diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 8982617..c12d1ea 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ contract, migrations, assets, and tests owned by this repo.
   `scripts/plugin test`, `scripts/plugin precommit`, and `scripts/plugin smoke`.
 - Use `devenv shell -- <command>` when running repo commands from outside the
   devenv shell.
+- Raw `mix test` is not the normal entrypoint for this repo; `plugin test`
+  invokes `mix raw_test` with the host database/services and host
+  plugin-manager paths.
 - Keep browser assets under the plugin asset pipeline and avoid host app
   internals unless the plugin API requires them.
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 98c3115..c9226c4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Install deps and run the test suite:
 
 ```bash
 mix deps.get
-mix test
+scripts/plugin test
 ```
 
 If you are using the shared `tribes` devenv, run the plugin through the local `plugin` helper instead:
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ That means the normal loop is:
 ```bash
 cd /path/to/tribes-plugin-aether
 mix deps.get
-mix test
 
 # in another terminal
 cd /path/to/tribes
@@ -61,6 +60,11 @@ plugin test
 plugin precommit
 ```
 
+Use `plugin test` / `plugin precommit` for host-backed tests. Plain `mix test`
+and `mix precommit` print this guidance; use `mix raw_test` /
+`mix raw_precommit` only for deliberate low-level debugging after setting the
+same host environment yourself.
+
 ## Project Structure
 
 ```
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index 551e317..4477981 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ defmodule Aether.MixProject do
 
   def cli do
     [
-      preferred_envs: [precommit: :test]
+      preferred_envs: [precommit: :test, raw_precommit: :test, raw_test: :test]
     ]
   end
 
@@ -53,20 +53,6 @@ defmodule Aether.MixProject do
   defp tribes_deps(:test), do: [{:tribes, path: "../tribes", only: :test}]
   defp tribes_deps(_), do: []
 
-  defp aliases do
-    [
-      test: ["test"],
-      lint: ["format --check-formatted", "credo"],
-      precommit: [
-        "format",
-        "compile --warnings-as-errors",
-        "credo --strict --all",
-        "deps.unlock --unused",
-        "test"
-      ]
-    ]
-  end
-
   defp usage_rules do
     [
       file: "AGENTS.md",
@@ -87,4 +73,40 @@ defmodule Aether.MixProject do
       ]
     ]
   end
+
+  defp aliases do
+    [
+      test: &plugin_test_message/1,
+      raw_test: &raw_test/1,
+      lint: ["format --check-formatted", "credo"],
+      precommit: &plugin_precommit_message/1,
+      raw_precommit: &raw_precommit/1
+    ]
+  end
+
+  defp plugin_test_message(_args) do
+    Mix.raise("""
+    This plugin test suite is host-backed. Use `plugin test` or `scripts/plugin test`.
+
+    For low-level debugging only, set up the host environment yourself and run `mix raw_test`.
+    """)
+  end
+
+  defp plugin_precommit_message(_args) do
+    Mix.raise("""
+    This plugin precommit is host-backed. Use `plugin precommit` or `scripts/plugin precommit`.
+
+    For low-level debugging only, set up the host environment yourself and run `mix raw_precommit`.
+    """)
+  end
+
+  defp raw_precommit(args) do
+    Mix.Task.run("format")
+    Mix.Task.run("compile", ["--warnings-as-errors"])
+    Mix.Task.run("credo", ["--strict", "--all"])
+    Mix.Task.run("deps.unlock", ["--unused"])
+    raw_test(args)
+  end
+
+  defp raw_test(args), do: Mix.Tasks.Test.run(args)
 end