diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap
index edd9adfed6..496b9cbf33 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap
@@ -1,20 +1,11 @@
 ---
 source: tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
-assertion_line: 2618
-expression: terminal.backend()
+assertion_line: 2612
+expression: active_blob(&chat)
 ---
-"                                                            "
-"╭───────────────────────────────────────╮                   "
-"│ >_ OpenAI Codex (v0.0.0)              │                   "
-"│                                       │                   "
-"│ model:     loading   /model to change │                   "
-"│ directory: ~/code/codex/codex-rs/tui  │                   "
-"╰───────────────────────────────────────╯                   "
-"                                                            "
-"                                                            "
-"› Ask Codex to do anything                                  "
-"                                                            "
-"  100% context left · ? for shortcuts                       "
-"                                                            "
-"                                                            "
-"                                                            "
+╭───────────────────────────────────────╮
+│ >_ OpenAI Codex (v0.0.0)              │
+│                                       │
+│ model:     loading   /model to change │
+│ directory: /home/user/project         │
+╰───────────────────────────────────────╯
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
index e3a7d3cefa..d43adb448e 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
@@ -2602,20 +2602,14 @@ async fn ui_snapshots_small_heights_idle() {
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn startup_header_renders_in_active_cell_before_session_configured_snapshot() {
-    use ratatui::Terminal;
-    use ratatui::backend::TestBackend;
-
     let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(None).await;
     chat.active_cell = Some(Box::new(
-        crate::history_cell::StartupSessionHeaderHistoryCell::new(chat.config.cwd.clone()),
+        // Use a path that's not under $HOME so the rendered directory is stable across CI/dev.
+        crate::history_cell::StartupSessionHeaderHistoryCell::new(PathBuf::from(
+            "/home/user/project",
+        )),
     ));
-
-    let mut terminal = Terminal::new(TestBackend::new(60, 15)).expect("create terminal");
-    terminal
-        .draw(|f| chat.render(f.area(), f.buffer_mut()))
-        .expect("draw startup header");
-
-    assert_snapshot!("startup_header_active_cell", terminal.backend());
+    assert_snapshot!("startup_header_active_cell", active_blob(&chat));
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui2__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap b/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui2__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap
index b5b4f9a665..a5ce1eff0b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui2__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap
+++ b/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/snapshots/codex_tui2__chatwidget__tests__startup_header_active_cell.snap
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 ---
 source: tui2/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
-assertion_line: 160
+assertion_line: 161
 expression: active_blob(&chat)
 ---
 ╭───────────────────────────────────────╮
 │ >_ OpenAI Codex (v0.0.0)              │
 │                                       │
 │ model:     loading   /model to change │
-│ directory: ~/code/codex/codex-rs/tui2 │
+│ directory: /home/user/project         │
 ╰───────────────────────────────────────╯
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
index 58f9806608..f838879830 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/tests.rs
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ async fn resumed_initial_messages_render_history() {
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn startup_header_renders_in_active_cell_before_session_configured_snapshot() {
     let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(None).await;
-    let startup_dir = chat.config.cwd.clone();
+    // Use a path that's not under $HOME so the rendered directory is stable across CI/dev.
+    let startup_dir = PathBuf::from("/home/user/project");
     chat.active_cell = Some(Box::new(
         crate::history_cell::StartupSessionHeaderHistoryCell::new(startup_dir),
     ));