diff --git a/codex-rs/cli/tests/app_server_daemon.rs b/codex-rs/cli/tests/app_server_daemon.rs
index a2626b04b2..9c3c820d49 100644
--- a/codex-rs/cli/tests/app_server_daemon.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/cli/tests/app_server_daemon.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #![cfg(unix)]
 
+#[path = "support/executable.rs"]
+mod executable;
+
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::Child;
 use std::process::Command;
@@ -10,6 +13,7 @@ use std::time::Instant;
 use anyhow::Context;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use anyhow::ensure;
+use executable::copy_executable;
 use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 use serde_json::Value;
 use tempfile::TempDir;
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ impl TestDaemon {
         // Preserve the installed path without invalidating the shared CLI's Rosetta cache.
         #[cfg(all(target_os = "macos", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
         {
-            std::fs::copy(&codex_source, &managed)?;
+            copy_executable(&codex_source, &managed)?;
             // Translate the fixture before timed daemon capability and readiness checks.
             ensure!(
                 Command::new(&managed)
@@ -53,8 +57,9 @@ impl TestDaemon {
             );
         }
         #[cfg(not(all(target_os = "macos", target_arch = "x86_64")))]
-        std::fs::hard_link(&codex_source, &managed)
-            .or_else(|_| std::fs::copy(&codex_source, managed).map(|_| ()))?;
+        if std::fs::hard_link(&codex_source, &managed).is_err() {
+            copy_executable(&codex_source, &managed)?;
+        }
         std::fs::write(standalone.join("auto-update-version"), &release_name)?;
         std::os::unix::fs::symlink(
             PathBuf::from("releases").join(release_name),
@@ -499,7 +504,7 @@ fn packaged_daemon_launch(action: &str, initial: InitialDaemon) -> Result<()> {
     for directory in ["bin", "codex-path", "codex-resources"] {
         std::fs::create_dir_all(package.join(directory))?;
     }
-    std::fs::copy(&daemon.codex, package.join("bin/codex"))?;
+    copy_executable(&daemon.codex, &package.join("bin/codex"))?;
     daemon.codex = package.join("bin/codex");
     for helper in [
         "bin/codex-code-mode-host",
@@ -540,22 +545,11 @@ fn packaged_daemon_launch(action: &str, initial: InitialDaemon) -> Result<()> {
         br#"{"shutdownGraceSeconds":0}"#,
     )?;
     let cli_before = daemon.codex.canonicalize()?;
-    let mut command = daemon.command();
-    command.args(["app-server", "daemon", action]);
-    // A freshly copied executable can briefly remain busy on Linux CI workers.
-    let mut retries = 0;
-    let result = loop {
-        let result = command.output();
-        if !result
-            .as_ref()
-            .is_err_and(|error| error.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::ExecutableFileBusy)
-            || retries == 2
-        {
-            break result?;
-        }
-        retries += 1;
-        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(/*millis*/ 10));
-    };
+    let result = daemon
+        .command()
+        .args(["app-server", "daemon", action])
+        .output()
+        .context("failed to launch packaged daemon fixture")?;
     ensure!(
         result.status.success(),
         "{}",
diff --git a/codex-rs/cli/tests/doctor_path_safety.rs b/codex-rs/cli/tests/doctor_path_safety.rs
index db2df64a82..d67b7fd2dd 100644
--- a/codex-rs/cli/tests/doctor_path_safety.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/cli/tests/doctor_path_safety.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 //! Black-box coverage for safe diagnostic execution and config error reporting.
 
+#[path = "support/executable.rs"]
+mod executable;
+
 use std::ffi::OsString;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::time::Duration;
@@ -12,6 +15,7 @@ use codex_app_server_protocol::RequestId;
 use codex_config::loader::project_trust_key;
 use codex_state::SqliteConfig;
 use codex_utils_absolute_path::AbsolutePathBuf;
+use executable::copy_executable;
 use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 use serde_json::Value;
 use serde_json::json;
@@ -45,7 +49,7 @@ impl Fixture {
         // Hard-link setup and teardown invalidate other tests' Rosetta translations.
         #[cfg(all(target_os = "macos", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
         {
-            std::fs::copy(&source, &program)?;
+            copy_executable(&source, &program)?;
             // Translate the fixture before the timed diagnostic command.
             anyhow::ensure!(
                 std::process::Command::new(&program)
@@ -59,7 +63,7 @@ impl Fixture {
         }
         #[cfg(not(all(target_os = "macos", target_arch = "x86_64")))]
         if std::fs::hard_link(&source, &program).is_err() {
-            std::fs::copy(&source, &program)?;
+            copy_executable(&source, &program)?;
         }
         let workspace = root.path().join("workspace");
         let bin = workspace.join("node_modules/.bin");
diff --git a/codex-rs/cli/tests/exec_server.rs b/codex-rs/cli/tests/exec_server.rs
index d16e9d95a8..9d018b8423 100644
--- a/codex-rs/cli/tests/exec_server.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/cli/tests/exec_server.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#[path = "support/executable.rs"]
+mod executable;
+
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 #[path = "exec_server/pid_namespace_tests.rs"]
 mod pid_namespace_tests;
@@ -33,6 +36,7 @@ use codex_exec_server::NoiseRendezvousConnectBundle;
 use codex_exec_server::ProcessId;
 use codex_http_client::HttpClientFactory;
 use codex_http_client::OutboundProxyPolicy;
+use executable::copy_executable;
 use futures::SinkExt;
 use futures::StreamExt;
 use predicates::prelude::PredicateBooleanExt;
@@ -185,7 +189,7 @@ metrics_exporter = {{ otlp-http = {{ endpoint = "{collector_url}/v1/metrics", pr
     let bin_dir = package.path().join("bin");
     std::fs::create_dir(&bin_dir)?;
     let executable = bin_dir.join(format!("codex{}", std::env::consts::EXE_SUFFIX));
-    std::fs::copy(codex_utils_cargo_bin::cargo_bin("codex")?, &executable)?;
+    copy_executable(&codex_utils_cargo_bin::cargo_bin("codex")?, &executable)?;
     let manifest = package.path().join("codex-package.json");
     std::fs::write(&manifest, r#"{"version":"1.2.3-alpha.4"}"#)?;
 
diff --git a/codex-rs/cli/tests/support/executable.rs b/codex-rs/cli/tests/support/executable.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ee51da727
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/cli/tests/support/executable.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+//! Copies executable fixtures without exposing writable descriptors to sibling test spawns.
+//! Linux copies finish in a separate process before the fixture can be launched.
+
+use std::path::Path;
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+use std::process::Command;
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+use anyhow::Context;
+use anyhow::Result;
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+use anyhow::ensure;
+
+pub(super) fn copy_executable(source: &Path, destination: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    {
+        // Sibling tests can spawn children while a copy holds the executable open
+        // for writing. Keep that descriptor in a separate process and wait for it
+        // to exit, so inherited descriptors cannot cause ETXTBSY during launch.
+        let output = Command::new("/bin/cp")
+            .arg("--")
+            .arg(source)
+            .arg(destination)
+            .output()
+            .context("failed to start fixture executable copy")?;
+        ensure!(
+            output.status.success(),
+            "failed to copy fixture executable {} to {}: {}",
+            source.display(),
+            destination.display(),
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+        );
+        // Match fs::copy even when the test process has a restrictive umask.
+        std::fs::set_permissions(destination, std::fs::metadata(source)?.permissions())?;
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    std::fs::copy(source, destination)?;
+    Ok(())
+}