diff --git a/tests/test_remote_policy.py b/tests/test_remote_policy.py
index f8158b4..b6f3f2d 100644
--- a/tests/test_remote_policy.py
+++ b/tests/test_remote_policy.py
@@ -10,9 +10,22 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+import pyisolate
 import pyisolate.policy as policy
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def policy_token():
+    # refresh_remote ends in Supervisor.reload_policy, which authorizes against
+    # the global supervisor's policy token. Set it here (and restore afterwards)
+    # so this file does not depend on an earlier test file having set it.
+    sup = pyisolate.supervisor._get_supervisor()
+    old = sup._policy_token
+    pyisolate.set_policy_token("tok")
+    yield "tok"
+    sup._policy_token = old
+
+
 class PolicyHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
     def do_GET(self):
         doc = "version: 0.1\n"
@@ -25,7 +38,7 @@ def log_message(self, format, *args):  # pragma: no cover - quiet test output
         return
 
 
-def test_refresh_remote(tmp_path):
+def test_refresh_remote(tmp_path, policy_token):
     addr = ("127.0.0.1", 0)
     httpd = HTTPServer(addr, PolicyHandler)
     port = httpd.server_address[1]
@@ -66,7 +79,7 @@ def log_message(self, format, *args):  # pragma: no cover - quiet test output
         return
 
 
-def test_refresh_remote_retries_on_timeout(tmp_path):
+def test_refresh_remote_retries_on_timeout(tmp_path, policy_token):
     addr = ("127.0.0.1", 0)
     httpd = ThreadingHTTPServer(addr, SlowFirstHandler)
     port = httpd.server_address[1]