diff --git a/post_parser.py b/post_parser.py
index 32ca6f1..c370e7a 100644
--- a/post_parser.py
+++ b/post_parser.py
@@ -486,7 +486,10 @@ class PostParser:
         html_content = []
 
         if debug:
-            html_content.append(f'<div class="title">Title: {data["html"]["title"]}</div><br>')
+            # title comes from _generate_title (user-controlled post text) and never goes
+            # through bleach — escape it before embedding, same as raw_message below.
+            title_escaped = html.escape(str(data["html"]["title"]))
+            html_content.append(f'<div class="title">Title: {title_escaped}</div><br>')
         html_content.append(f'<div class="message-body">{data["html"]["body"]}</div>')
         html_content.append(f'<div class="message-footer">{data["html"]["footer"]}</div>')
         
diff --git a/tests/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
similarity index 86%
rename from tests/pytest.ini
rename to pytest.ini
index 6d6f517..d6e331d 100644
--- a/tests/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 [pytest]
+testpaths = tests
 addopts = -ra
 # The stage-1 anti-hang tests are async; run them without per-test event loops
 # being set up by hand. (The tests also carry @pytest.mark.asyncio explicitly, so
 # they work in strict mode too — but auto keeps the plugin's requirement obvious.)
 asyncio_mode = auto
 filterwarnings =
-    ignore::DeprecationWarning 
\ No newline at end of file
+    ignore::DeprecationWarning
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..850fb53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+"""Shared test bootstrap (issue #17).
+
+Ensure the repo root is importable and install the config mock BEFORE any test
+module imports application code. Pytest imports conftest.py before collecting
+test modules, so doing this here (instead of a per-module preamble) makes the
+suite order-independent regardless of collection order or invocation directory.
+"""
+import os
+import sys
+
+ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
+if ROOT not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, ROOT)
+
+import tests.mock_config as _mock_config
+
+sys.modules['config'] = _mock_config
diff --git a/tests/test_postparser_author_info.py b/tests/test_postparser_author_info.py
index 84bb48e..2b9c314 100644
--- a/tests/test_postparser_author_info.py
+++ b/tests/test_postparser_author_info.py
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@
 
 import unittest
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
-import sys
-import os
-# Add project root to sys.path to find post_parser
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-
-# Mock the config module
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
 
 from pyrogram.types import Message
 from post_parser import PostParser
diff --git a/tests/test_postparser_extract_flags.py b/tests/test_postparser_extract_flags.py
index a6ab03f..c450e1e 100644
--- a/tests/test_postparser_extract_flags.py
+++ b/tests/test_postparser_extract_flags.py
@@ -7,14 +7,6 @@
 
 import unittest
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, PropertyMock
-import sys
-import os
-
-# Add project root to sys.path to find post_parser
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-
-# Mock the config module before importing PostParser
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
 
 from pyrogram.types import Message, Chat, Reaction, MessageReactions
 from pyrogram.enums import MessageMediaType
diff --git a/tests/test_postparser_gen_title.py b/tests/test_postparser_gen_title.py
index 6ebda97..08315eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_postparser_gen_title.py
+++ b/tests/test_postparser_gen_title.py
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@
 # pylance: disable=reportMissingImports, reportMissingModuleSource
 import unittest
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, PropertyMock
-import sys
-import os
-# Add project root to sys.path to find post_parser
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-
-# Mock the config module
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
 
 from pyrogram.types import Message, Document
 from pyrogram.enums import MessageMediaType
diff --git a/tests/test_stage1_hangs.py b/tests/test_stage1_hangs.py
index a1b3104..3b9a076 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage1_hangs.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage1_hangs.py
@@ -10,18 +10,12 @@ Stage 1 (anti-hang) regression tests:
   worker, and task_done stays balanced so queue.join() completes.
 - Gate cancellation during the spacing wait does not lose the permit.
 """
-import os
-import sys
 import time
 import asyncio
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
-# Add project root to sys.path and mock the config module (same pattern as the other tests).
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 import tg_throttle
 import tg_cache
 from pyrogram import errors
diff --git a/tests/test_stage2_static.py b/tests/test_stage2_static.py
index a8a6538..00ce557 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage2_static.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage2_static.py
@@ -18,17 +18,12 @@ Covers the four scenarios from the plan plus the subtle in-flight-dedup lifecycl
   fresh partials and non-temp files.
 """
 import os
-import sys
 import time
 import asyncio
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
-# Add project root to sys.path and mock the config module (same pattern as the other tests).
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 import api_server
 from pyrogram import errors
 from pyrogram.enums import MessageMediaType
diff --git a/tests/test_stage3_fileresponse.py b/tests/test_stage3_fileresponse.py
index 9dc054c..9e4f4ef 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage3_fileresponse.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage3_fileresponse.py
@@ -36,16 +36,11 @@ All 206 responses that carry data return byte-for-byte identical slices old vs n
 real regression is hidden behind an "accepted difference".
 """
 import os
-import sys
 import time
 import logging
 
 import pytest
 
-# Add project root to sys.path and mock the config module (same pattern as the other tests).
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 from fastapi import FastAPI, Request
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 
diff --git a/tests/test_stage4_eventloop.py b/tests/test_stage4_eventloop.py
index c0648ec..0ef5c49 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage4_eventloop.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage4_eventloop.py
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ Covers:
 - 4.4 sanitize coverage (XSS): a <script> / onerror= / javascript: payload is stripped in
       ALL outputs — rss, html-feed, single-post html, and json — each with exactly one pass.
 """
-import os
 import re
-import sys
 import copy
 import pickle
 import asyncio
@@ -28,9 +26,6 @@ from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 from pyrogram.enums import MessageMediaType
 
 import post_parser as pp_module
@@ -289,6 +284,27 @@ async def test_xss_stripped_in_single_post_html_debug():
     assert "&lt;script&gt;" in html_out, "debug raw dump was not html-escaped"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_xss_in_title_escaped_in_debug_html():
+    # Issue #13: the debug branch of _format_html embeds data["html"]["title"], which is
+    # generated from user-controlled content and never passes through bleach. A poll whose
+    # question carries a <script> tag yields the title "📊 Poll: <script>alert(1)</script>"
+    # verbatim — it must be html-escaped before being embedded in the debug output.
+    msg = make_message(25, media=MessageMediaType.POLL)
+    msg.poll = SimpleNamespace(question="<script>alert(1)</script>")
+    parser = PostParser(_make_client_returning(msg))
+    html_out = await parser.get_post("testchan", 25, "html", debug=True)
+
+    # No live <script> tag anywhere in the output (title div, body, footer, raw <pre>).
+    assert "<script>" not in html_out, "debug html left a live <script> tag"
+    # The title div itself carries the payload only in escaped form (proving html.escape
+    # ran on the title, not just on the raw_message <pre> dump).
+    title_lines = [line for line in html_out.split("\n") if 'class="title"' in line]
+    assert title_lines, "debug output must contain the title div"
+    assert "&lt;script&gt;alert(1)&lt;/script&gt;" in title_lines[0], \
+        "title was not html-escaped in debug output"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_xss_stripped_in_rss_feed(monkeypatch):
     async def fake_get_chat(client, channel):
diff --git a/tests/test_stage5_sqlite.py b/tests/test_stage5_sqlite.py
index bd1692c..5e9d8e5 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage5_sqlite.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage5_sqlite.py
@@ -17,17 +17,12 @@ Covers:
 - gotcha: str(channel) key discipline — an int-ish channel on the hot path keys the
       accumulator (and thus the UPDATE) by the string form.
 """
-import os
-import sys
 import sqlite3
 import asyncio
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 import api_server
 from file_io import init_db_sync, update_media_file_access_bulk_sync
 
diff --git a/tests/test_stage6_healthcheck.py b/tests/test_stage6_healthcheck.py
index 2a1d5ff..4519858 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage6_healthcheck.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage6_healthcheck.py
@@ -15,16 +15,10 @@ Covers:
   fake client's get_me / safe_get_messages proves neither is ever called.
 - TelegramClient.watchdog_last_ok_age(): None when never probed; a positive float afterwards.
 """
-import os
-import sys
 import time
 
 import pytest
 
-# Add project root to sys.path and mock the config module (same pattern as the other tests).
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 
 import api_server
diff --git a/tests/test_stage7_integration.py b/tests/test_stage7_integration.py
index a950e23..47db84f 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage7_integration.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage7_integration.py
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ Automated here:
   an int-ish channel records the str-keyed timestamp, and the flush UPDATE matches the
   str-keyed DB row (hit -> flush -> DB), the exact affinity gotcha the plan warns about.
 """
-import os
-import sys
 import time
 import sqlite3
 import asyncio
@@ -36,10 +34,6 @@ from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
-# Add project root to sys.path and mock the config module (same pattern as the other tests).
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-sys.modules['config'] = __import__('tests.mock_config', fromlist=['get_settings'])
-
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient