diff --git a/packages/no-trapping-shim/package.json b/packages/no-trapping-shim/package.json
index 11b5944f1c..e107c4bb95 100644
--- a/packages/no-trapping-shim/package.json
+++ b/packages/no-trapping-shim/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "name": "@endo/no-trapping-shim",
   "version": "0.1.0",
   "private": true,
-  "description": null,
+  "description": "shim and ponyfill for no-trapping integrity level",
   "keywords": [],
   "author": "Endo contributors",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
     "test:xs": "exit 0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@endo/lockdown": "workspace:^",
-    "@endo/ses-ava": "workspace:^",
     "ava": "^6.1.3",
     "c8": "^7.14.0",
     "tsd": "^0.31.2",
diff --git a/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-pony.test.js b/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-pony.test.js
index 88b3202cae..15a2c385ff 100644
--- a/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-pony.test.js
+++ b/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-pony.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import test from '@endo/ses-ava/prepare-endo.js';
+// Uses 'ava' rather than @endo/ses-ava to avoid worries about cyclic
+// dependencies. We will need similar tests is higher level packages, in order
+// to test compat with ses and ses-ava.
+import test from 'ava';
 import { ReflectPlus, ProxyPlus } from '../src/no-trapping-pony.js';
 
 const { freeze, isFrozen } = Object;
diff --git a/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-shim.test.js b/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-shim.test.js
index 886493478c..d1393d9279 100644
--- a/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-shim.test.js
+++ b/packages/no-trapping-shim/test/no-trapping-shim.test.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import '../src/no-trapping-shim.js';
-// TODO make compat with ses and uncomment
-// import test from '@endo/ses-ava/prepare-endo.js';
-// instead of
+// Uses 'ava' rather than @endo/ses-ava to avoid worries about cyclic
+// dependencies. We will need similar tests is higher level packages, in order
+// to test compat with ses and ses-ava.
 import test from 'ava';
+import '../src/no-trapping-shim.js';
 
 const { freeze, isFrozen } = Object;
 
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index f3ff7316c1..9a92741957 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -706,8 +706,6 @@ __metadata:
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "@endo/no-trapping-shim@workspace:packages/no-trapping-shim"
   dependencies:
-    "@endo/lockdown": "workspace:^"
-    "@endo/ses-ava": "workspace:^"
     ava: "npm:^6.1.3"
     c8: "npm:^7.14.0"
     tsd: "npm:^0.31.2"