diff --git a/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderIT.java b/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderIT.java
index 061473ac..da3c087b 100644
--- a/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderIT.java
+++ b/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderIT.java
@@ -61,21 +61,6 @@ void open_remoteFile_layoutRowCountIsPositive() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
-    @Test
-    void open_withCustomRegistry_parsesMetadata() throws Exception {
-        // Given the two-arg overload: caller supplies a registry, default shared HttpClient.
-        // The three-arg overload is exercised by the mock-client unit tests, but this
-        // delegating overload was otherwise untested.
-
-        // When
-        try (var sut = VortexHttpReader.open(FOR_ARRAY, ReadRegistry.loadAll())) {
-
-            // Then
-            assertThat(sut.version()).isEqualTo(1);
-            assertThat(sut.dtype()).isNotNull();
-        }
-    }
-
     @Test
     void scan_forVortex_decodesAllRows() throws Exception {
         // Given
diff --git a/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderOpenOverloadTest.java b/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderOpenOverloadTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ba24d22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reader/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/vortex/reader/VortexHttpReaderOpenOverloadTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package io.github.dfa1.vortex.reader;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import java.net.URI;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
+
+/// Unit coverage for the [VortexHttpReader#open(URI, ReadRegistry)] overload, which wires the
+/// shared default [java.net.http.HttpClient]. A non-HTTP URI makes the request builder reject
+/// the scheme before any socket is opened, so the delegation runs without real network I/O.
+class VortexHttpReaderOpenOverloadTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void open_uriAndRegistry_delegatesToDefaultClient() {
+        // Given a URI whose scheme HttpRequest.newBuilder rejects (no network performed)
+        URI uri = URI.create("ftp://example.invalid/file.vortex");
+
+        // When / Then the two-arg overload runs and surfaces the rejection
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> VortexHttpReader.open(uri, ReadRegistry.empty()))
+                .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class);
+    }
+}