diff --git a/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_core.rs b/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_core.rs
index db6231ae6..df0e2afbb 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_core.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_core.rs
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ impl TelegramChannel {
     pub fn new(bot_token: String, allowed_users: Vec<String>, mention_only: bool) -> Self {
         let normalized_allowed = Self::normalize_allowed_users(allowed_users);
         let pairing = if normalized_allowed.is_empty() {
-            let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
-            if let Some(code) = guard.pairing_code() {
+            let (guard, code_opt) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+            if let Some(code) = code_opt {
                 println!("  🔐 Telegram pairing required. One-time bind code: {code}");
                 println!("     Send `{TELEGRAM_BIND_COMMAND} <code>` from your Telegram account.");
             }
diff --git a/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_tests.rs b/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_tests.rs
index 9066e5b75..eb7b66ce4 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_tests.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/channels/providers/telegram/channel_tests.rs
@@ -215,14 +215,14 @@ fn telegram_user_denied_when_none_of_identities_match() {
     assert!(!ch.is_any_user_allowed(["unknown", "123456789"]));
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn telegram_pairing_enabled_with_empty_allowlist() {
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn telegram_pairing_enabled_with_empty_allowlist() {
     let ch = TelegramChannel::new("t".into(), vec![], false);
     assert!(ch.pairing_code_active());
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn telegram_pairing_disabled_with_nonempty_allowlist() {
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn telegram_pairing_disabled_with_nonempty_allowlist() {
     let ch = TelegramChannel::new("t".into(), vec!["alice".into()], false);
     assert!(!ch.pairing_code_active());
 }
diff --git a/src/openhuman/security/core.rs b/src/openhuman/security/core.rs
index c58017fcb..d01afff34 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/security/core.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/security/core.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ mod tests {
         let policy = SecurityPolicy::default();
         assert_eq!(policy.autonomy, AutonomyLevel::Supervised);
 
-        let guard = PairingGuard::new(false, &[]);
+        let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(false, &[]);
         assert!(!guard.require_pairing());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/openhuman/security/pairing.rs b/src/openhuman/security/pairing.rs
index 4325aef73..9a4bc35d9 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/security/pairing.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/security/pairing.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ impl PairingGuard {
     /// Existing tokens are accepted in both forms:
     /// - Plaintext (`zc_...`): hashed on load for backward compatibility
     /// - Already hashed (64-char hex): stored as-is
-    pub fn new(require_pairing: bool, existing_tokens: &[String]) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(require_pairing: bool, existing_tokens: &[String]) -> (Self, Option<String>) {
         let tokens: HashSet<String> = existing_tokens
             .iter()
             .map(|t| {
@@ -64,12 +64,13 @@ impl PairingGuard {
             tokens.len(),
             code.is_some()
         );
-        Self {
+        let guard = Self {
             require_pairing,
-            pairing_code: Arc::new(Mutex::new(code)),
+            pairing_code: Arc::new(Mutex::new(code.clone())),
             paired_tokens: Arc::new(Mutex::new(tokens)),
             failed_attempts: Arc::new(Mutex::new((0, None))),
-        }
+        };
+        (guard, code)
     }
 
     /// The one-time pairing code (only set when no tokens exist yet).
diff --git a/src/openhuman/security/pairing_tests.rs b/src/openhuman/security/pairing_tests.rs
index f16a5c454..f8eb4b79f 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/security/pairing_tests.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/security/pairing_tests.rs
@@ -5,27 +5,27 @@ use tokio::test;
 
 #[test]
 async fn new_guard_generates_code_when_no_tokens() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     assert!(guard.pairing_code().is_some());
     assert!(!guard.is_paired());
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn new_guard_no_code_when_tokens_exist() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_existing".into()]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_existing".into()]);
     assert!(guard.pairing_code().is_none());
     assert!(guard.is_paired());
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn new_guard_no_code_when_pairing_disabled() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(false, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(false, &[]);
     assert!(guard.pairing_code().is_none());
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn try_pair_correct_code() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     let code = guard.pairing_code().unwrap().to_string();
     let token = guard.try_pair(&code).await.unwrap();
     assert!(token.is_some());
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ async fn try_pair_correct_code() {
 
 #[test]
 async fn try_pair_wrong_code() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     let result = guard.try_pair("000000").await.unwrap();
     // Might succeed if code happens to be 000000, but extremely unlikely
     // Just check it returns Ok(None) normally
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ async fn try_pair_wrong_code() {
 
 #[test]
 async fn try_pair_empty_code() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     assert!(guard.try_pair("").await.unwrap().is_none());
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn is_authenticated_with_valid_token() {
     // Pass plaintext token — PairingGuard hashes it on load
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_valid".into()]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_valid".into()]);
     assert!(guard.is_authenticated("zc_valid"));
 }
 
@@ -59,26 +59,26 @@ async fn is_authenticated_with_valid_token() {
 async fn is_authenticated_with_prehashed_token() {
     // Pass an already-hashed token (64 hex chars)
     let hashed = hash_token("zc_valid");
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[hashed]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[hashed]);
     assert!(guard.is_authenticated("zc_valid"));
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn is_authenticated_with_invalid_token() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_valid".into()]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_valid".into()]);
     assert!(!guard.is_authenticated("zc_invalid"));
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn is_authenticated_when_pairing_disabled() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(false, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(false, &[]);
     assert!(guard.is_authenticated("anything"));
     assert!(guard.is_authenticated(""));
 }
 
 #[test]
 async fn tokens_returns_hashes() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_a".into(), "zc_b".into()]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &["zc_a".into(), "zc_b".into()]);
     let tokens = guard.tokens();
     assert_eq!(tokens.len(), 2);
     // Tokens should be stored as 64-char hex hashes, not plaintext
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ async fn tokens_returns_hashes() {
 
 #[test]
 async fn pair_then_authenticate() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     let code = guard.pairing_code().unwrap().to_string();
     let token = guard.try_pair(&code).await.unwrap().unwrap();
     assert!(guard.is_authenticated(&token));
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ async fn generate_token_has_prefix_and_hex_payload() {
 
 #[test]
 async fn brute_force_lockout_after_max_attempts() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     // Exhaust all attempts with wrong codes
     for i in 0..MAX_PAIR_ATTEMPTS {
         let result = guard.try_pair(&format!("wrong_{i}")).await;
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ async fn brute_force_lockout_after_max_attempts() {
 
 #[test]
 async fn correct_code_resets_failed_attempts() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     let code = guard.pairing_code().unwrap().to_string();
     // Fail a few times
     for _ in 0..3 {
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ async fn correct_code_resets_failed_attempts() {
 
 #[test]
 async fn lockout_returns_remaining_seconds() {
-    let guard = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
+    let (guard, _) = PairingGuard::new(true, &[]);
     for _ in 0..MAX_PAIR_ATTEMPTS {
         let _ = guard.try_pair("wrong").await;
     }