diff --git a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/smoke_tests/helpers.rs b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/smoke_tests/helpers.rs
index 5cb39cb11..4777ce960 100644
--- a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/smoke_tests/helpers.rs
+++ b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/smoke_tests/helpers.rs
@@ -94,21 +94,33 @@ pub(super) fn assert_finite_f32(val: f32, name: &str) {
 /// `test_data/ES.FUT` relative to the workspace root.
 /// Returns `None` if the directory doesn't exist.
 pub(super) fn test_data_dir() -> Option<String> {
-    if let Ok(dir) = std::env::var("FOXHUNT_TEST_DATA") {
-        if std::path::Path::new(&dir).exists() {
-            return Some(dir);
+    // Check env vars: FOXHUNT_TEST_DATA (explicit), TEST_DATA_DIR (CI PVC root)
+    for var in &["FOXHUNT_TEST_DATA", "TEST_DATA_DIR"] {
+        if let Ok(dir) = std::env::var(var) {
+            let path = std::path::Path::new(&dir);
+            // Search for ES.FUT in common layouts:
+            // 1. $DIR/ES.FUT (direct)
+            // 2. $DIR/ohlcv/ES.FUT (CI PVC layout)
+            for sub in &["ES.FUT", "ohlcv/ES.FUT"] {
+                let candidate = path.join(sub);
+                if candidate.exists() {
+                    return Some(candidate.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
-    // Auto-detect: workspace_root/test_data/ES.FUT (single symbol, no cross-symbol mixing)
+    // Auto-detect from workspace root: test_data/ES.FUT or test_data/ohlcv/ES.FUT
     let manifest = std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").unwrap_or_default();
     let workspace = std::path::Path::new(&manifest)
         .parent() // crates/
         .and_then(|p| p.parent()) // repo root
         .unwrap_or(std::path::Path::new("../.."));
-    let es_dir = workspace.join("test_data").join("ES.FUT");
-    if es_dir.exists() {
-        Some(es_dir.to_string_lossy().into_owned())
-    } else {
-        None
+    let test_data = workspace.join("test_data");
+    for sub in &["ES.FUT", "ohlcv/ES.FUT"] {
+        let candidate = test_data.join(sub);
+        if candidate.exists() {
+            return Some(candidate.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
+        }
     }
+    None
 }