diff --git a/apps/cli/vitest.config.ts b/apps/cli/vitest.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6822f21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/cli/vitest.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// CLI unit tests run in node. They import from @deepcode/core, whose
+// package "main" points at ./dist — so without this alias the tests would
+// require `@deepcode/core` to be built first (a build-order footgun that
+// only works in CI because `pnpm typecheck` runs `tsc -b` and emits dist
+// before `pnpm test`). Aliasing the bare specifier to core's source makes
+// the tests self-contained and fast, mirroring apps/desktop/vite.config.ts.
+
+import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  test: {
+    include: ['src/**/*.test.ts'],
+    environment: 'node',
+    globals: true,
+  },
+  resolve: {
+    alias: {
+      '@deepcode/core': resolve(__dirname, '..', '..', 'packages', 'core', 'src', 'index.ts'),
+    },
+  },
+});
diff --git a/apps/lsp/vitest.config.ts b/apps/lsp/vitest.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7fec2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/lsp/vitest.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// LSP unit tests run in node and reach @deepcode/core through handler.ts.
+// core's package "main" points at ./dist, so without this alias the tests
+// would require core to be built first (a build-order footgun that only
+// works in CI because `pnpm typecheck` runs `tsc -b` and emits dist before
+// `pnpm test`). Aliasing the bare specifier to core's source keeps the
+// tests self-contained, mirroring apps/cli + apps/desktop.
+
+import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  test: {
+    include: ['src/**/*.test.ts'],
+    environment: 'node',
+    globals: true,
+  },
+  resolve: {
+    alias: {
+      '@deepcode/core': resolve(__dirname, '..', '..', 'packages', 'core', 'src', 'index.ts'),
+    },
+  },
+});