diff --git a/tests/unit/watchdog.test.ts b/tests/unit/watchdog.test.ts
index 7db461b..464834c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/watchdog.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/watchdog.test.ts
@@ -149,25 +149,30 @@ describe('Watchdog detection and ownership', () => {
         expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
     });
 
-    it('uses fresh telemetry alongside the polled container and waits for polled RCON when telemetry expires', async () => {
+    it.each([0, 4])('uses fresh telemetry with %i players without extra Watchdog probes and waits for polled RCON when telemetry expires', async players => {
         const { saveTelemetry } = await import('../../src/lib/server/fleet/telemetry.js');
-        saveTelemetry({ ...gameEvent('heartbeat', 17, 4, server), receivedAt: new Date().toISOString() });
+        vi.mocked(rcon.rconStatusResult).mockResolvedValue(missingRcon);
+        saveTelemetry({ ...gameEvent('heartbeat', 17, players, server), receivedAt: new Date().toISOString() });
+        // Status polling supplements occupied rosters with pings; Watchdog adds no probes.
+        const supplementaryProbes = players > 0 ? 1 : 0;
         await pollStatus();
+        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(supplementaryProbes);
         await watchdog.watchdogTick();
         expect(incidents()).toEqual([]);
-        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(supplementaryProbes);
         advance(watchdog.WATCHDOG_SCAN_MS);
         await watchdog.watchdogTick();
         expect(incidents()).toEqual([]);
-        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-        vi.mocked(rcon.rconStatusResult).mockResolvedValue(missingRcon);
+        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(supplementaryProbes);
         advance(30_001);
         await pollStatus();
+        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(supplementaryProbes + 1);
         advance(30_000);
         database.db().prepare("DELETE FROM settings WHERE key='watchdog_last_scan'").run();
         await watchdog.watchdogTick();
         expect(onlyIncident()).toMatchObject({ failures: 1, state: 'open' });
-        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(rcon.rconStatusResult).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(supplementaryProbes + 1);
+        expect(operations()).toEqual([]);
     });
 
     it('starts a new failure window for a replacement registration', async () => {