diff --git a/cmd/main_test.go b/cmd/main_test.go
index 8713ce7..0f6ffdc 100644
--- a/cmd/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/main_test.go
@@ -852,6 +852,9 @@ func TestPrintVerboseConfigDirect(t *testing.T) {
 // ── initConfig coverage ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 func TestInitConfigWriteFails(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("skipping: chmod restrictions do not apply when running as root")
+	}
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	os.Chmod(dir, 0555)
 	defer os.Chmod(dir, 0755)
@@ -904,6 +907,9 @@ func TestRunWorkingTreeCheckFails(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRunLatestTagFails(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("skipping: chmod restrictions do not apply when running as root")
+	}
 	_, dir := setupRepo(t)
 	addFile(t, dir, "x.go", "// fix")
 	repo, _ := gogit.PlainOpen(dir)
diff --git a/internal/gitutil/gitutil_test.go b/internal/gitutil/gitutil_test.go
index 283337e..cf7d79a 100644
--- a/internal/gitutil/gitutil_test.go
+++ b/internal/gitutil/gitutil_test.go
@@ -752,20 +752,19 @@ func TestLatestTagTagsIterFails(t *testing.T) {
 	repo, dir := newTestRepo(t)
 	addCommit(t, repo, dir, "fix: c1", "v1")
 
+	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("skipping: chmod restrictions do not apply when running as root")
+	}
+
 	// Make .git/refs/tags/ unreadable so that go-git's walkReferencesTree
 	// returns EPERM when it tries to list the directory, triggering the
-	// Tags() error path.  Skip when running as root (chmod has no effect).
+	// Tags() error path.
 	tagsDir := filepath.Join(dir, ".git", "refs", "tags")
-	if err := os.Chmod(tagsDir, 0000); err != nil {
-		t.Skipf("cannot chmod %s: %v", tagsDir, err)
-	}
+	os.Chmod(tagsDir, 0000)
 	t.Cleanup(func() { os.Chmod(tagsDir, 0755) })
 
 	// Reopen so the filesystem storer holds no cached state.
 	repo2, err := gogit.PlainOpen(dir)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Skipf("PlainOpen failed (likely running as root): %v", err)
-	}
 
 	_, _, err = LatestTag(repo2, branch.Info{Major: 1, Minor: 2, TagPrefix: "v"})
 	if err == nil {
diff --git a/internal/gradle/gradle_test.go b/internal/gradle/gradle_test.go
index 32ed906..366a5f6 100644
--- a/internal/gradle/gradle_test.go
+++ b/internal/gradle/gradle_test.go
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ func TestWriteVersionNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestWriteVersionReadOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("skipping: chmod restrictions do not apply when running as root")
+	}
 	path := writeGradle(t, gradleKotlin)
 	os.Chmod(path, 0444)
 	defer os.Chmod(path, 0644)