diff --git a/tests/Stubs/Doctrine/ArrayParameterType.php b/tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ArrayParameterType.php
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/Stubs/Doctrine/ArrayParameterType.php
rename to tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ArrayParameterType.php
diff --git a/tests/Stubs/Doctrine/ExpressionBuilder.php b/tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ExpressionBuilder.php
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/Stubs/Doctrine/ExpressionBuilder.php
rename to tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ExpressionBuilder.php
diff --git a/tests/Stubs/Doctrine/ParameterType.php b/tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ParameterType.php
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/Stubs/Doctrine/ParameterType.php
rename to tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ParameterType.php
diff --git a/tests/Stubs/Doctrine/Types.php b/tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/Types.php
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/Stubs/Doctrine/Types.php
rename to tests/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/Types.php
diff --git a/tests/Stubs/Symfony/HeaderUtils.php b/tests/Stubs/Standalone/Symfony/HeaderUtils.php
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/Stubs/Symfony/HeaderUtils.php
rename to tests/Stubs/Standalone/Symfony/HeaderUtils.php
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap-stubs.php b/tests/bootstrap-stubs.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d651ef50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bootstrap-stubs.php
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Loads the stubs for server-only classes the unit tests touch.
+ *
+ * Each stub loads only when the real class is absent. The stubs sit two directories
+ * below tests/Stubs so the early glob in tests/bootstrap.php cannot reach them:
+ * loaded before Nextcloud boots, the ExpressionBuilder stub shadows Doctrine's
+ * and the server cannot finish booting.
+ *
+ * @category  Test
+ * @package   OCA\Stackiq\Tests
+ * @author    Conduction b.v. <info@conduction.nl>
+ * @copyright 2026 Conduction B.V.
+ * @license   EUPL-1.2 https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/eupl/eupl-text-eupl-12
+ * @link      https://github.com/ConductionNL/stackiq
+ *
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Conduction B.V. <info@conduction.nl>
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+ */
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// OCP\DB\QueryBuilder\IQueryBuilder initialises its PARAM_* class constants
+// from Doctrine constants at class-load, and IExpressionBuilder reads
+// Doctrine's ExpressionBuilder, so mocking OCP\IDBConnection fatals without
+// them. The real classes ship with the Nextcloud server at runtime.
+if (class_exists(\Doctrine\DBAL\ParameterType::class) === false) {
+	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ParameterType.php';
+	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ArrayParameterType.php';
+	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/Types.php';
+}
+
+if (class_exists(\Doctrine\DBAL\Query\Expression\ExpressionBuilder::class) === false) {
+	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Standalone/Doctrine/ExpressionBuilder.php';
+}
+
+// OCP's DownloadResponse builds its Content-Disposition with Symfony's
+// HeaderUtils, which only the server ships.
+if (class_exists(\Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\HeaderUtils::class) === false) {
+	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Standalone/Symfony/HeaderUtils.php';
+}
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap-unit.php b/tests/bootstrap-unit.php
index b41ab1d4..49ad039a 100644
--- a/tests/bootstrap-unit.php
+++ b/tests/bootstrap-unit.php
@@ -91,22 +91,5 @@
 
 unset($integriqStubEvent);
 
-// OCP\DB\QueryBuilder\IQueryBuilder initialises its PARAM_* class constants
-// from Doctrine constants at class-load, and IExpressionBuilder reads
-// Doctrine's ExpressionBuilder, so mocking OCP\IDBConnection fatals without
-// them. The real classes ship with the Nextcloud server at runtime.
-if (class_exists(\Doctrine\DBAL\ParameterType::class) === false) {
-	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Doctrine/ParameterType.php';
-	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Doctrine/ArrayParameterType.php';
-	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Doctrine/Types.php';
-}
-
-if (class_exists(\Doctrine\DBAL\Query\Expression\ExpressionBuilder::class) === false) {
-	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Doctrine/ExpressionBuilder.php';
-}
-
-// OCP's DownloadResponse builds its Content-Disposition with Symfony's
-// HeaderUtils, which only the server ships.
-if (class_exists(\Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\HeaderUtils::class) === false) {
-	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/Symfony/HeaderUtils.php';
-}
+// Doctrine and Symfony classes only the server ships; see bootstrap-stubs.php.
+require_once __DIR__ . '/bootstrap-stubs.php';
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap.php b/tests/bootstrap.php
index 9d39d07e..22ee73a3 100644
--- a/tests/bootstrap.php
+++ b/tests/bootstrap.php
@@ -203,3 +203,7 @@ function stackiq_nc_root_is_installed(string $ncRoot): bool
 ) {
 	require_once __DIR__ . '/Stubs/OpenRegister/Event/ObjectCreatedEvent.php';
 }
+
+// Doctrine and Symfony classes only the server ships, for a run without a
+// booted server. After a boot class_exists() finds the real ones.
+require_once __DIR__ . '/bootstrap-stubs.php';