diff --git a/tests/test_phase4.cpp b/tests/test_phase4.cpp
index 1484b3d..f355501 100644
--- a/tests/test_phase4.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_phase4.cpp
@@ -6357,8 +6357,11 @@ void testAddressBookScope()
     fs::create_directories(tmp);
     setenv("HOME", tmp.string().c_str(), 1);
 
-    // A pre-scoping addressbook.json (no "scope" field) migrates to global on load.
-    fs::path cfg = tmp / ".config" / "ObsidianDragon";
+    // A pre-scoping addressbook.json (no "scope" field) migrates to global on load. Write to the
+    // SAME per-variant config dir AddressBook::load() reads from (Lite -> ObsidianDragonLite/),
+    // resolved under the temp HOME set above. Hardcoding ".config/ObsidianDragon" made the lite-build
+    // ctest write where load() never looks -> 0 entries -> the entries()[0] below segfaulted.
+    fs::path cfg = dragonx::util::Platform::getConfigDir();
     fs::create_directories(cfg);
     std::ofstream(cfg / "addressbook.json")
         << R"({"entries":[{"label":"Legacy","address":"zs1legacy","notes":""}]})";
@@ -6366,7 +6369,9 @@ void testAddressBookScope()
         AddressBook book;
         EXPECT_TRUE(book.load());
         EXPECT_EQ(book.size(), (size_t)1);
-        EXPECT_TRUE(book.entries()[0].isGlobal());     // migrated -> global
+        // Guard the [0] access — EXPECT_EQ doesn't abort this harness, so an empty book here must not
+        // SIGSEGV the whole suite (it would take every later test down with it).
+        EXPECT_TRUE(!book.entries().empty() && book.entries()[0].isGlobal());  // migrated -> global
     }
 
     // Same address may be a contact in two DIFFERENT wallets, but not twice in one; and a global