diff --git a/tools/pr-management/tests/stats/test_json_parity.py b/tools/pr-management/tests/stats/test_json_parity.py
index cb72dc574..e3a1bbf04 100644
--- a/tools/pr-management/tests/stats/test_json_parity.py
+++ b/tools/pr-management/tests/stats/test_json_parity.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 
 import json
 
+import pytest
+
 from pr_management.stats import dashboard, reference
 
 from .helpers import comment, make_pr
@@ -78,6 +80,17 @@ def fake_paginated_search(query, search_q, *args, status=None, **kwargs):
     monkeypatch.setattr(module, "paginated_search", fake_paginated_search)
     monkeypatch.setattr(module, "fetch_codeowners", lambda repo: "")
     monkeypatch.setattr(module, "fetch_ready_pr_files", lambda repo, nums: {})
+    if module is dashboard:
+        # dashboard.main() ends by publishing to a secret gist through `gh`.
+        # A unit test must never reach GitHub, so fail loudly if it gets there.
+        def refuse_publish(*args, **kwargs):
+            pytest.fail("unit test reached the dashboard gist publish step")
+
+        # Guard each entry point independently of main()'s current call order.
+        monkeypatch.setattr(module, "gist_scope_available", refuse_publish)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(module, "publish_gist", refuse_publish)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(module, "read_stats_gist_id", refuse_publish)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(module, "store_stats_gist_id", refuse_publish)
 
 
 def _run(monkeypatch, module, out_path):
@@ -93,6 +106,8 @@ def _run(monkeypatch, module, out_path):
         "--out",
         str(out_path),
     ]
+    if module is dashboard:
+        argv.append("--no-publish")  # reference.py has no publish step and no such flag
     monkeypatch.setattr(module.sys, "argv", argv)
     module.main()
     return json.loads(out_path.with_suffix(".json").read_text())