diff --git a/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs b/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs
index fc6e8cb..45d3094 100644
--- a/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs
+++ b/grasp-audit/src/fixtures.rs
@@ -1579,10 +1579,14 @@ impl<'a> TestContext<'a> {
             let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(path);
         };
 
-        // Create a WRONG commit (Owner variant, not PRTestCommit)
-        // This commit hash will NOT match what's in the PR event's `c` tag
+        // Create a WRONG commit using a unique file (not PRTestCommit)
+        // We use create_commit (non-deterministic) so it always succeeds even if the
+        // repo already has a commit (e.g. from OwnerStateDataPushed) with the same
+        // deterministic content. The only requirement is that the hash differs from
+        // PR_TEST_COMMIT_HASH, which is guaranteed since PR_TEST_COMMIT_HASH is a
+        // deterministic root-commit with specific content and dates.
         let wrong_commit_hash =
-            match create_deterministic_commit_with_variant(&clone_path, CommitVariant::Owner) {
+            match create_commit(&clone_path, "wrong commit - not the PR test commit") {
                 Ok(h) => h,
                 Err(e) => {
                     cleanup(&clone_path);
diff --git a/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/push_authorization.rs b/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/push_authorization.rs
index 768e8f9..73cbe1f 100644
--- a/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/push_authorization.rs
+++ b/grasp-audit/src/specs/grasp01/push_authorization.rs
@@ -1231,9 +1231,9 @@ impl PushAuthorizationTests {
             }
         };
 
-        // Create a wrong commit (Owner variant, not PRTestCommit)
-        if let Err(e) = create_deterministic_commit_with_variant(&clone_path, CommitVariant::Owner)
-        {
+        // Create a wrong commit (unique, not PRTestCommit) - use create_commit so it always
+        // succeeds even when the clone already has the Owner deterministic content on disk.
+        if let Err(e) = create_commit(&clone_path, "wrong commit - not the PR test commit") {
             let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&clone_path);
             return TestResult::new(test_name, SpecRef::GitAcceptRefsNostrEventId, desc).fail(&e);
         }