diff --git a/tests/unit/test_vassal_dispatch.py b/tests/unit/test_vassal_dispatch.py
index a75caecd..522811f3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_vassal_dispatch.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_vassal_dispatch.py
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
+
 import pytest
 
 from timmy.vassal.backlog import AgentTarget, TriagedIssue
 from timmy.vassal.dispatch import (
     DispatchRecord,
+    _apply_label_to_issue,
+    _get_or_create_label,
+    _post_dispatch_comment,
     clear_dispatch_registry,
     get_dispatch_registry,
 )
@@ -112,3 +118,244 @@ def test_dispatch_record_defaults():
     assert r.label_applied is False
     assert r.comment_posted is False
     assert r.dispatched_at  # has a timestamp
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _get_or_create_label
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+_HEADERS = {"Authorization": "token x"}
+_BASE_URL = "http://gitea"
+_REPO = "org/repo"
+
+
+def _mock_response(status_code: int, json_data=None):
+    resp = MagicMock()
+    resp.status_code = status_code
+    resp.json.return_value = json_data or {}
+    return resp
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_or_create_label_finds_existing():
+    """Returns the ID of an existing label without creating it."""
+    existing = [{"name": "claude-ready", "id": 42}, {"name": "other", "id": 7}]
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, existing)
+
+    result = await _get_or_create_label(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result == 42
+    client.post.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_or_create_label_creates_when_missing():
+    """Creates the label when it doesn't exist in the list."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    # GET returns empty list
+    client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, [])
+    # POST creates label
+    client.post.return_value = _mock_response(201, {"id": 99})
+
+    result = await _get_or_create_label(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result == 99
+    client.post.assert_called_once()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_or_create_label_returns_none_on_get_error():
+    """Returns None if the GET raises an exception."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.side_effect = Exception("network error")
+
+    result = await _get_or_create_label(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_or_create_label_returns_none_on_create_error():
+    """Returns None if POST raises an exception."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, [])
+    client.post.side_effect = Exception("post failed")
+
+    result = await _get_or_create_label(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_or_create_label_uses_default_color_for_unknown():
+    """Unknown label name uses '#cccccc' fallback color."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, [])
+    client.post.return_value = _mock_response(201, {"id": 5})
+
+    await _get_or_create_label(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, "unknown-label")
+
+    call_kwargs = client.post.call_args
+    assert call_kwargs.kwargs["json"]["color"] == "#cccccc"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _apply_label_to_issue
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_label_to_issue_success():
+    """Returns True when label is found and applied."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, [{"name": "claude-ready", "id": 10}])
+    client.post.return_value = _mock_response(201)
+
+    result = await _apply_label_to_issue(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, 42, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_label_to_issue_returns_false_when_no_label_id():
+    """Returns False when label ID cannot be obtained."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.side_effect = Exception("unavailable")
+
+    result = await _apply_label_to_issue(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, 42, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_label_to_issue_returns_false_on_bad_status():
+    """Returns False when the apply POST returns a non-2xx status."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, [{"name": "claude-ready", "id": 10}])
+    client.post.return_value = _mock_response(403)
+
+    result = await _apply_label_to_issue(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, 42, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result is False
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _post_dispatch_comment
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_post_dispatch_comment_success():
+    """Returns True on successful comment post."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.post.return_value = _mock_response(201)
+
+    issue = _make_triaged(7, "Some issue", AgentTarget.CLAUDE, priority=75)
+    result = await _post_dispatch_comment(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, issue, "claude-ready")
+
+    assert result is True
+    body = client.post.call_args.kwargs["json"]["body"]
+    assert "Claude" in body
+    assert "claude-ready" in body
+    assert "75" in body
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_post_dispatch_comment_failure():
+    """Returns False when comment POST returns a non-2xx status."""
+    client = AsyncMock()
+    client.post.return_value = _mock_response(500)
+
+    issue = _make_triaged(8, "Other issue", AgentTarget.KIMI)
+    result = await _post_dispatch_comment(client, _BASE_URL, _HEADERS, _REPO, issue, "kimi-ready")
+
+    assert result is False
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _perform_gitea_dispatch — settings-level gate
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_perform_gitea_dispatch_skips_when_disabled():
+    """Does not call Gitea when gitea_enabled is False."""
+    import config
+    from timmy.vassal.dispatch import _perform_gitea_dispatch
+
+    mock_settings = SimpleNamespace(gitea_enabled=False, gitea_token="tok")
+    with patch.object(config, "settings", mock_settings):
+        issue = _make_triaged(9, "Disabled", AgentTarget.CLAUDE)
+        record = DispatchRecord(
+            issue_number=9,
+            issue_title="Disabled",
+            agent=AgentTarget.CLAUDE,
+            rationale="r",
+        )
+        await _perform_gitea_dispatch(issue, record)
+
+    assert record.label_applied is False
+    assert record.comment_posted is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_perform_gitea_dispatch_skips_when_no_token():
+    """Does not call Gitea when gitea_token is empty."""
+    import config
+    from timmy.vassal.dispatch import _perform_gitea_dispatch
+
+    mock_settings = SimpleNamespace(gitea_enabled=True, gitea_token="")
+    with patch.object(config, "settings", mock_settings):
+        issue = _make_triaged(10, "No token", AgentTarget.CLAUDE)
+        record = DispatchRecord(
+            issue_number=10,
+            issue_title="No token",
+            agent=AgentTarget.CLAUDE,
+            rationale="r",
+        )
+        await _perform_gitea_dispatch(issue, record)
+
+    assert record.label_applied is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_perform_gitea_dispatch_updates_record():
+    """Record is mutated to reflect label/comment success."""
+    import config
+    from timmy.vassal.dispatch import _perform_gitea_dispatch
+
+    mock_settings = SimpleNamespace(
+        gitea_enabled=True,
+        gitea_token="tok",
+        gitea_url="http://gitea",
+        gitea_repo="org/repo",
+    )
+
+    mock_client = AsyncMock()
+    # GET labels → empty list, POST create label → id 1
+    mock_client.get.return_value = _mock_response(200, [])
+    mock_client.post.side_effect = [
+        _mock_response(201, {"id": 1}),  # create label
+        _mock_response(201),              # apply label
+        _mock_response(201),              # post comment
+    ]
+
+    with (
+        patch.object(config, "settings", mock_settings),
+        patch("httpx.AsyncClient") as mock_cls,
+    ):
+        mock_cls.return_value.__aenter__ = AsyncMock(return_value=mock_client)
+        mock_cls.return_value.__aexit__ = AsyncMock(return_value=False)
+
+        issue = _make_triaged(11, "Full dispatch", AgentTarget.CLAUDE)
+        record = DispatchRecord(
+            issue_number=11,
+            issue_title="Full dispatch",
+            agent=AgentTarget.CLAUDE,
+            rationale="r",
+        )
+        await _perform_gitea_dispatch(issue, record)
+
+    assert record.label_applied is True
+    assert record.comment_posted is True