diff --git a/apps/api/src/links/links.service.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/links/links.service.db.test.ts
index cc77b21..5114db0 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/links/links.service.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/links/links.service.db.test.ts
@@ -277,10 +277,12 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('LinksService.pondGraph (db, issue #111)', () => {
         { from: a, to: secret },
       ].sort((x, y) => x.to.localeCompare(y.to)),
     );
-    expect(graph.phantoms.map((p) => p.targetSlug).sort()).toEqual([
-      `ghost-${suffix}`,
-      `ghost-secret-${suffix}`,
-    ]);
+    // Sort BOTH sides: phantom order is not guaranteed, and the two slugs share
+    // the random suffix so their sort order flips on ~1/5 of suffixes (the
+    // expected array was previously left unsorted — a latent flake).
+    expect(graph.phantoms.map((p) => p.targetSlug).sort()).toEqual(
+      [`ghost-${suffix}`, `ghost-secret-${suffix}`].sort(),
+    );
   });
 
   it('slices every collection to the reader — no hidden page leaks anywhere', async () => {