diff --git a/backend/app/api/routes.py b/backend/app/api/routes.py
index a09e133..74a80a3 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/routes.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/routes.py
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ async def event_generator():
                 data=event.model_dump_json(),
             )
 
-    return EventSourceResponse(event_generator())
+    return EventSourceResponse(event_generator(), ping=15)
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1721,7 +1721,7 @@ async def event_generator():
                 data=evt.model_dump_json() if hasattr(evt, "model_dump_json") else _json.dumps(evt),
             )
 
-    return EventSourceResponse(event_generator())
+    return EventSourceResponse(event_generator(), ping=15)
 
 
 @router.get("/projects/{project_id}/search", response_model=ProjectSearchResponse)
diff --git a/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/__tests__/route.test.ts b/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/__tests__/route.test.ts
index 890c5d6..2c9727c 100644
--- a/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/__tests__/route.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/__tests__/route.test.ts
@@ -15,14 +15,18 @@ function makePost(pathname: string) {
 }
 
 describe('POST /api/auth/[...all] — registration guard', () => {
-  const originalEnv = process.env;
+  const WATCHED = ['ALLOW_REGISTRATION'] as const;
+  const saved: Partial<Record<string, string>> = {};
 
   beforeEach(() => {
-    process.env = { ...originalEnv };
+    for (const key of WATCHED) saved[key] = process.env[key];
   });
 
-  afterAll(() => {
-    process.env = originalEnv;
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const key of WATCHED) {
+      if (saved[key] === undefined) delete process.env[key];
+      else process.env[key] = saved[key];
+    }
   });
 
   it('blocks /sign-up/email with 403 when ALLOW_REGISTRATION=false', async () => {
@@ -32,6 +36,7 @@ describe('POST /api/auth/[...all] — registration guard', () => {
 
     expect(res.status).toBe(403);
     const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body.error).toBe('Registration is disabled');
     expect(body.message).toBe('Registration is disabled');
   });
 
diff --git a/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/route.ts b/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/route.ts
index 3cb2781..72f1b39 100644
--- a/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/route.ts
+++ b/web/src/app/api/auth/[...all]/route.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export const GET = handlers.GET;
 export async function POST(request: NextRequest, _context: { params: Promise<{ all: string[] }> }) {
   const url = new URL(request.url);
   if (process.env.ALLOW_REGISTRATION === 'false' && url.pathname === '/api/auth/sign-up/email') {
-    return NextResponse.json({ message: 'Registration is disabled' }, { status: 403 });
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Registration is disabled', message: 'Registration is disabled' }, { status: 403 });
   }
   return handlers.POST(request);
 }
diff --git a/web/src/app/api/auth/config/__tests__/route.test.ts b/web/src/app/api/auth/config/__tests__/route.test.ts
index 99042bc..be04fb6 100644
--- a/web/src/app/api/auth/config/__tests__/route.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/app/api/auth/config/__tests__/route.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,24 @@
 import { GET } from '../route';
 
 describe('GET /api/auth/config', () => {
-  const originalEnv = process.env;
+  const WATCHED = [
+    'GITHUB_CLIENT_ID',
+    'GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET',
+    'GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID',
+    'GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET',
+    'ALLOW_REGISTRATION',
+  ] as const;
+  const saved: Partial<Record<string, string>> = {};
 
   beforeEach(() => {
-    process.env = { ...originalEnv };
+    for (const key of WATCHED) saved[key] = process.env[key];
   });
 
-  afterAll(() => {
-    process.env = originalEnv;
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const key of WATCHED) {
+      if (saved[key] === undefined) delete process.env[key];
+      else process.env[key] = saved[key];
+    }
   });
 
   it('returns github=true when both GitHub secrets are set', async () => {