diff --git a/docs/LIGHTBURN.md b/docs/LIGHTBURN.md
index 3e6ec93..e8183a1 100644
--- a/docs/LIGHTBURN.md
+++ b/docs/LIGHTBURN.md
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ The laser fires only inside an operator-armed window:
   cancels the wait at any time. Opening the lid (or a Pro's interlock
   loop) while the button is lit cancels the job the same way — the
   message names the reason, the latch relocks, and a press with the lid
-  open never arms; close the lid, clear the alarm, and start again.
+  open never arms; the job ends for LightBurn (a clean cancel, no alarm to
+  clear); close the lid and start again.
 - One press covers one job — power changes and M5/M3 toggles do not
   re-prompt. The window relocks when the job ends (program end
   `M2`/`M30`), when the sender connection changes, or after
diff --git a/forgetest/forgetest/suite/laser.py b/forgetest/forgetest/suite/laser.py
index 8d976af..25abcb6 100644
--- a/forgetest/forgetest/suite/laser.py
+++ b/forgetest/forgetest/suite/laser.py
@@ -436,9 +436,9 @@ def kill_mid_fire(ctx):
              "When the white button lights, do NOT press it: open the lid instead."],
       description="Start a laser job so the controller unlocks the latch and lights the button, "
                   "then open the lid while it waits. The wait must abort with the lid named as the "
-                  "reason and alarm 3, the armed window closed (armed -> false), the kernel latch "
-                  "back to locked, and no emission; closing the lid and clearing the alarm returns "
-                  "the controller to Idle. No press is given, so nothing can fire.")
+                  "reason, cancelled with a soft reset (no alarm - nothing to unlock), the armed "
+                  "window closed (armed -> false), the kernel latch back to locked, and no emission; "
+                  "the controller ends Idle. No press is given, so nothing can fire.")
 def arm_wait_lid(ctx):
     ev = ctx.evidence
     with ctx.grbl() as g, LiveJob(ctx, g):
@@ -463,14 +463,15 @@ def arm_wait_lid(ctx):
         while time.time() - t1 < 15:
             ctx.checkpoint()
             text += g.drain()
-            if "job cancelled" in text and "ALARM:3" in text:
+            if "job cancelled" in text and "help]" in text:
                 break
             time.sleep(0.1)
         ev["messages"] = [ln for ln in text.splitlines() if ln.startswith("[MSG:") or ln.startswith("ALARM")]
         ctx.log("controller: %s", ev["messages"])
         ctx.check("lid opened during arm - job cancelled" in text,
                   "the lid open was not reported as cancelling the arm")
-        ctx.check("ALARM:3" in text, "no alarm 3 after the lid-open cancel")
+        ctx.check("help]" in text, "no reset banner after the lid-open cancel (it must be a clean cancel)")
+        ctx.check("ALARM" not in text, "an alarm was raised on the lid-open cancel")
         # Armed window closed and the kernel latch locked.
         t2 = time.time()
         s = None
@@ -489,11 +490,10 @@ def arm_wait_lid(ctx):
         ctx.check(not ev["emission"], "emission_samples nonzero (%s) - nothing may have fired", ev["emission"])
         ctx.instruct("Close the lid, then click Done.")
         ctx.sleep(1)
-        ctx.log("unlock: %s", g.command("$X"))
         st = g.status_report()["state"]
         ev["state_after"] = st
-        ctx.check(st.startswith("Idle"), "controller is %s after $X, expected Idle", st)
-    ctx.log("PASS: lid open during the arm wait cancelled the job (alarm 3), armed=false, latch locked")
+        ctx.check(st.startswith("Idle"), "controller is %s after the cancel, expected Idle (no unlock needed)", st)
+    ctx.log("PASS: lid open during the arm wait cancelled the job (clean reset, no alarm), armed=false, latch locked")
 
 
 @test("laser.lid-cancel-mid-fire", title="Lid open mid-burn: beam off in hardware, job cancelled, head home",
diff --git a/scripts/bench/laser_lifecycle_test.py b/scripts/bench/laser_lifecycle_test.py
index 6fe9e42..f43a75c 100644
--- a/scripts/bench/laser_lifecycle_test.py
+++ b/scripts/bench/laser_lifecycle_test.py
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ reported messages:
      armed message appears
   6. with a switch source present (GF_SWITCH_FILE), the arm blocks on the
      button: a press with the lid closed arms, and the lid or the
-     interlock loop opening during the wait cancels the job (alarm,
-     latch relocked, never armed)
+     interlock loop opening during the wait cancels the job (a clean
+     soft reset, no alarm; latch relocked, never armed)
   7. outside the arm wait the button is the pause/resume toggle: a press
      while running feed-holds, a press while held resumes; the arming
      press itself is not a pause press
@@ -433,8 +433,10 @@ def test_lid_open_in_wait():
         s.set_switches(SW_LID_OPEN)
         if not wait_for(s.log, LID_CANCEL, 5, s.sock):
             fail("[lid-in-wait] lid open during the wait was not reported as a cancel")
-        if not wait_for(s.log, "ALARM:3", 5, s.sock):
-            fail("[lid-in-wait] no alarm after the lid-open cancel")
+        if not wait_for(s.log, "for help]", 5, s.sock):
+            fail("[lid-in-wait] no reset banner after the lid-open cancel (a clean cancel, not an alarm)")
+        if "ALARM" in "".join(s.log):
+            fail("[lid-in-wait] an alarm was raised on the lid-open cancel")
         # Press with the lid still open: nothing may arm.
         s.set_switches(1 << 2)
         read_avail(s.sock, s.log, 1.0)