diff --git a/validate/tests.sh b/validate/tests.sh
index cadb2fa..2fd86ed 100755
--- a/validate/tests.sh
+++ b/validate/tests.sh
@@ -11,8 +11,18 @@ errors=0
 
 echo "=== Test Suite ==="
 
-has_python=$(find "$TARGET" -name "test_*.py" -o -name "*_test.py" | head -1)
-has_go=$(find "$TARGET" -name "*_test.go" | head -1)
+# Probe for test files. Prune known noise dirs so we don't trip on
+# third-party test files installed under .venv, and use -print -quit so
+# the probe doesn't SIGPIPE under `set -o pipefail` on dense trees
+# (which exits the script silently with status 141 before any stage
+# output is printed).
+has_python=$(find "$TARGET" \
+    \( -path '*/__pycache__' -o -path '*/.venv' -o -path '*/venv' \
+       -o -path '*/.git' -o -path '*/node_modules' \) -prune \
+    -o \( -name 'test_*.py' -o -name '*_test.py' \) -print -quit)
+has_go=$(find "$TARGET" \
+    \( -path '*/.git' -o -path '*/vendor' -o -path '*/node_modules' \) -prune \
+    -o -name '*_test.go' -print -quit)
 
 if [ -z "$has_python" ] && [ -z "$has_go" ]; then
   printf "${YELLOW}!${NC} No test files found — skipping\n"