diff --git a/tests/mumble/ops.py b/tests/mumble/ops.py
index 06c6ade..f5b7b68 100644
--- a/tests/mumble/ops.py
+++ b/tests/mumble/ops.py
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ DB = "/data/mumble-server.sqlite"
 
 
 def _sqlite(domain, sql):
-    cmd = f'sqlite3 {DB} "PRAGMA busy_timeout=20000; {sql}"'
+    # Set the busy timeout via the SILENT `.timeout` dot-command (-cmd), NOT an inline
+    # `PRAGMA busy_timeout=...` (which emits its own result row and would pollute read-backs).
+    cmd = f'sqlite3 -cmd ".timeout 20000" {DB} "{sql}"'
     return lifecycle.exec_in_app(domain, ["sh", "-c", cmd], service="app").strip()
 
 
diff --git a/tests/mumble/test_backup.py b/tests/mumble/test_backup.py
index 0982424..334f251 100644
--- a/tests/mumble/test_backup.py
+++ b/tests/mumble/test_backup.py
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ DB = "/data/mumble-server.sqlite"
 
 
 def _sqlite(domain, sql):
-    cmd = f'sqlite3 {DB} "PRAGMA busy_timeout=20000; {sql}"'
+    # Set the busy timeout via the SILENT `.timeout` dot-command (-cmd), NOT an inline
+    # `PRAGMA busy_timeout=...` (which emits its own result row and would pollute read-backs).
+    cmd = f'sqlite3 -cmd ".timeout 20000" {DB} "{sql}"'
     return lifecycle.exec_in_app(domain, ["sh", "-c", cmd], service="app").strip()
 
 
diff --git a/tests/mumble/test_restore.py b/tests/mumble/test_restore.py
index 0dcb416..6cfa458 100644
--- a/tests/mumble/test_restore.py
+++ b/tests/mumble/test_restore.py
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ DB = "/data/mumble-server.sqlite"
 
 
 def _sqlite(domain, sql):
-    cmd = f'sqlite3 {DB} "PRAGMA busy_timeout=20000; {sql}"'
+    # Set the busy timeout via the SILENT `.timeout` dot-command (-cmd), NOT an inline
+    # `PRAGMA busy_timeout=...` (which emits its own result row and would pollute read-backs).
+    cmd = f'sqlite3 -cmd ".timeout 20000" {DB} "{sql}"'
     return lifecycle.exec_in_app(domain, ["sh", "-c", cmd], service="app").strip()