diff --git a/examples/control_plane/status-projection-cache-smoke.py b/examples/control_plane/status-projection-cache-smoke.py
index 18366b2f84..9283f05de1 100644
--- a/examples/control_plane/status-projection-cache-smoke.py
+++ b/examples/control_plane/status-projection-cache-smoke.py
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ def run_cli_result(
 ) -> tuple[dict[str, Any], int, str]:
     env = os.environ.copy()
     env["PYTHONPATH"] = str(REPO_ROOT)
+    # This smoke reads machine JSON and asserts the inline decision/cache fields;
+    # the model-facing capture transport replaces that body with a reader
+    # reference, so keep the same opt-out the canary harness uses in argv.
+    env["LOOPX_CONTEXT_DELIVERY"] = "off"
     result = subprocess.run(
         [
             sys.executable,
diff --git a/examples/control_plane/status-quota-perf-budget-smoke.py b/examples/control_plane/status-quota-perf-budget-smoke.py
index 98840073cd..3fc0cd9eee 100644
--- a/examples/control_plane/status-quota-perf-budget-smoke.py
+++ b/examples/control_plane/status-quota-perf-budget-smoke.py
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ def run_cli_result(
 ) -> tuple[dict[str, Any], float, int, str]:
     env = os.environ.copy()
     env["PYTHONPATH"] = str(REPO_ROOT)
+    # This smoke measures status/quota decision latency and reads the inline
+    # `should_run` field; the model-facing capture transport replaces that body
+    # with a reader reference, so keep the same opt-out the canary harness uses.
+    env["LOOPX_CONTEXT_DELIVERY"] = "off"
     started = time.perf_counter()
     result = subprocess.run(
         [
diff --git a/examples/control_plane/todo_lifecycle_fixtures.py b/examples/control_plane/todo_lifecycle_fixtures.py
index b1a813dbc4..7dc4cc838f 100644
--- a/examples/control_plane/todo_lifecycle_fixtures.py
+++ b/examples/control_plane/todo_lifecycle_fixtures.py
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
 import contextlib
 import io
 import json
+import os
 import sys
 import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 
 REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
@@ -126,7 +128,11 @@ def run_fixture_cli(
     ]
     stdout = io.StringIO()
     stderr = io.StringIO()
-    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(stdout), contextlib.redirect_stderr(stderr):
+    # These fixtures consume machine JSON and read the inline decision fields;
+    # the model-facing capture transport replaces that body with a reader
+    # reference, so opt out in-process the way the canary harness does in argv.
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"LOOPX_CONTEXT_DELIVERY": "off"}), \
+            contextlib.redirect_stdout(stdout), contextlib.redirect_stderr(stderr):
         try:
             returncode = loopx_cli_main(argv)
         except SystemExit as exc:
diff --git a/examples/custom-runtime-minimal-cli-turn-smoke.py b/examples/custom-runtime-minimal-cli-turn-smoke.py
index 8299bc7afb..bfa3f6b9f7 100755
--- a/examples/custom-runtime-minimal-cli-turn-smoke.py
+++ b/examples/custom-runtime-minimal-cli-turn-smoke.py
@@ -13,10 +13,12 @@
 import contextlib
 import io
 import json
+import os
 import sys
 import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
 if str(REPO_ROOT) not in sys.path:
@@ -62,7 +64,10 @@ def run_cli(registry_path: Path, *args: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
         *args,
     ]
     buf = io.StringIO()
-    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf):
+    # This smoke reads machine JSON and asserts the inline decision fields; the
+    # model-facing capture transport replaces that body with a reader reference,
+    # so opt out in-process the way the canary harness does in argv.
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"LOOPX_CONTEXT_DELIVERY": "off"}), contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf):
         code = loopx_cli_main(argv)
     raw = buf.getvalue().strip()
     payload: dict[str, Any] = json.loads(raw) if raw else {}