@@ -7,14 +7,12 @@ import startCLI from '../common/debugger.js';
 
 import assert from 'assert';
 
-const env = {
-  ...process.env,
-  NODE_INSPECT_RESUME_ON_START: '1',
-};
-const cli = startCLI(
-  [fixtures.path('debugger', 'alive.js')], [], { env });
+// Evaluating while the target is running can trigger a V8 scope assertion.
+// Keep it paused for these formatting checks.
+const cli = startCLI([fixtures.path('debugger', 'three-lines.js')]);
 
 try {
+  await cli.waitForInitialBreak();
   await cli.waitForPrompt();
   await cli.command('exec a = function func() {}; a;');
   assert.match(cli.output, /\[Function: func\]/);
@@ -33,5 +31,5 @@ try {
   await cli.command('exec a = function * func() {}; a;');
   assert.match(cli.output, /\[GeneratorFunction\]/);
 } finally {
-  cli.quit();
+  await cli.quit();
 }