diff --git a/tests/test_describe_config.py b/tests/test_describe_config.py
index 1c2db4420..6c5d53050 100644
--- a/tests/test_describe_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_describe_config.py
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
 
 """Tests for observe/describe.py category discovery and configuration."""
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 from solstone.observe import describe as describe_module
 from solstone.observe.describe import _build_redact_instruction
+from solstone.think.prompts import load_prompt
 
 
 def test_categories_discovered():
@@ -57,11 +60,27 @@ def test_extractable_categories_have_prompts():
 
 def test_category_max_output_token_defaults_and_overrides():
     """Test category output-token defaults and explicit overrides."""
-    CATEGORIES = describe_module.CATEGORIES
-
-    assert CATEGORIES["browsing"]["max_output_tokens"] == 4096
-    assert CATEGORIES["messaging"]["max_output_tokens"] == 8192
-    assert CATEGORIES["calendar"]["max_output_tokens"] == 8192
+    categories_dir = Path(describe_module.__file__).resolve().parent / "categories"
+    declared_overrides = []
+    defaulted_categories = []
+
+    for md_path in categories_dir.glob("*.md"):
+        category = md_path.stem
+        prompt_content = load_prompt(category, base_dir=categories_dir)
+        metadata = describe_module.CATEGORIES[category]
+
+        if "max_output_tokens" in prompt_content.metadata:
+            declared_overrides.append(category)
+            assert (
+                metadata["max_output_tokens"]
+                == prompt_content.metadata["max_output_tokens"]
+            )
+        else:
+            defaulted_categories.append(category)
+            assert metadata["max_output_tokens"] == 4096
+
+    assert declared_overrides
+    assert defaulted_categories
 
 
 def test_categorization_prompt_built():
diff --git a/tests/test_screen_formatter.py b/tests/test_screen_formatter.py
index ab415480b..090742a51 100644
--- a/tests/test_screen_formatter.py
+++ b/tests/test_screen_formatter.py
@@ -438,15 +438,18 @@ def test_format_screen_uses_meeting_formatter():
 
 def test_format_screen_falls_back_for_missing_formatter():
     """Test that categories without .py formatter use default formatting."""
+    category = "nonexistent_category"
     frames = [
         {
             "timestamp": 0,
             "analysis": {
-                "primary": "browsing",
-                "visual_description": "Web page",
+                "primary": category,
+                "visual_description": "Synthetic category content",
             },
             "content": {
-                "browsing": "# Example Page\n\nVisible text",
+                # Synthetic category ensures no real category can grow a formatter
+                # and accidentally stop exercising _load_category_formatter -> None.
+                category: "# Example Page\n\nVisible text",
             },
         },
     ]
@@ -457,7 +460,7 @@ def test_format_screen_falls_back_for_missing_formatter():
     markdown = chunks[0]["markdown"]
 
     # Should use default text formatting
-    assert "**Browsing:**" in markdown
+    assert "**Nonexistent_Category:**" in markdown
     assert "# Example Page" in markdown