diff --git a/src/sync/target_hygiene.rs b/src/sync/target_hygiene.rs
index 0d5e390..aed739e 100644
--- a/src/sync/target_hygiene.rs
+++ b/src/sync/target_hygiene.rs
@@ -287,8 +287,13 @@ mod tests {
             "a".repeat(MAX_PEER_RELAY_URL_BYTES - base.len())
         );
         assert_eq!(at_limit.len(), MAX_PEER_RELAY_URL_BYTES);
-        assert!(!rejected(&at_limit));
-        assert!(rejected(&format!("{at_limit}a")));
+        // The SDK now rejects URLs above 1 KiB before this layer runs.
+        // Exercise our independent raw-byte guard using an ordinary parsed
+        // target, without relying on construction of an oversized RelayUrl.
+        let parsed = relay(base);
+        assert!(RelayUrl::parse(&at_limit).is_err());
+        assert_eq!(rejection_reason(&at_limit, &parsed, &strict()), None);
+        assert!(rejection_reason(&format!("{at_limit}a"), &parsed, &strict()).is_some());
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -302,9 +307,11 @@ mod tests {
             "a".repeat(MAX_PEER_RELAY_URL_BYTES + 1 - base.len())
         );
         assert_eq!(oversized.len(), MAX_PEER_RELAY_URL_BYTES + 1);
-        let parsed = relay(&oversized);
-        assert!(parsed.as_str().len() <= MAX_PEER_RELAY_URL_BYTES);
-        assert!(rejection_reason(&oversized, &parsed, &strict()).is_some());
+        let normalized = Url::parse(&oversized).unwrap();
+        assert!(normalized.as_str().len() <= MAX_PEER_RELAY_URL_BYTES);
+        assert!(RelayUrl::parse(&oversized).is_err());
+        // Raw-byte rejection must not depend on the parsed target's length.
+        assert!(rejection_reason(&oversized, &relay(base), &strict()).is_some());
     }
 
     #[test]