diff --git a/crates/generation/src/bin/absolute_real_model_run.rs b/crates/generation/src/bin/absolute_real_model_run.rs
index d8870a4..ed6c3e1 100644
--- a/crates/generation/src/bin/absolute_real_model_run.rs
+++ b/crates/generation/src/bin/absolute_real_model_run.rs
@@ -64,9 +64,14 @@ enum Provider {
     ClaudeCli(ClaudeCliClient),
 }
 
+/// Reads `GENERA_CANDIDATES` via `generation::orchestrate::candidate_count`, default 8.
+fn batch_candidate_count() -> usize {
+    generation::orchestrate::candidate_count()
+}
+
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let repo_root = repo_root();
-    let candidate_count = generation::orchestrate::candidate_count();
+    let candidate_count = batch_candidate_count();
 
     let (provider, model_label) = if std::env::var("GENERA_PROVIDER").as_deref() == Ok("anthropic") {
         let client = match AnthropicClient::from_env() {
@@ -352,3 +357,28 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    /// `GENERA_CANDIDATES` is process-global state, so every case lives in one `#[test]`
+    /// run sequentially -- two tests each mutating it could otherwise race under cargo's
+    /// default parallel test runner.
+    #[test]
+    fn candidate_count_reads_env_unset_valid_and_invalid() {
+        std::env::remove_var("GENERA_CANDIDATES");
+        assert_eq!(batch_candidate_count(), 8);
+
+        std::env::set_var("GENERA_CANDIDATES", "32");
+        assert_eq!(batch_candidate_count(), 32);
+
+        std::env::set_var("GENERA_CANDIDATES", "0");
+        assert_eq!(batch_candidate_count(), 8);
+
+        std::env::set_var("GENERA_CANDIDATES", "not-a-number");
+        assert_eq!(batch_candidate_count(), 8);
+
+        std::env::remove_var("GENERA_CANDIDATES");
+    }
+}