diff --git a/.pi/extensions/run_make_test.ts b/.pi/extensions/run_make_test.ts
index 7983ba6..ee0cdf9 100644
--- a/.pi/extensions/run_make_test.ts
+++ b/.pi/extensions/run_make_test.ts
@@ -1,37 +1,57 @@
-import type { ExtensionAPI } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
+import type { ExtensionAPI, ExtensionContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 
 export default function (pi: ExtensionAPI) {
   pi.on("session_start", async (_event, ctx) => {
-    try {
-      const { stdout, stderr, code } = await pi.exec("make", ["test"]);
-      const output = stdout + stderr;
-
-      if (code === 0) {
-        ctx.ui.notify("make test passed", "info");
-      } else {
-        ctx.ui.notify(`make test failed (exit ${code})`, "error");
-      }
-
-      // Also send the output as a message so it's visible in the session
-      pi.sendMessage({
-        customType: "run-make-test",
-        content: [
-          {
-            type: "text",
-            text: `Here's the result of running \`make test\`:\n\n\`\`\`\n${output}\`\`\``,
-          },
-        ],
-        display: true,
-      }, { deliverAs: "followUp" });
-    } catch (error) {
-      const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
-      pi.sendMessage({
-        customType: "run-make-test",
-        content: [
-          { type: "text", text: `Error running make test: ${message}` },
-        ],
-        display: true,
-      }, { deliverAs: "followUp" });
-    }
+    // Fire-and-forget: do not block session start on the test run, and let the
+    // "test-balls:record" event land after every extension's session_start handler
+    // has run (project extensions load before global ones, so emitting synchronously
+    // from this handler would race test-balls' runs reset).
+    void runMakeTest(pi, ctx).catch((error) => {
+      console.error("run_make_test:", error);
+    });
   });
 }
+
+async function runMakeTest(pi: ExtensionAPI, ctx: ExtensionContext): Promise<void> {
+  // Record exactly one ball per run, even if UI reporting below fails.
+  let recorded = false;
+  const record = (pass: boolean) => {
+    if (recorded) return;
+    recorded = true;
+    pi.events.emit("test-balls:record", { pass, command: "make test", ts: Date.now() });
+  };
+
+  try {
+    const { stdout, stderr, code } = await pi.exec("make", ["test"]);
+    record(code === 0);
+    const output = stdout + stderr;
+
+    if (code === 0) {
+      ctx.ui.notify("make test passed", "info");
+    } else {
+      ctx.ui.notify(`make test failed (exit ${code})`, "error");
+    }
+
+    // Also send the output as a message so it's visible in the session
+    pi.sendMessage({
+      customType: "run-make-test",
+      content: [
+        {
+          type: "text",
+          text: `Here's the result of running \`make test\`:\n\n\`\`\`\n${output}\`\`\``,
+        },
+      ],
+      display: true,
+    }, { deliverAs: "followUp" });
+  } catch (error) {
+    record(false);
+    const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+    pi.sendMessage({
+      customType: "run-make-test",
+      content: [
+        { type: "text", text: `Error running make test: ${message}` },
+      ],
+      display: true,
+    }, { deliverAs: "followUp" });
+  }
+}