diff --git a/crates/xy/tests/common/mod.rs b/crates/xy/tests/common/mod.rs
index bd6ee86..90515a1 100644
--- a/crates/xy/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/xy/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ use std::process::Stdio;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use tempfile::TempDir;
 use tokio::process::{Child, Command};
+use xy_ipc::Client;
+use xy_protocol::rpc::{ServerSummary, methods};
 
 pub struct Harness {
     pub tmp: TempDir,
@@ -62,6 +64,16 @@ impl Harness {
         }
     }
 
+    /// The `list` RPC result straight off the wire, before any CLI rendering.
+    pub async fn list_rpc(&self) -> Vec<ServerSummary> {
+        let mut client = Client::connect(&self.socket).await.expect("connect daemon");
+
+        client
+            .call_no_params(methods::LIST)
+            .await
+            .expect("list rpc")
+    }
+
     pub async fn run_cli(&self, xy_bin: &PathBuf, args: &[&str]) -> (i32, String, String) {
         let out = Command::new(xy_bin)
             .args(args)
diff --git a/crates/xy/tests/uptime.rs b/crates/xy/tests/uptime.rs
index 0f00e49..13cd838 100644
--- a/crates/xy/tests/uptime.rs
+++ b/crates/xy/tests/uptime.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 mod common;
 use common::*;
+use xy_protocol::ServerState;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn uptime_grows_while_a_server_stays_running() {
@@ -10,8 +11,11 @@ async fn uptime_grows_while_a_server_stays_running() {
     h.start_daemon(&xy).await;
 
     for _ in 0..40 {
-        let (_c, out, _e) = h.run_cli(&xy, &["list"]).await;
-        if out.contains("alpha") && out.contains("running") {
+        let rows = h.list_rpc().await;
+        if rows
+            .iter()
+            .any(|r| r.name == "alpha" && r.state == ServerState::Running)
+        {
             break;
         }
         tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
@@ -19,22 +23,15 @@ async fn uptime_grows_while_a_server_stays_running() {
 
     tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(1_200)).await;
 
-    let (code, out, _e) = h.run_cli(&xy, &["list"]).await;
+    let rows = h.list_rpc().await;
 
-    assert_eq!(code, 0);
+    let alpha = rows
+        .iter()
+        .find(|r| r.name == "alpha")
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("no alpha row in: {rows:?}"));
 
-    let row = out
-        .lines()
-        .find(|l| l.starts_with("alpha"))
-        .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("no alpha row in:\n{out}"));
-
-    let uptime = row
-        .split_whitespace()
-        .nth(4)
-        .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("no uptime column in row: {row:?}"));
-
-    assert_ne!(
-        uptime, "0s",
-        "a server running for over a second must not report 0s uptime; row: {row:?}"
+    assert!(
+        alpha.uptime_secs.is_some_and(|secs| secs >= 1),
+        "a server running for over a second must report at least 1s of uptime; row: {alpha:?}"
     );
 }