--- a/tests/test_runner.py
+++ b/tests/test_runner.py
@@ -133,12 +133,19 @@
         self.recovery_fixture()
         for task_id in ("P13-01", "P13-02"):
             with self.subTest(task_id=task_id):
-                self.r.add(dict(self.contract, id=task_id))
-                self.r.state(task_id, "blocked", "scope_violation: fixture.txt")
-                with self.assertRaisesRegex(GateError, "blocked reason"):
-                    self.r.submit(task_id)
-                self.assertEqual(self.r.task(task_id)["repairs"], 0)
-                self.assertEqual(self.r.task(task_id)["state"], "blocked")
+                isolated = Runner.init("reject-" + task_id, self.repo,
+                    self.r.baseline, self.r.config["validations"],
+                    policy=self.r.config["policy"], state_root=self.root / "rejection-state")
+                try:
+                    isolated.add(dict(self.contract, id=task_id))
+                    isolated.state(task_id, "blocked", "scope_violation: fixture.txt")
+                    with self.assertRaisesRegex(GateError, "blocked reason"):
+                        isolated.submit(task_id)
+                    self.assertEqual(isolated.task(task_id)["repairs"], 0)
+                    self.assertEqual(isolated.task(task_id)["state"], "blocked")
+                    self.assertIsNone(isolated.task(task_id)["submitted"])
+                finally:
+                    isolated.db.close()
 
     def test_p13_recovery_accepts_matching_forward_hashes(self):
         _, artifact, _ = self.recovery_fixture()