diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd.test.ts b/src/daemon/systemd.test.ts
index 9fc8283b84a..b080302a644 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,38 @@ import {
   stopSystemdService,
 } from "./systemd.js";
 
+type ExecFileError = Error & {
+  stderr?: string;
+  code?: string | number;
+};
+
+const createExecFileError = (
+  message: string,
+  options: { stderr?: string; code?: string | number } = {},
+): ExecFileError => {
+  const err = new Error(message) as ExecFileError;
+  err.code = options.code ?? 1;
+  if (options.stderr) {
+    err.stderr = options.stderr;
+  }
+  return err;
+};
+
+const createWritableStreamMock = () => {
+  const write = vi.fn();
+  return {
+    write,
+    stdout: { write } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream,
+  };
+};
+
+const assertRestartSuccess = async (env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv) => {
+  const { write, stdout } = createWritableStreamMock();
+  await restartSystemdService({ stdout, env });
+  expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  expect(String(write.mock.calls[0]?.[0])).toContain("Restarted systemd service");
+};
+
 describe("systemd availability", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     execFileMock.mockReset();
@@ -46,15 +78,10 @@ describe("systemd availability", () => {
     execFileMock
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
         expect(args).toEqual(["--user", "status"]);
-        const err = new Error(
-          "Failed to connect to user scope bus via local transport",
-        ) as Error & {
-          stderr?: string;
-          code?: number;
-        };
-        err.stderr =
-          "Failed to connect to user scope bus via local transport: $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not defined";
-        err.code = 1;
+        const err = createExecFileError("Failed to connect to user scope bus via local transport", {
+          stderr:
+            "Failed to connect to user scope bus via local transport: $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not defined",
+        });
         cb(err, "", "");
       })
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
@@ -271,6 +298,10 @@ describe("parseSystemdExecStart", () => {
 });
 
 describe("systemd service control", () => {
+  const assertMachineRestartArgs = (args: string[]) => {
+    expect(args).toEqual(["--machine", "debian@", "--user", "restart", "openclaw-gateway.service"]);
+  };
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     execFileMock.mockReset();
   });
@@ -298,13 +329,7 @@ describe("systemd service control", () => {
         expect(args).toEqual(["--user", "restart", "openclaw-gateway-work.service"]);
         cb(null, "", "");
       });
-    const write = vi.fn();
-    const stdout = { write } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream;
-
-    await restartSystemdService({ stdout, env: { OPENCLAW_PROFILE: "work" } });
-
-    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(String(write.mock.calls[0]?.[0])).toContain("Restarted systemd service");
+    await assertRestartSuccess({ OPENCLAW_PROFILE: "work" });
   });
 
   it("surfaces stop failures with systemctl detail", async () => {
@@ -331,22 +356,10 @@ describe("systemd service control", () => {
         cb(null, "", "");
       })
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
-        expect(args).toEqual([
-          "--machine",
-          "debian@",
-          "--user",
-          "restart",
-          "openclaw-gateway.service",
-        ]);
+        assertMachineRestartArgs(args);
         cb(null, "", "");
       });
-    const write = vi.fn();
-    const stdout = { write } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream;
-
-    await restartSystemdService({ stdout, env: { SUDO_USER: "debian" } });
-
-    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(String(write.mock.calls[0]?.[0])).toContain("Restarted systemd service");
+    await assertRestartSuccess({ SUDO_USER: "debian" });
   });
 
   it("keeps direct --user scope when SUDO_USER is root", async () => {
@@ -359,26 +372,17 @@ describe("systemd service control", () => {
         expect(args).toEqual(["--user", "restart", "openclaw-gateway.service"]);
         cb(null, "", "");
       });
-    const write = vi.fn();
-    const stdout = { write } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream;
-
-    await restartSystemdService({ stdout, env: { SUDO_USER: "root", USER: "root" } });
-
-    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(String(write.mock.calls[0]?.[0])).toContain("Restarted systemd service");
+    await assertRestartSuccess({ SUDO_USER: "root", USER: "root" });
   });
 
   it("falls back to machine user scope for restart when user bus env is missing", async () => {
     execFileMock
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
         expect(args).toEqual(["--user", "status"]);
-        const err = new Error("Failed to connect to user scope bus") as Error & {
-          stderr?: string;
-          code?: number;
-        };
-        err.stderr =
-          "Failed to connect to user scope bus via local transport: $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not defined";
-        err.code = 1;
+        const err = createExecFileError("Failed to connect to user scope bus", {
+          stderr:
+            "Failed to connect to user scope bus via local transport: $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not defined",
+        });
         cb(err, "", "");
       })
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
@@ -387,30 +391,15 @@ describe("systemd service control", () => {
       })
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
         expect(args).toEqual(["--user", "restart", "openclaw-gateway.service"]);
-        const err = new Error("Failed to connect to user scope bus") as Error & {
-          stderr?: string;
-          code?: number;
-        };
-        err.stderr = "Failed to connect to user scope bus";
-        err.code = 1;
+        const err = createExecFileError("Failed to connect to user scope bus", {
+          stderr: "Failed to connect to user scope bus",
+        });
         cb(err, "", "");
       })
       .mockImplementationOnce((_cmd, args, _opts, cb) => {
-        expect(args).toEqual([
-          "--machine",
-          "debian@",
-          "--user",
-          "restart",
-          "openclaw-gateway.service",
-        ]);
+        assertMachineRestartArgs(args);
         cb(null, "", "");
       });
-    const write = vi.fn();
-    const stdout = { write } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream;
-
-    await restartSystemdService({ stdout, env: { USER: "debian" } });
-
-    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(String(write.mock.calls[0]?.[0])).toContain("Restarted systemd service");
+    await assertRestartSuccess({ USER: "debian" });
   });
 });