diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml
index 04fbe28..bb41646 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml
@@ -1,19 +1,14 @@
 name: CI — Python (app)
 
 # Reusable CI for plain Python apps / locally-run tooling that do NOT deploy via
-# SAM or CDK (use ci-python-sam.yaml / ci-typescript-cdk.yaml for those). Beyond
-# lint + format it adds two things such repos commonly need:
-#   * a collect-only import check for a root suite whose live run needs secrets
-#     (verifies every test module imports cleanly without running them), and
-#   * an isolated full pytest run for a self-contained subproject dir whose tests
-#     package collides with the root tests/ package (e.g. a `tests/` under a
-#     subdir) and so must run in its own working directory.
+# SAM or CDK (use ci-python-sam.yaml / ci-typescript-cdk.yaml for those).
+# Runs ruff check + format, plus an optional conventions audit.
 #
 # Naming is load-bearing (see this repo's ci.yaml): the org ruleset matches the
 # required `ci / ci` check against the JOB check-run name. A caller job keyed `ci`
 # invoking this workflow reports each job here as `ci / <job>`, so the aggregator
-# job below is keyed `ci` to emit exactly `ci / ci`. The aggregator gates on every
-# other job, so the single required check fails if any sub-job fails.
+# job below is keyed `ci` to emit exactly `ci / ci`. The aggregator gates on lint,
+# so the single required check fails if lint fails.
 
 on:
   workflow_call:
@@ -26,18 +21,6 @@ on:
         description: "Space-separated directories for ruff (default: repo root)"
         type: string
         default: "."
-      requirements:
-        description: "Requirements file used for the pip cache key + install"
-        type: string
-        default: "requirements.txt"
-      collect-only:
-        description: "Run 'pytest --collect-only' at the repo root (imports resolve without secrets)"
-        type: boolean
-        default: true
-      subproject-dir:
-        description: "Optional self-contained subproject dir whose pytest suite runs in full"
-        type: string
-        default: ""
       run-conventions-check:
         description: "Run the lightweight conventions audit (README + .gitignore covers .env)"
         type: boolean
@@ -52,10 +35,8 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 10
     # The trailing segment of every group in this file is the job id written
     # out literally, NOT `${{ github.job }}`. In a called workflow that
-    # expression evaluates to the CALLER's job id, so all four jobs here would
+    # expression evaluates to the CALLER's job id, so sibling jobs would
     # resolve to one group and, with cancel-in-progress on, cancel each other.
-    # Observed live in pr-reviewer: `lint` was cancelled one second in by a
-    # sibling and the aggregator failed on the cancelled dependency.
     concurrency:
       group: ci-python-app-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}-${{ inputs.source-dirs }}-lint
       cancel-in-progress: true
@@ -101,68 +82,19 @@ jobs:
           fi
           echo "Conventions check passed."
 
-  test-collect:
-    if: ${{ inputs.collect-only }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 10
-    concurrency:
-      group: ci-python-app-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}-${{ inputs.source-dirs }}-test-collect
-      cancel-in-progress: true
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
-        with:
-          python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
-          cache: pip
-          cache-dependency-path: ${{ inputs.requirements }}
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-          pip install -r "${{ inputs.requirements }}"
-          pip install pytest python-dotenv
-
-      - name: Pytest collect-only
-        run: pytest --collect-only -q
-
-  subproject-tests:
-    if: ${{ inputs.subproject-dir != '' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 10
-    concurrency:
-      group: ci-python-app-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}-${{ inputs.source-dirs }}-subproject-tests
-      cancel-in-progress: true
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
-        with:
-          python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
-          cache: pip
-          cache-dependency-path: ${{ inputs.requirements }}
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-          pip install -r "${{ inputs.requirements }}"
-          pip install pytest
-
-      - name: Run subproject suite
-        working-directory: ${{ inputs.subproject-dir }}
-        run: python -m pytest -q
-
   ci:
     # Aggregator — keyed `ci` so a caller job keyed `ci` reports `ci / ci`.
-    needs: [lint, test-collect, subproject-tests]
+    needs: [lint]
     if: always()
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     concurrency:
       group: ci-python-app-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}-${{ inputs.source-dirs }}-ci
       cancel-in-progress: true
     steps:
-      - name: Require all jobs to have succeeded
+      - name: Require lint to have succeeded
         run: |
-          if [ "${{ contains(needs.*.result, 'failure') || contains(needs.*.result, 'cancelled') }}" = "true" ]; then
-            echo "A required CI job failed or was cancelled."
+          if [ "${{ needs.lint.result }}" != "success" ]; then
+            echo "lint failed or was cancelled."
             exit 1
           fi
           echo "All CI jobs passed."
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e8a1ba1..6925cb5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ The formatter GitHub App is not on the main-branch bypass list.
 
 **`.github/workflows/cd-cdk.yaml`** — Reusable CD workflow for CDK repos (TypeScript and Python). Runs `cdk deploy --all` with OIDC credentials. Supports optional Python setup for Python CDK repos and QEMU emulation for cross-platform Docker builds.
 
-**`.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml`** — Reusable CI for non-SAM Python apps (ruff check + format, optional pytest; no SAM validate).
+**`.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml`** — Reusable CI for non-SAM Python apps (ruff check + format and conventions; no pytest, no SAM validate). Pytest stays a caller-owned job.
 
 **`.github/workflows/ci-dotnet.yaml`** — Reusable CI for .NET solutions (`dotnet build`, optional `dotnet test`; SDK version and solution path as inputs).
 
diff --git a/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.properties.json b/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.properties.json
index b625e4e..6d422f8 100644
--- a/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.properties.json
+++ b/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.properties.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "Sea Haven — CI (Python / app)",
-  "description": "Runs ruff check, ruff format --check, a pytest collect-only import check, and an optional subproject suite via the org reusable workflow. For Python repos that do not deploy via SAM or CDK.",
+  "description": "Runs ruff check, ruff format --check, and a conventions audit via the org reusable workflow. For Python repos that do not deploy via SAM or CDK.",
   "iconName": "octicon-checklist",
   "categories": ["Python", "Continuous integration"],
   "filePatterns": ["requirements.*\\.txt$", "pyproject\\.toml$"]
diff --git a/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.yml b/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.yml
index 5a47f38..9c7cfd1 100644
--- a/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.yml
+++ b/workflow-templates/ci-python-app.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,5 @@ jobs:
     # Job id MUST stay `ci`: the reusable's aggregator job is also `ci`, so the
     # check context resolves to the required `ci / ci`.
     #
-    # Every input is optional. Common overrides: `source-dirs` (ruff targets),
-    # `requirements` (non-default requirements file), `subproject-dir` (a
-    # self-contained suite that must run in its own working directory).
+    # Every input is optional. Common override: `source-dirs` (ruff targets).
     uses: Sea-Haven-Industries/.github/.github/workflows/ci-python-app.yaml@9781774f04b824b1182ff41638687f1c01c04361 # v1.0.11