diff --git a/tests/api/server/main/server_main_state_rpc_contract.rs b/tests/api/server/main/server_main_state_rpc_contract.rs
index 0d72926..7ee1a9d 100644
--- a/tests/api/server/main/server_main_state_rpc_contract.rs
+++ b/tests/api/server/main/server_main_state_rpc_contract.rs
@@ -338,17 +338,19 @@ mod server_main_state_rpc {
         let (_dir, handler) = build_handler_for_tests();
         let rt = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().expect("runtime");
 
-        let usb = rt
-            .block_on(async { handler.recover_usb_reply().await })
-            .expect_err("missing fake UDC state should be reported clearly");
-        assert_eq!(usb.code(), tonic::Code::FailedPrecondition);
-        assert!(usb.to_string().contains("could not read UDC state"));
+        with_var("LESAVKA_TEST_RECOVERY_STATE_ERROR", Some("1"), || {
+            let usb = rt
+                .block_on(async { handler.recover_usb_reply().await })
+                .expect_err("forced fake UDC read failure should be reported clearly");
+            assert_eq!(usb.code(), tonic::Code::FailedPrecondition);
+            assert!(usb.to_string().contains("could not read UDC state"));
 
-        let usb_rpc = rt
-            .block_on(async { handler.recover_usb(tonic::Request::new(Empty {})).await })
-            .expect_err("RPC wrapper should surface the same missing fake UDC state");
-        assert_eq!(usb_rpc.code(), tonic::Code::FailedPrecondition);
-        assert!(usb_rpc.to_string().contains("could not read UDC state"));
+            let usb_rpc = rt
+                .block_on(async { handler.recover_usb(tonic::Request::new(Empty {})).await })
+                .expect_err("RPC wrapper should surface the same fake UDC read failure");
+            assert_eq!(usb_rpc.code(), tonic::Code::FailedPrecondition);
+            assert!(usb_rpc.to_string().contains("could not read UDC state"));
+        });
 
         with_var("LESAVKA_CAM_OUTPUT", Some("uvc"), || {
             let uvc = rt