,6 +66,7 @@ describe('Finding 10 — degraded derived-index state is surfaced on reads', ()
 
   it('persistSingleOp records receipt.degraded (widened return type, not dropped)', async () => {
     const brain = new Brainy({ storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384, requireSubtype: false })
+    opened.push(brain)
     await brain.init()
     // Simulate a degraded receipt by wrapping the generation store's commitSingleOp.
     const gs: any = (brain as any).generationStore

tests/unit/brainy/find-complement-operators.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * soft-delete semantic: `field !== value` MUST include entities that have no
  * such field at all.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType } from '../../../src/types/graphTypes'
 
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ describe('find() complement operators (ne / exists:false / missing:true)', () =>
     ids.noField2 = await brain.add({ data: 'n2', type: NounType.Thing, metadata: { other: 2 } })
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('ne returns everything except the matching value — INCLUDING entities without the field', async () => {
     const rows = await brain.find({ where: { status: { ne: 'active' } }, limit: 100 })
     const got = new Set(rows.map((r) => r.id))

tests/unit/brainy/find-index-integrity-guard.test.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * returns an id whose record matches NEITHER the type nor the where filter) and
  * assert the phantom is dropped while the genuine matches survive.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType } from '../../../src/types/graphTypes'
 
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ describe('find() index-integrity guard (phantom row class)', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('healthy index: the discriminant query returns only the staff Person', async () => {
     const rows = await brain.find({ type: NounType.Person, where: { entityType: 'staff' }, limit: 100 })
     expect(rows.map((r) => r.id)).toEqual([staffId])

tests/unit/brainy/find.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy'
 import { createAddParams } from '../../helpers/test-factory'
 import { NounType } from '../../../src/types/graphTypes'
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ describe('Brainy.find()', () => {
     })
     await brain.init()
   })
-  
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('success paths', () => {
     it('should find entities by text query', async () => {
       // Arrange

tests/unit/brainy/metadata-provider-contract.test.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  * exercised by cor's combined matrix); they inject probe/spy hooks onto the live JS
  * metadata index, which has neither method by default.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType } from '../../../src/types/graphTypes'
 
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ describe('metadata-provider contract wiring (getIdsForFilter opts)', () => {
     mi = (brain as any).metadataIndex
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('RETIRED: a read never calls probeConsistency() / self-heals via detectAndRepairCorruption — that is the read-triggered dark rebuild the health-gate law forbids', async () => {
     let probes = 0
     let repairs = 0

tests/unit/brainy/migration-gate-family-scoped.test.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  * gate that hung getStats / readdir / readFile behind an unrelated family's
  * migration until the wait timed out.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy.js'
 import { MigrationInProgressError } from '../../../src/errors/brainyError.js'
 
@@ -38,12 +38,19 @@ const jam = (provider: unknown) => {
 }
 
 describe('migration LOCK is family-scoped', () => {
+  const opened: Brainy[] = []
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    for (const b of opened.splice(0)) await b.close().catch(() => {})
+  })
+
   it('a stuck VECTOR migration does not block canonical or graph/metadata reads', async () => {
     const brain = await seed()
+    opened.push(brain)
     const childId = (
       (await brain.vfs.readdir('/notes', { withFileTypes: true })) as Array<{ entityId: string }>
     )[0].entityId
@@ -60,6 +67,7 @@ describe('migration LOCK is family-scoped', () => {
 
   it('a stuck VECTOR migration STILL blocks a read that needs the vector family', async () => {
     const brain = await seed()
+    opened.push(brain)
     jam((brain as any).index)
 
     // A semantic query consults the vector index — it must wait, and (bounded by
@@ -70,6 +78,7 @@ describe('migration LOCK is family-scoped', () => {
 
   it('a stuck GRAPH migration blocks traversal but not vector/canonical reads', async () => {
     const brain = await seed()
+    opened.push(brain)
     const childId = (
       (await brain.vfs.readdir('/notes', { withFileTypes: true })) as Array<{ entityId: string }>
     )[0].entityId
@@ -87,6 +96,7 @@ describe('migration LOCK is family-scoped', () => {
 
   it('with no migration in flight, every read serves (the fast path is a no-op)', async () => {
     const brain = await seed()
+    opened.push(brain)
     await expect(brain.getStats()).resolves.toBeDefined()
     await expect(brain.find({ query: 'doc' })).resolves.toBeDefined()
     await expect(brain.vfs.readdir('/notes')).resolves.toHaveLength(1)

tests/unit/brainy/relate-duplicate-optimization.test.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('Duplicate Check Optimization', () => {
   })
 
   afterEach(async () => {
-    // Cleanup is automatic with memory storage
+    await brain.close()
   })
 
   it('should detect duplicate relationships using GraphAdjacencyIndex', async () => {

tests/unit/get-index-status-readiness.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * _indexRebuildFailed / _indexDegradedIds degraded states (mirroring
  * validateIndexConsistency / checkHealth).
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType } from '../../src/index.js'
 
 describe('getIndexStatus honest readiness (Finding 9)', () => {
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ describe('getIndexStatus honest readiness (Finding 9)', () => {
     await brain.flush()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('a not-ready provider makes populated honest (false) and exposes ready:false', async () => {
     brain.index.isReady = () => false // count present, serving structure NOT loaded
     const status = await brain.getIndexStatus()

tests/unit/graph/graph-fastpath-honest-readiness.test.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  * scan; and a one-shot probe self-heals a no-isReady provider whose adjacency
  * did not cold-load.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType, VerbType } from '../../../src/index.js'
 
 describe('graph fast-path honest readiness (Finding 2)', () => {
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ describe('graph fast-path honest readiness (Finding 2)', () => {
     await storage.getVerbsBySource(a)
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('not-ready provider → shard scan returns the REAL edges, not a silent []', async () => {
     const gi = storage.graphIndex
     // Simulate a cold native provider: count/manifest loaded (isInitialized) but

tests/unit/metadata-cold-read-guard.test.ts

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * The 8.0 JS index cold-loads correctly, so we simulate the cold native failure
  * mode by intercepting the provider's getIdsForFilter/rebuild.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType, MetadataIndexNotReadyError } from '../../src/index.js'
 
 const V = () => Array.from({ length: 384 }, (_, i) => Math.sin(i * 0.1) + 0.001)
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ describe('Metadata cold-read guard (#venue silent-[])', () => {
     await brain.flush()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('warm brain: filtered find is correct and the guard does not rebuild', async () => {
     const mi = brain.metadataIndex
     let rebuilds = 0

tests/unit/migration-lock.test.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  * the production feature-detection reads it.
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType, MigrationInProgressError } from '../../src/index.js'
 import { GraphAdjacencyIndex } from '../../src/graph/graphAdjacencyIndex.js'
 
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ describe('Migration LOCK (#18) — coordinated 7.x→8.0 auto-upgrade', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    // The "close() is not gated" test already closes `brain` itself as its
+    // own assertion — closing an already-closed brain is a safe no-op here.
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
+  })
+
   it('does not gate operations when no provider is migrating (fast path)', async () => {
     const id = await brain.add({ data: 'hello', type: NounType.Concept })
     expect(id).toBeTruthy()
@@ -130,6 +136,9 @@ describe('Migration LOCK (#18) — coordinated 7.x→8.0 auto-upgrade', () => {
       expect(e).toBeInstanceOf(MigrationInProgressError)
       expect(e.retryable).toBe(true)
       expect(typeof e.elapsedMs).toBe('number')
+    } finally {
+      // close() is proven not-gated by the test below — safe even mid-migration.
+      await shortBrain.close()
     }
   })
 

tests/unit/neural/signals/EmbeddingSignal.test.ts

@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ describe('EmbeddingSignal', () => {
     signal = new EmbeddingSignal(brain)
   })
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
     signal.clearCache()
     signal.clearHistory()
     signal.resetStats()
+    await brain.close()
   })
 
   describe('initialization', () => {

tests/unit/plugin-autodetect.test.ts

@@ -89,12 +89,14 @@ describe('Guarded plugin auto-detection (plugins: undefined)', () => {
     })
     const brain: any = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, silent: true })
     await expect(brain.init()).rejects.toThrow(/installed but failed to load/)
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 
   it('installed but not a valid plugin (missing activate) → init() throws', async () => {
     stubImport(async () => ({ default: { name: '@soulcraft/cor' } })) // no activate()
     const brain: any = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, silent: true })
     await expect(brain.init()).rejects.toThrow(/not a valid Brainy plugin/)
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 
   it('installed but activation fails → init() throws (activateAll posture applies)', async () => {
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ describe('Guarded plugin auto-detection (plugins: undefined)', () => {
     }))
     const brain: any = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, silent: true })
     await expect(brain.init()).rejects.toThrow(/failed to activate/)
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 
   it('plugins: [] and plugins: false → no probe at all (explicit opt-out)', async () => {
@@ -132,5 +135,6 @@ describe('Guarded plugin auto-detection (plugins: undefined)', () => {
       silent: true
     })
     await expect(brain.init()).rejects.toThrow(/listed in config\.plugins but could not be loaded/)
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 })

tests/unit/plugin-version-coupling.test.ts

@@ -143,5 +143,6 @@ describe('version coupling at init() — no silent fallback', () => {
       plugins: ['@soulcraft/this-package-does-not-exist-xyz']
     })
     await expect(brain.init()).rejects.toThrow(/could not be loaded|config\.plugins/)
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 })

tests/unit/plugin.test.ts

@@ -298,9 +298,10 @@ describe('Brainy plugin integration', () => {
     // must surface as a failed init(), NOT a silent degrade to the default
     // engine (the version-coupling guard; see plugin-version-coupling.test.ts).
     await expect(brain.init()).rejects.toThrow(/failed to activate|native module not found/)
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 
-  it('should use() return this for chaining', () => {
+  it('should use() return this for chaining', async () => {
     const plugin: BrainyPlugin = {
       name: 'chain-test',
       activate: async () => true
@@ -309,5 +310,8 @@ describe('Brainy plugin integration', () => {
     const brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' } })
     const result = brain.use(plugin)
     expect(result).toBe(brain)
+    // Never init()'d — the constructor still registered it in Brainy's global
+    // instance registry, so it still needs a close() to deregister.
+    await brain.close().catch(() => {})
   })
 })

tests/unit/release/wall-entry.test.ts

@@ -104,6 +104,14 @@ let cacheDir: string
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-entry-test-'))
+  // wall-entry.mjs is run with this dir as its cwd, standing in for the real
+  // developer checkout it reads its commit identity from (process.cwd()) —
+  // give it a repo-local identity the same way seedRemote gives one to the
+  // seed clone, so the suite is deterministic on a host with no global git
+  // config (a bare CI box) as much as one with a developer's own.
+  execFileSync('git', ['init', '-q', dir])
+  git(['config', 'user.name', 'Wall Entry Test'], dir)
+  git(['config', 'user.email', 'wall-entry-test@example.com'], dir)
   remoteDir = initBareRemote()
   cacheDir = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-cache-')), 'soulcraft-releases')
 })

tests/unit/storage/pagination-parallel-hydration.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * hydration (zero per-entity reads when unfiltered). Both must preserve the exact
  * pagination contract: same order, cursor continuation, filters, totalCount.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType } from '../../../src/index.js'
 
 describe('paginated enumeration — parallel hydration + id-only (cortex heal-cost)', () => {
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ describe('paginated enumeration — parallel hydration + id-only (cortex heal-co
     storage = brain.storage
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   /** Page the whole dataset through a small limit via cursor and collect ordered ids. */
   const pageAll = async (fn: (opts: any) => Promise<any>, key: 'items' | 'ids') => {
     const out: string[] = []

tests/unit/type-filtering.unit.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * Tests to verify that brain.find({ type: NounType.X }) correctly filters entities
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType } from '../../src/index.js'
 
 describe('Type Filtering (A Consumer Team Issue)', () => {
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ describe('Type Filtering (A Consumer Team Issue)', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('should filter entities by NounType.Person', async () => {
     // Add 3 people
     await brain.add({ data: 'John Smith', type: NounType.Person, metadata: { name: 'John' } })

tests/unit/utils/metadataIndex-array-bound.test.ts

@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ describe('the indexable-array bound', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('BELOW the bound: the array indexes, every element of it', () => {
     it('the eleven-element array that used to vanish is searchable', async () => {
       // ELEVEN — one over the old silent limit, the whole shape of the defect.

tests/unit/utils/metadataIndex-sparse-range-collation.test.ts

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
  * column store adopts the field. It is named in `getIdsFromChunksForRange`'s
  * doc comment rather than papered over.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy'
 import { NounType } from '../../../src/types/graphTypes'
 import { SparseIndex, ChunkManager } from '../../../src/utils/metadataIndexChunking'
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ describe('legacy sparse index: range queries order values, or refuse', () => {
     expect(index.columnStore.hasField(FIELD)).toBe(false)
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('(a) a long BOUND against ordinary short values', () => {
     // 'apple' < 'mango' < 'zebra', and every bound below is compared against
     // these three raw keys.

tests/unit/validate-invariants-delegation.test.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * validateInvariants(), and repairIndex() maps a failing invariant with heal:'rebuild'
  * to that provider's rebuild(). "healthy-while-broken must be impossible."
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType } from '../../src/index.js'
 import type { ProviderInvariantReport } from '../../src/index.js'
 
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ describe('validateIndexConsistency delegates to provider validateInvariants() (P
     await brain.flush()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('a broken provider report makes the store unhealthy and names the failing invariant', async () => {
     brain.index.validateInvariants = async () => brokenReport('vector')
     const v = await brain.validateIndexConsistency()

tests/unit/vector-cold-read-guard.test.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * signal (from either strategy) THROWS VectorIndexNotReadyError immediately,
  * with no rebuild attempt in between — never a silent empty result.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType, VectorIndexNotReadyError } from '../../src/index.js'
 
 const V = (): number[] => Array.from({ length: 384 }, (_, i) => Math.sin(i * 0.1) + 0.001)
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ describe('Vector cold-read guard (verifyVectorLive) — silent-[] on cold semant
     await brain.flush()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('warm brain: semantic find is correct and the guard does not rebuild', async () => {
     const vi = brain.index
     let rebuilds = 0

tests/unit/vfs-multi-instance-diagnostic.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * Tests to verify VFS import behavior and identify if VFS creates only wrappers or also graph entities
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy, NounType } from '../../src/index.js'
 
 describe('VFS Multi-instance Diagnostic', () => {
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ describe('VFS Multi-instance Diagnostic', () => {
     await brain.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('should verify VFS creates document wrappers AND allows entity filtering', async () => {
     console.log('\n🔬 VFS Multi-instance Diagnostic Test\n')
     console.log('='.repeat(70))

tests/vfs/tree-operations.unit.test.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Ensures tree methods prevent recursion and work correctly
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { VirtualFileSystem } from '../../src/vfs/VirtualFileSystem.js'
 import { VFSTreeUtils } from '../../src/vfs/TreeUtils.js'
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ describe('VFS Tree Operations', () => {
     await vfs.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('Critical: No Self-Inclusion Bug', () => {
     it('should NEVER return a directory as its own child', async () => {
       // Create test structure

tests/vfs/vfs-bug-fixes.unit.test.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * - Issue #2: File read decompression error
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { VirtualFileSystem } from '../../src/vfs/VirtualFileSystem.js'
 
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ describe('VFS Bug Fixes', () => {
     await vfs.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('Issue #1: Duplicate Directory Nodes', () => {
     it('should not create duplicate directory entries when writing multiple files to same directory', async () => {
       // Write multiple files to the same directory (reproduce the bug scenario)

tests/vfs/vfs-bulkwrite-race.unit.test.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * other operations in parallel batches.
  */
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
 import { VirtualFileSystem } from '../../src/vfs/VirtualFileSystem.js'
 
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ describe('VFS bulkWrite Race Condition Fix', () => {
     await vfs.init()
   })
 
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   describe('operation ordering', () => {
     it('should create directories before files when mixed in same batch', async () => {
       // This is the exact scenario that triggered the race condition: