diff --git a/tests_backend/test_virtual_lights.py b/tests_backend/test_virtual_lights.py
index 567d78d4..e2bd2091 100644
--- a/tests_backend/test_virtual_lights.py
+++ b/tests_backend/test_virtual_lights.py
@@ -1,12 +1,28 @@
-"""Pure operational-store rules independent of the HA WebSocket harness."""
-import pytest
+"""Pure operational-store rules independent of the HA WebSocket harness.
 
-from custom_components.houseplan.virtual_lights import (
-    async_reconcile_virtual_lights,
-    async_toggle_virtual_light,
-    async_virtual_light_snapshot,
-    eligible_virtual_light_ids,
+virtual_lights.py is loaded by path, without importing the HA integration
+package: the ordinary `from custom_components.houseplan...` import executes the
+package __init__, which unconditionally imports homeassistant — and a missing
+homeassistant then breaks pytest collection for the whole tests_backend/
+directory, not just this file (#135). test_validation.py established the
+pattern; the module itself imports nothing beyond the standard library.
+"""
+import asyncio
+import importlib.util
+import os
+
+_PATH = os.path.join(
+    os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__)),
+    "custom_components", "houseplan", "virtual_lights.py",
 )
+_spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("hp_virtual_lights", _PATH)
+_vl = importlib.util.module_from_spec(_spec)
+_spec.loader.exec_module(_vl)
+
+async_reconcile_virtual_lights = _vl.async_reconcile_virtual_lights
+async_toggle_virtual_light = _vl.async_toggle_virtual_light
+async_virtual_light_snapshot = _vl.async_virtual_light_snapshot
+eligible_virtual_light_ids = _vl.eligible_virtual_light_ids
 
 
 class FakeStore:
@@ -44,28 +60,29 @@ def test_eligibility_is_the_exact_triple_and_hidden_is_not_lifecycle():
     assert eligible_virtual_light_ids(config) == {"eligible"}
 
 
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_revision_gap_fails_safe_on_and_known_transition_preserves_only_eligible():
+def test_revision_gap_fails_safe_on_and_known_transition_preserves_only_eligible():
+    # asyncio.run вместо pytest.mark.asyncio: маркер требует плагина
+    # pytest-asyncio, которого в офлайн-окружении без HA нет, и тесты падали бы
+    # как «async def not natively supported» — офлайн-гейт обязан быть зелёным.
     store = FakeStore({"rev": 5, "config_rev": 2, "off": ["keep", "drop"]})
-    gap = await async_virtual_light_snapshot(store, _config(_manual("keep")), 4)
+    gap = asyncio.run(async_virtual_light_snapshot(store, _config(_manual("keep")), 4))
     assert gap == {"rev": 6, "config_rev": 4, "off": []}
 
     store = FakeStore({"rev": 8, "config_rev": 4, "off": ["keep", "drop"]})
-    carried = await async_reconcile_virtual_lights(
+    carried = asyncio.run(async_reconcile_virtual_lights(
         store,
         _config(_manual("keep", hidden=True), _manual("drop", is_light=False)),
         5,
         previous_config_rev=4,
-    )
+    ))
     assert carried == {"rev": 9, "config_rev": 5, "off": ["keep"]}
 
 
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_toggle_accepts_only_an_id_and_inverts_server_current_state():
+def test_toggle_accepts_only_an_id_and_inverts_server_current_state():
     store = FakeStore()
     config = _config(_manual("lamp"))
-    first = await async_toggle_virtual_light(store, config, 1, "lamp")
-    second = await async_toggle_virtual_light(store, config, 1, "lamp")
+    first = asyncio.run(async_toggle_virtual_light(store, config, 1, "lamp"))
+    second = asyncio.run(async_toggle_virtual_light(store, config, 1, "lamp"))
     assert first == {"marker_id": "lamp", "on": False, "rev": 1}
     assert second == {"marker_id": "lamp", "on": True, "rev": 2}
-    assert await async_toggle_virtual_light(store, config, 1, "missing") is None
+    assert asyncio.run(async_toggle_virtual_light(store, config, 1, "missing")) is None