@@ -54,19 +54,15 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor, {
   readDotenvFiles,
   withDotenvOverlay,
   withDotenvOverlayAsync,
   environmentSourcesCheck,
 } from './doctor.js';
 
-const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(HERE, '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * The escape is written as `\x1b`, never as the byte itself: one raw control
  * character makes `grep` treat the whole file as binary, and a test file no
@@ -257,7 +253,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, against a config that reads .env at top level',
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run([], { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run([], await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -52,14 +52,10 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor, { configLoadFailureCheck } from './doctor.js';
 
-const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(HERE, '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * The escape is written as `\x1b`, never as the byte itself: one raw control
  * character makes `grep` treat the whole file as binary, and a test file no
@@ -199,7 +195,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, against a config that cannot be loaded', () =>
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -61,13 +61,12 @@ import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor from './doctor.js';
 
 const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 /** `packages/cli/src/commands` — where oclif's pattern strategy finds commands. */
 const COMMANDS_DIR = HERE;
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(HERE, '..', '..');
 const DOCTOR_SRC = path.join(COMMANDS_DIR, 'doctor.ts');
 
 /**
@@ -251,7 +250,7 @@ describe('os doctor --scan-deprecations, end to end', () => {
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor, {
   installedPackageLedgerDirAuthorityMissingCheck,
   installedPackageLedgerSkippedEntriesCheck,
@@ -62,10 +62,6 @@ import Doctor, {
 // where the same shape cost 30 ejected merge-queue builds in one night.
 import '@objectstack/cloud-connection';
 
-const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(HERE, '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * The escape is written as `\x1b`, never as the byte itself: one raw control
  * character makes `grep` treat the whole file as binary, and a test file no
@@ -258,7 +254,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, against a reader that declares no ledger direct
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await FreshDoctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await FreshDoctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
@@ -410,7 +406,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, skipped-entries fix quotes the resolved directo
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(['--verbose'], { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(['--verbose'], await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vite
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor from './doctor.js';
 
 // [#10126] Pay the first transform of these dist-resolved workspace deps at MODULE
@@ -76,10 +76,6 @@ import Doctor from './doctor.js';
 // where the same shape cost 30 ejected merge-queue builds in one night.
 import '@objectstack/cloud-connection';
 
-const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(HERE, '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * The escape is written as `\x1b`, never as the byte itself: one raw control
  * character makes `grep` treat the whole file as binary, and a test file no
@@ -224,7 +220,7 @@ describe('os doctor reports ledger readability under every posture (#5429)', ()
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vite
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor, {
   installedPackageLedgerFailureCheck,
   installedPackageLedgerReaderFailureCheck,
@@ -100,10 +100,6 @@ import Doctor, {
 // where the same shape cost 30 ejected merge-queue builds in one night.
 import '@objectstack/cloud-connection';
 
-const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(HERE, '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * The escape is written as `\x1b`, never as the byte itself: one raw control
  * character makes `grep` treat the whole file as binary, and a test file no
@@ -439,7 +435,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, against an unreadable installed-package ledger'
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
@@ -765,7 +761,7 @@ describe('the optional package INSTALLED BUT UNLOADABLE is reported (#5644)', ()
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await FreshDoctor.run(['--verbose'], { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await FreshDoctor.run(['--verbose'], await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
@@ -837,7 +833,7 @@ describe('the optional package INSTALLED BUT UNLOADABLE is reported (#5644)', ()
 
     let exitCode: number | undefined;
     try {
-      await FreshDoctor.run(['--verbose'], { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await FreshDoctor.run(['--verbose'], await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
       exitCode = Number(err.message.split(':')[1]);
@@ -931,7 +927,7 @@ describe('the optional package being genuinely ABSENT stays completely silent (#
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await FreshDoctor.run(['--verbose'], { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await FreshDoctor.run(['--verbose'], await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor, {
   nodeEnvCheck,
   nodeEnvSourcePosture,
@@ -73,9 +73,6 @@ import Doctor, {
   readDotenvFiles,
 } from './doctor.js';
 
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * `chalk` may or may not emit SGR codes depending on TTY detection.
  *
@@ -337,7 +334,7 @@ describe('[#5673] os doctor, end to end — the row reaches the report', () => {
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -66,13 +66,10 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
+import { doctorConfig } from '../utils/__tests__/doctor-config.js';
 import Doctor, { monorepoTreeSkipNotice } from './doctor.js';
 
-/** `packages/cli` — the oclif root the real command is loaded against below. */
-const CLI_ROOT = path.resolve(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..', '..');
-
 /**
  * `chalk` may or may not emit SGR codes depending on TTY detection.
  *
@@ -175,7 +172,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, in a user-app cwd with no packages/spec', () =>
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
@@ -289,7 +286,7 @@ describe('os doctor, end to end, in a monorepo-shaped cwd — the no-regression
     }) as never);
 
     try {
-      await Doctor.run(argv, { root: CLI_ROOT });
+      await Doctor.run(argv, await doctorConfig());
     } catch (err) {
       if (!(err instanceof Error) || !err.message.startsWith('__PROCESS_EXIT__')) throw err;
     } finally {
 
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 ObjectStack. Licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.
+
+/**
+ * The oclif `Config` the in-process `os doctor` suites hand `Doctor.run()`.
+ *
+ * `Doctor.run(argv, { root })` makes oclif load a Config from the package root,
+ * and this package ships no `oclif.manifest.json`, so that load builds the
+ * command manifest by importing every compiled command under `dist/commands`:
+ * 6.6 s of each file's first test, measured locally (#23181). `os doctor`
+ * reads none of it — `doctor.ts` never touches `this.config` — so this Config
+ * is the package's own `package.json` with only `oclif.commands` dropped. The
+ * hooks (the `preparse` separator strip) and everything else still load from
+ * the same manifest, and it loads in tens of milliseconds.
+ *
+ * ⛔ Not for a suite that asks the Config for a command (`findCommand`,
+ * `config.commands`, `runCommand`): this one has none.
+ */
+
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { Config } from '@oclif/core';
+
+/** `packages/cli` — the root a `Doctor.run()` loads its Config from. */
+const CLI_ROOT = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '../../../..');
+
+let loaded: Promise<Config> | undefined;
+
+/** One Config per test file, loaded on first use. */
+export function doctorConfig(): Promise<Config> {
+  loaded ??= (async () => {
+    const pjson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(resolve(CLI_ROOT, 'package.json'), 'utf8'));
+    return Config.load({ root: CLI_ROOT, pjson: { ...pjson, oclif: { ...pjson.oclif, commands: undefined } } });
+  })();
+  return loaded;
+}