diff --git a/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoEngineLifecycleTest.kt b/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoEngineLifecycleTest.kt
index fd20fe5a..baa2da18 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoEngineLifecycleTest.kt
+++ b/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoEngineLifecycleTest.kt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class CallVideoEngineLifecycleTest {
         thread(engine).uncaughtExceptionHandler = Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler { _, error ->
             uncaught.add(error); LogManager.addLog("ERROR", "VideoEngineTest", "uncaught worker error: $error")
         }
+        engine.start()
         await("video capabilities ready") { engine.state.value.ready }
     }
     private fun capture(): CallVideoEngine {
diff --git a/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoPlayerLifecycleTest.kt b/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoPlayerLifecycleTest.kt
index 4c89883a..a97b6452 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoPlayerLifecycleTest.kt
+++ b/tools/chatgui-android/video-tests/src/test/kotlin/com/utun/chat/data/CallVideoPlayerLifecycleTest.kt
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class CallVideoPlayerLifecycleTest {
     }
 
     private fun player(callback: (String) -> Unit = { failures.add(it) }) = CallVideoPlayer(7, callback).also {
-        players.add(it); it.decoders(mapOf(1 to CallVideoCodec.Companion.Decoder()))
+        players.add(it); it.decoders(mapOf(1 to CallVideoCodec.Companion.Decoder())); it.start()
     }
     private fun surface() = Surface().also { surfaces.add(it) }
     private fun await(message: String, condition: () -> Boolean) {