diff --git a/test/test_setup_bat_files.py b/test/test_setup_bat_files.py
index b122211..2f83c7c 100644
--- a/test/test_setup_bat_files.py
+++ b/test/test_setup_bat_files.py
@@ -11,10 +11,16 @@ import re
 
 ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-EXPECTED_BATS = [
+# Required on every branch -- without these the bot cannot be installed or run.
+CORE_BATS = [
     "install.bat",
     "find_python.bat",
     "run_botty.bat",
+]
+
+# Developer tooling. The end-user `stable` branch deliberately strips these, so
+# they are validated only when present rather than asserted to exist.
+OPTIONAL_BATS = [
     "run_asset_extractor.bat",
     "run_quest_debug.bat",
 ]
@@ -26,13 +32,22 @@ def _read(name):
     return open(os.path.join(ROOT, name)).read()
 
 
+def _exists(name):
+    return os.path.isfile(os.path.join(ROOT, name))
+
+
+def _present(names):
+    """Only the given bats that actually exist in this checkout."""
+    return [n for n in names if _exists(n)]
+
+
 def _bat_exists(name):
     assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(ROOT, name)), f"{name} is missing from repo root"
 
 
 class TestBatFilesExist:
     def test_all_bats_present(self):
-        for name in EXPECTED_BATS:
+        for name in CORE_BATS:
             _bat_exists(name)
 
 
@@ -42,12 +57,10 @@ class TestNoHardcodedUsernames:
     _CHECKED = [
         "find_python.bat",
         "run_botty.bat",
-        "run_asset_extractor.bat",
-        "run_quest_debug.bat",
-    ]
+    ] + OPTIONAL_BATS
 
     def test_no_hardcoded_usernames(self):
-        for name in self._CHECKED:
+        for name in _present(self._CHECKED):
             content = _read(name).lower()
             for uname in USERNAMES_TO_BLOCK:
                 for line in content.split("\n"):
@@ -59,7 +72,7 @@ class TestNoHardcodedUsernames:
                         )
 
     def test_no_absolute_home_paths(self):
-        for name in self._CHECKED:
+        for name in _present(self._CHECKED):
             content = _read(name)
             # Find C:\Users\ followed by a literal username (not %USERNAME%)
             bad = re.findall(r"C:\\Users\\([^%\s]+)", content)
@@ -70,14 +83,10 @@ class TestNoHardcodedUsernames:
 class TestFindPythonUsage:
     """All run_*.bat should source find_python.bat."""
 
-    _RUN_BATS = [
-        "run_botty.bat",
-        "run_asset_extractor.bat",
-        "run_quest_debug.bat",
-    ]
+    _RUN_BATS = ["run_botty.bat"] + OPTIONAL_BATS
 
     def test_run_bats_call_find_python(self):
-        for name in self._RUN_BATS:
+        for name in _present(self._RUN_BATS):
             content = _read(name)
             assert "find_python.bat" in content, (
                 f"{name} does not call find_python.bat -- "