diff --git a/spec/components/chapter_picker_component_spec.rb b/spec/components/chapter_picker_component_spec.rb
index b6efaf2a1..81ebf2f07 100644
--- a/spec/components/chapter_picker_component_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/chapter_picker_component_spec.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
-require 'view_component/test_helpers'
 
 RSpec.describe ChapterPickerComponent do
-  include ViewComponent::TestHelpers
-
   let(:chapters) { Fabricate.times(3, :chapter) }
 
   it 'renders a text input with datalist attributes' do
diff --git a/spec/components/chapters_sidebar_component_spec.rb b/spec/components/chapters_sidebar_component_spec.rb
index 73bb65e5a..9a05797be 100644
--- a/spec/components/chapters_sidebar_component_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/chapters_sidebar_component_spec.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
-require 'view_component/test_helpers'
 
 RSpec.describe ChaptersSidebarComponent do
-  include ViewComponent::TestHelpers
   include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
 
   let(:chapters) { Fabricate.times(3, :chapter) }
diff --git a/spec/components/event_card_component_spec.rb b/spec/components/event_card_component_spec.rb
index 9eae9efc2..e5a5a0bd6 100644
--- a/spec/components/event_card_component_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/event_card_component_spec.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
-require 'view_component/test_helpers'
 
 RSpec.describe EventCardComponent, type: :component do
-  include ViewComponent::TestHelpers
   let(:chapter) { Fabricate(:chapter, active: true) }
 
   context 'with a workshop' do
diff --git a/spec/rails_helper.rb b/spec/rails_helper.rb
index 069b8d2d4..f362e8cdb 100644
--- a/spec/rails_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/rails_helper.rb
@@ -29,13 +29,16 @@
   config.use_transactional_fixtures = true
 
   # RSpec Rails can automatically mix in different behaviours based on the
-  # file location of the spec. This line needs to be present for ViewComponent
-  # to work with controller specs
+  # file location of the spec.
+  # Register the spec/components directory mapping BEFORE inference runs —
+  # `infer_spec_type_from_file_location!` snapshots DIRECTORY_MAPPINGS at call time.
+  RSpec::Rails::DIRECTORY_MAPPINGS[:component] = %w[spec components]
   config.infer_spec_type_from_file_location!
 
-  # Connect ViewComponent to RSpec, adding RSpec metadata type: :component.
-  # This extends Rails' own built-in (e.g. "type: :controller") metadata system.
-  RSpec::Rails::DIRECTORY_MAPPINGS[:component] = %w[spec/components]
+  # ViewComponent does not wire its RSpec helpers into RSpec itself (no
+  # lib/view_component/rspec.rb in v4), so include them for type: :component specs.
+  require 'view_component/test_helpers'
+  config.include ViewComponent::TestHelpers, type: :component
 
   # Filter lines from Rails gems in backtraces.
   config.filter_rails_from_backtrace!