diff --git a/compose.yaml b/compose.yaml
index 25543915..f65dd307 100644
--- a/compose.yaml
+++ b/compose.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ x-beeai-env: &beeai-env
   REDIS_URL: redis://valkey:6379/0
   COLLECTOR_ENDPOINT: http://otel-collector:4318/v1/traces
   GIT_REPO_BASEPATH: /git-repos
+  MOCK_REPOS_DIR: ${MOCK_REPOS_DIR:-}
   MAX_RETRIES: 3
   DRY_RUN: ${DRY_RUN:-false}
   JIRA_DRY_RUN: ${JIRA_DRY_RUN:-false}
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ x-beeai-agent: &beeai-agent
     - ./ymir/tools:/home/beeai/ymir/tools:ro,z
     - ./ymir/common:/home/beeai/ymir/common:ro,z
     - git-repos:/git-repos:rw,U
+    - ${TESTING_JIRAS_DIR:-./ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos}:/testing-jiras:ro,z
     - .secrets/rhel-config.json:/home/beeai/rhel-config.json:ro,z,U
     - .secrets/jotnar-vertex-dev.json:/home/beeai/jotnar-vertex-dev.json:ro,z,U
   restart: unless-stopped
@@ -212,6 +214,7 @@ services:
     <<: *beeai-agent-c10s
     environment:
       <<: *beeai-env
+      BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR: ${BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR:-}
     command: ["pytest", "ymir/agents/tests/e2e/backport_agent/test_backport.py", "-o", "asyncio_default_test_loop_scope=session"]
     profiles: ["e2e-test"]
 
diff --git a/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/backport_agent/test_backport.py b/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/backport_agent/test_backport.py
index 75858175..b56e30cc 100644
--- a/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/backport_agent/test_backport.py
+++ b/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/backport_agent/test_backport.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def _load_test_cases(fixtures_dir: str | Path) -> list[BackportAgentTestCase]:
     return cases
 
 
-test_cases = _load_test_cases(os.getenv("BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR", str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR)))
+test_cases = _load_test_cases(os.getenv("BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR") or str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR))
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session", autouse=True)
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def mock_centos_stream_repos():
     Yields:
         Control to the test session after repos are prepared.
     """
-    fixtures_dir = os.getenv("BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR", str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR))
+    fixtures_dir = os.getenv("BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR") or str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR)
     configs = load_all_fixture_configs(fixtures_dir)
 
     if SHARED_BARE_REPOS_DIR.exists():
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def _load_reference_patch(test_case: "BackportAgentTestCase") -> str | None:
     ref_patch_rel = test_case.expected.get("reference_patch")
     if not ref_patch_rel:
         return None
-    fixtures_dir = Path(os.getenv("BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR", str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR)))
+    fixtures_dir = Path(os.getenv("BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR") or str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR))
     ref_patch_path = fixtures_dir / ref_patch_rel
     if ref_patch_path.is_file():
         return ref_patch_path.read_text()
diff --git a/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/README.md b/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/README.md
index 415dfcca..d71de72c 100644
--- a/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/README.md
+++ b/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/README.md
@@ -4,12 +4,25 @@ This directory contains mock repo fixture files organized by agent type.
 The fixtures come from `git@gitlab.cee.redhat.com:jotnar-project/testing-jiras.git`
 if you have access.
 
-Clone the repository and symlink its `mock_data/` subdirectories here:
+Clone the repository and either:
 
-```bash
-ln -s /path/to/testing-jiras/mock_data/triage ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/triage
-ln -s /path/to/testing-jiras/mock_data/backport ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/backport
-```
+- **Run via compose (recommended):** set `TESTING_JIRAS_DIR` in your local `.env` to point
+  at the cloned repository root so compose mounts it into the container:
+  ```
+  TESTING_JIRAS_DIR=/path/to/testing-jiras
+  MOCK_REPOS_DIR=/testing-jiras/mock_data/triage
+  BACKPORT_MOCK_REPOS_DIR=/testing-jiras/mock_data/backport
+  ```
+
+- **Run directly on host:** symlink the `mock_data/` subdirectories here:
+  ```bash
+  ln -s /path/to/testing-jiras/mock_data/triage ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/triage
+  ln -s /path/to/testing-jiras/mock_data/backport ymir/agents/tests/e2e/mock_repos/backport
+  ```
+
+> **Note:** Symlinks only work when running tests on the host. Podman bind
+> mounts do not follow symlinks pointing outside the mounted tree, so
+> containerized e2e tests require the compose-based approach.
 
 ## Expected layout
 
diff --git a/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/test_triage.py b/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/test_triage.py
index d6fa1baa..8fb4fdba 100644
--- a/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/test_triage.py
+++ b/ymir/agents/tests/e2e/test_triage.py
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ def mock_centos_stream_repos(tmp_path_factory):
     Yields:
         Control to the test session after repos are prepared.
     """
-    fixtures_dir = os.getenv("MOCK_REPOS_DIR", str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR))
+    fixtures_dir = os.getenv("MOCK_REPOS_DIR") or str(DEFAULT_FIXTURES_DIR)
     configs = load_all_fixture_configs(fixtures_dir)
 
     if git_repo_basepath := os.getenv("GIT_REPO_BASEPATH"):
diff --git a/ymir/tools/privileged/tests/data/README.md b/ymir/tools/privileged/tests/data/README.md
index dc43936a..9ee05f39 100644
--- a/ymir/tools/privileged/tests/data/README.md
+++ b/ymir/tools/privileged/tests/data/README.md
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ This directory is meant to contain Jira mock files from
 
 Clone the repository and either:
 
-- **Run via compose (recommended):** set `JIRA_MOCK_FILES_HOST` in your local `.env` to point
-  at the cloned `jiras/` directory so compose mounts it directly into the container:
+- **Run via compose (recommended):** set `TESTING_JIRAS_DIR` and `JIRA_MOCK_FILES_HOST` in
+  your local `.env` to point at the cloned repository:
   ```
+  TESTING_JIRAS_DIR=/path/to/testing-jiras
   JIRA_MOCK_FILES_HOST=/path/to/testing-jiras/jiras
   ```