diff --git a/HellionChat/SelfTests/HoverSheenAllocStep.cs b/HellionChat/SelfTests/HoverSheenAllocStep.cs
index 12edffb..b7a557e 100644
--- a/HellionChat/SelfTests/HoverSheenAllocStep.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/SelfTests/HoverSheenAllocStep.cs
@@ -39,10 +39,21 @@ internal sealed class HoverSheenAllocStep : ISelfTestStep
             foreach (var key in keys)
                 dl.DrawHoverSheen(min, max, accent, key, hovered: true);
 
-        // Un-hover sweep to verify the cleanup path drops the entries.
+        // Hovered loop must have registered exactly the three constant keys
+        // (no per-frame growth/duplication) — assert via observable state,
+        // not an unconditional pass (K7 false-green fix).
+        foreach (var key in keys)
+            if (!DrawListExtensions.IsSheenTracked(key))
+                return SelfTestStepResult.Fail;
+
+        // Un-hover sweep must drop every entry through the cleanup branch.
         foreach (var key in keys)
             dl.DrawHoverSheen(min, max, accent, key, hovered: false);
 
+        foreach (var key in keys)
+            if (DrawListExtensions.IsSheenTracked(key))
+                return SelfTestStepResult.Fail;
+
         return SelfTestStepResult.Pass;
     }
 
diff --git a/HellionChat/Ui/StyleEngine/DrawListExtensions.cs b/HellionChat/Ui/StyleEngine/DrawListExtensions.cs
index 1c0700c..7fd1590 100644
--- a/HellionChat/Ui/StyleEngine/DrawListExtensions.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Ui/StyleEngine/DrawListExtensions.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ internal static class DrawListExtensions
 
     private static readonly Dictionary<string, DateTime> SheenStarts = new();
 
+    // Test-observability hook for HoverSheenAllocStep: lets the self-test
+    // assert the hover/un-hover dictionary contract via real state instead
+    // of an unconditional pass (K7 false-green fix). Not a runtime path.
+    internal static bool IsSheenTracked(string elementId) => SheenStarts.ContainsKey(elementId);
+
     public static void DrawHoverSheen(
         this ImDrawListPtr dl,
         Vector2 min,