diff --git a/itest/scenarios_test.go b/itest/scenarios_test.go
index ba1b01d..148fdbb 100644
--- a/itest/scenarios_test.go
+++ b/itest/scenarios_test.go
@@ -290,9 +290,14 @@ func TestForgeScenarios(t *testing.T) {
 			return resp
 		}
 
+		// Any 2xx is a successful preflight per the fetch spec; versitygw
+		// answers a matched rule 200 and only its no-CORS-config fallback
+		// 204. The Max-Age assertion below is what pins the real path — the
+		// fallback sets no Max-Age and mirrors the requested method instead
+		// of the rule's method list.
 		resp := preflight(t, origin)
-		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusNoContent {
-			t.Errorf("preflight status = %d, want 204", resp.StatusCode)
+		if resp.StatusCode < 200 || resp.StatusCode >= 300 {
+			t.Errorf("preflight status = %d, want 2xx", resp.StatusCode)
 		}
 		if got := resp.Header.Get("Access-Control-Allow-Origin"); got != origin {
 			t.Errorf("preflight Allow-Origin = %q, want the request origin echoed", got)
diff --git a/itest/stack_test.go b/itest/stack_test.go
index 2e6184c..c1f9ec6 100644
--- a/itest/stack_test.go
+++ b/itest/stack_test.go
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@ func forgeStack(t *testing.T, extra ...stack.Option) (*stack.Stack, string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	t.Logf("booting the smelt Forge stack (~1-2 min; first run also compiles ingot and pulls images)")
 	opts := []stack.Option{
-		stack.WithPiriNodes(stack.PiriNodeConfig{}),
+		// Postgres-backed piri: piri:main's curio PDP pipeline refuses
+		// sqlite ("curio PDP pipeline requires Postgres") as of 2026-07-24.
+		stack.WithPiriNodes(stack.PiriNodeConfig{Postgres: true}),
 		stack.WithServiceBinary("ingot", localIngotBinary(t)),
 	}
 	// Local-dev escape hatches: run against upload-service (sprue) / piri