diff --git a/__tests__/bundle/fixedLabelArms.test.ts b/__tests__/bundle/fixedLabelArms.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..20ce7122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/bundle/fixedLabelArms.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import type { FakeGithub } from './fakeGithub'
+import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { start } from './fakeGithub'
+import { comment, helpersFor, repo, token } from './helpers'
+import { runBundle } from './runBundle'
+
+vi.setConfig({ testTimeout: 30_000 })
+
+const issueRead = `GET ${repo}/issues/1`
+
+// the two arms of removeFixedLabels (src/labels/fixed.ts) that dist/index.js is not otherwise driven through:
+// a /remove- form whose labels are not on the issue, and a failed read of the issue's current labels
+describe('dist/index.js fixed label removal arms', () => {
+  let gh: FakeGithub
+  const { calls, expectCommandThenConfig } = helpersFor(() => gh)
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    gh = await start()
+  })
+  afterEach(() => gh.reset())
+  afterAll(() => gh.close())
+
+  function run(body: string, command: string) {
+    return runBundle({ eventName: 'issue_comment', payload: comment(body), inputs: { ...token, 'prow-commands': command }, apiUrl: gh.url })
+  }
+
+  it('/remove-good-first-issue with none of its labels on the issue reads the labels and removes nothing', async () => {
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/issues/1`, { status: 200, body: { labels: [{ name: 'help wanted' }, { name: 'kind/bug' }] } })
+
+    const result = await run('/remove-good-first-issue', '/good-first-issue')
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stdout).toBe(0)
+    expect(result.errors).toEqual([])
+    expect(gh.requestsMatching('DELETE', /./)).toEqual([])
+    expect(gh.requestsMatching('POST', /./)).toEqual([])
+    expectCommandThenConfig([issueRead])
+  })
+
+  it('/remove-help fails the run naming the labels read when the issue cannot be read', async () => {
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/issues/1`, { status: 500, body: { message: 'boom' } })
+
+    const result = await run('/remove-help', '/help')
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stdout).toBe(1)
+    expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('could not get labels from issue'))).toBe(true)
+    expect(gh.requestsMatching('DELETE', /./)).toEqual([])
+    expect(calls().filter(c => c === issueRead)).toHaveLength(1)
+  })
+})