diff --git a/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/testing/mod.rs b/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/testing/mod.rs
index 486d6f435..6977eb723 100644
--- a/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/testing/mod.rs
+++ b/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/testing/mod.rs
@@ -877,6 +877,34 @@ impl GatewayDataState {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Attach the minimal enabled system-default strategy needed by request
+    /// execution tests. Production startup creates this row during database
+    /// bootstrap; isolated test data states bypass that startup path.
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    pub(crate) fn with_default_routing_group_for_tests(self) -> Self {
+        use aether_data::repository::routing_profiles::InMemoryRoutingGroupRepository;
+        use aether_data_contracts::repository::routing_profiles::StoredRoutingGroup;
+
+        let repository = Arc::new(InMemoryRoutingGroupRepository::seed(
+            vec![StoredRoutingGroup {
+                id: "test-system-default".to_string(),
+                name: "test-system-default".to_string(),
+                description: None,
+                enabled: true,
+                is_system_default: true,
+                sort_order: 0,
+                config_json: serde_json::json!({}),
+                version: 1,
+                created_at: 1,
+                updated_at: 1,
+                published_at: None,
+            }],
+            Vec::new(),
+            Vec::new(),
+        ));
+        self.with_routing_group_repository_for_tests(repository)
+    }
+
     #[cfg(test)]
     pub(crate) fn with_auth_api_key_reader(
         mut self,
diff --git a/apps/aether-gateway/src/state/testing.rs b/apps/aether-gateway/src/state/testing.rs
index 504ee8c6f..d8f544cf7 100644
--- a/apps/aether-gateway/src/state/testing.rs
+++ b/apps/aether-gateway/src/state/testing.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,20 @@ use crate::{provider_transport, usage};
 #[cfg(test)]
 impl AppState {
     pub(crate) fn with_data_state_for_tests(mut self, data_state: GatewayDataState) -> Self {
+        // Request-execution fixtures provide candidate and provider data but
+        // bypass the production startup bootstrap that creates the enabled
+        // system-default routing group. Keep those isolated states aligned
+        // with the real gateway contract while leaving intentionally disabled
+        // or routing-only fixtures untouched.
+        let data_state = if data_state.has_minimal_candidate_selection_reader()
+            && data_state.has_provider_catalog_reader()
+            && !data_state.has_routing_group_reader()
+            && !data_state.has_routing_group_writer()
+        {
+            data_state.with_default_routing_group_for_tests()
+        } else {
+            data_state
+        };
         self.replace_data_state(Arc::new(data_state));
         self.request_candidate_queue = None;
         self