diff --git a/VigilCare.WardGateway.Tests/Fixtures/GatewayApiFixture.cs b/VigilCare.WardGateway.Tests/Fixtures/GatewayApiFixture.cs
index f8325ca..6e45054 100644
--- a/VigilCare.WardGateway.Tests/Fixtures/GatewayApiFixture.cs
+++ b/VigilCare.WardGateway.Tests/Fixtures/GatewayApiFixture.cs
@@ -81,15 +81,19 @@ public class GatewayApiFixture : WebApplicationFactory<Program>, IAsyncLifetime
             await GatewayDbResetHelper.ResetAsync(migrateDb);
         }
 
-        using var scope = Services.CreateScope();
-        var redis = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IConnectionMultiplexer>();
-        var server = redis.GetServer(redis.GetEndPoints().First());
         // Flush only the gateway test DB index — do not FlushAll (would wipe API test DB 1).
+        // Must run before Services is touched: host startup saturates the thread pool and
+        // causes StackExchange.Redis TimeoutException on FLUSHDB under CI load.
         var dbIndex = 2;
         var cfg = RedisConnection.Split(',').FirstOrDefault(p => p.StartsWith("defaultDatabase=", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
         if (cfg is not null && int.TryParse(cfg.Split('=')[1], out var parsed))
             dbIndex = parsed;
-        await server.FlushDatabaseAsync(dbIndex);
+
+        await using (var redis = await ConnectionMultiplexer.ConnectAsync(RedisConnection))
+        {
+            var server = redis.GetServer(redis.GetEndPoints().First());
+            await server.FlushDatabaseAsync(dbIndex);
+        }
     }
 
     protected override void ConfigureClient(HttpClient client)
diff --git a/VigilCareClinicalAPI.Tests/Fixtures/ApiFixture.cs b/VigilCareClinicalAPI.Tests/Fixtures/ApiFixture.cs
index b3449d0..f043eae 100644
--- a/VigilCareClinicalAPI.Tests/Fixtures/ApiFixture.cs
+++ b/VigilCareClinicalAPI.Tests/Fixtures/ApiFixture.cs
@@ -129,10 +129,15 @@ public class ApiFixture : WebApplicationFactory<Program>, IAsyncLifetime
             VirtualHost = "vigilcare_test",
         });
 
-        using var scope = Services.CreateScope();
-        var redis = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IConnectionMultiplexer>();
-        var server = redis.GetServer(redis.GetEndPoints().First());
-        await server.FlushDatabaseAsync(1);
+        // Flush Redis before starting the host. Accessing Services boots many hosted
+        // services that saturate the thread pool; FLUSHDB on the shared multiplexer
+        // then times out waiting for a reply that already arrived (see SE.Redis
+        // TimeoutException: last-in/cur-in stuck, QueuedItems > 0).
+        await using (var redis = await ConnectionMultiplexer.ConnectAsync(RedisConnection))
+        {
+            var server = redis.GetServer(redis.GetEndPoints().First());
+            await server.FlushDatabaseAsync(1);
+        }
     }
 
     protected override void ConfigureClient(HttpClient client)