diff --git a/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs b/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs
index e34ee6d..71d64d3 100644
--- a/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs
+++ b/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs
@@ -199,18 +199,25 @@ impl<'a> TestContext<'a> {
             }
             
             FixtureKind::RepoWithIssue => {
-                // First create repo
+                use nostr_sdk::prelude::*;
+                
+                // First create and send repo
                 let test_name = format!("fixture-{:?}-{}", FixtureKind::ValidRepo, &uuid::Uuid::new_v4().to_string()[..8]);
                 let repo = self.client.create_repo_announcement(&test_name).await?;
                 self.client.send_event(repo.clone()).await?;
                 
-                // Then create issue referencing it
-                self.client.create_issue(
+                // Then create issue referencing it - this will have 'a' tag to repo
+                // Note: We build the issue but DON'T send it here - the caller will send it
+                let issue = self.client.create_issue(
                     &repo,
                     "Test Issue",
                     "Issue content for testing",
                     vec![],
-                )
+                )?;
+                
+                // Return the issue - tests can extract repo reference from its 'a' tag
+                // The caller (create_fresh/get_or_create_shared) will send this event
+                Ok(issue)
             }
             
             FixtureKind::RepoWithComment => {
diff --git a/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/event_acceptance_policy.rs b/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/event_acceptance_policy.rs
index 353d2c3..176b19a 100644
--- a/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/event_acceptance_policy.rs
+++ b/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/event_acceptance_policy.rs
@@ -645,27 +645,10 @@ impl EventAcceptancePolicyTests {
             // Create TestContext
             let ctx = TestContext::new(client);
             
-            // Get repo with issue fixture (mode-aware)
-            let repo_a = ctx.get_fixture(FixtureKind::RepoWithIssue).await
+            // Get repo with issue fixture (mode-aware) - returns the issue event
+            let issue_a = ctx.get_fixture(FixtureKind::RepoWithIssue).await
                 .map_err(|e| format!("Test setup failed: could not get repo with issue fixture: {}", e))?;
             
-            // Extract the issue from the repo_a event (it's stored as the first 'e' tag)
-            let issue_a_id = repo_a.tags.iter()
-                .find(|t| t.kind() == TagKind::e())
-                .and_then(|t| t.content())
-                .ok_or("Missing issue reference in RepoWithIssue fixture")?;
-            
-            // Query to get the actual issue event
-            let filter = Filter::new().id(
-                nostr_sdk::EventId::from_hex(issue_a_id)
-                    .map_err(|e| format!("Invalid issue ID: {}", e))?
-            );
-            let issues = client.query(filter).await
-                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to query issue: {}", e))?;
-            let issue_a = issues.first()
-                .ok_or("Issue not found")?
-                .clone();
-            
             // Create Repo B but DON'T send it (unaccepted) - just for creating Issue B
             let repo_b = Self::create_test_repo(client, "repo-b").await?;
             
@@ -701,27 +684,10 @@ impl EventAcceptancePolicyTests {
             // Create TestContext
             let ctx = TestContext::new(client);
             
-            // Get repo with issue fixture (mode-aware)
-            let repo = ctx.get_fixture(FixtureKind::RepoWithIssue).await
+            // Get repo with issue fixture (mode-aware) - returns the issue event
+            let issue = ctx.get_fixture(FixtureKind::RepoWithIssue).await
                 .map_err(|e| format!("Test setup failed: could not get repo with issue fixture: {}", e))?;
             
-            // Extract the issue from the repo event (it's stored as the first 'e' tag)
-            let issue_id = repo.tags.iter()
-                .find(|t| t.kind() == TagKind::e())
-                .and_then(|t| t.content())
-                .ok_or("Missing issue reference in RepoWithIssue fixture")?;
-            
-            // Query to get the actual issue event
-            let filter = Filter::new().id(
-                nostr_sdk::EventId::from_hex(issue_id)
-                    .map_err(|e| format!("Invalid issue ID: {}", e))?
-            );
-            let issues = client.query(filter).await
-                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to query issue: {}", e))?;
-            let issue = issues.first()
-                .ok_or("Issue not found")?
-                .clone();
-            
             // Create comment using the helper (which adds NIP-22 tags including 'E')
             let comment = Self::create_comment_for_event(client, &issue, "Comment content")?;