diff --git a/tests/approval.sh b/tests/approval.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 2210d5ab..00000000
--- a/tests/approval.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,112 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Phase 5c end-to-end approval flow:
-#   manager edits proposed -> commits -> request_apply_commit
-#   user approves on host -> hive-c0re applies into authoritative repo -> rebuild
-#   sub-agent container has the new package
-#
-# Runs as root on a host with services.hive-c0re enabled and the hm1nd
-# container declared. Idempotent — wipes any prior alice state.
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-AGENT=alice
-PKG=htop
-
-cleanup() {
-    echo "=== cleanup ==="
-    sudo hive-c0re kill "$AGENT" 2>/dev/null || true
-    sudo nixos-container destroy "h-${AGENT}" 2>/dev/null || true
-    sudo rm -rf \
-        "/var/lib/hyperhive/agents/${AGENT}" \
-        "/var/lib/hyperhive/applied/${AGENT}"
-}
-
-echo "=== precheck: hm1nd container is up ==="
-if ! sudo machinectl status hm1nd >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "  hm1nd is not running. Starting via systemd..."
-    sudo systemctl start "container@hm1nd.service" || {
-        echo "FAIL: could not start container@hm1nd.service."
-        echo "  Did you 'nixos-rebuild switch' after declaring containers.hm1nd in your host config?"
-        exit 1
-    }
-    # wait briefly for it to come up
-    for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10; do
-        sudo machinectl status hm1nd >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
-        sleep 0.5
-    done
-fi
-echo "  hm1nd is up ✓"
-
-cleanup
-
-echo "=== spawn ${AGENT} ==="
-sudo hive-c0re spawn "$AGENT"
-
-echo "=== two-repo split visible ==="
-echo "  proposed (manager-editable):"
-sudo ls -la "/var/lib/hyperhive/agents/${AGENT}/config/" | sed 's/^/    /'
-echo "  applied (hive-c0re only):"
-sudo ls -la "/var/lib/hyperhive/applied/${AGENT}/" | sed 's/^/    /'
-
-echo "=== manager cannot see the applied repo ==="
-if sudo nixos-container run hm1nd -- ls "/var/lib/hyperhive/applied/${AGENT}" 2>/dev/null; then
-    echo "FAIL: manager can see applied/ — bind-mount leak"
-    exit 1
-fi
-echo "  manager has no path to applied/ ✓"
-
-echo "=== ${PKG} not installed in h-${AGENT} (pre-approve) ==="
-if sudo nixos-container run "h-${AGENT}" -- which "$PKG" 2>/dev/null; then
-    echo "FAIL: ${PKG} already in path"
-    exit 1
-fi
-echo "  not in path ✓"
-
-echo "=== manager: edit agent.nix + commit + request_apply_commit ==="
-sudo nixos-container run hm1nd -- bash -c "
-    set -euo pipefail
-    cd /agents/${AGENT}/config
-    cat > agent.nix <<'EOF'
-{ pkgs, ... }:
-{
-  environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.${PKG} ];
-}
-EOF
-    git commit -am 'add ${PKG}'
-    SHA=\$(git rev-parse HEAD)
-    echo \"  manager commit SHA=\$SHA\"
-    hive-m1nd request-apply-commit ${AGENT} \$SHA
-"
-
-echo "=== pending approvals ==="
-sudo hive-c0re pending
-
-ID=$(sudo hive-c0re pending \
-    | sed -nE 's/^[[:space:]]*"id":[[:space:]]*([0-9]+).*/\1/p' \
-    | tail -1)
-if [ -z "$ID" ]; then
-    echo "FAIL: could not parse approval id"
-    exit 1
-fi
-echo "  using approval id ${ID}"
-
-echo "=== approve ${ID} (advances applied/main + rebuilds h-${AGENT}) ==="
-sudo hive-c0re approve "$ID"
-
-echo "=== verify ${PKG} now in path ==="
-sudo nixos-container run "h-${AGENT}" -- which "$PKG"
-
-echo "=== applied repo git log ==="
-sudo git -C "/var/lib/hyperhive/applied/${AGENT}" log --oneline -5
-
-echo "=== approvals table ==="
-if command -v sqlite3 >/dev/null; then
-    sudo sqlite3 /var/lib/hyperhive/broker.sqlite \
-        "SELECT id, agent, substr(commit_ref,1,12) AS sha, status FROM approvals ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 5;"
-else
-    echo "  (sqlite3 not on host PATH — skip)"
-fi
-
-echo
-read -r -p "press enter to tear down, Ctrl-C to leave running: "
-cleanup