diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
index ebfa9799..6ed5928b 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
@@ -1271,14 +1271,37 @@ func _command_worker(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) ->
 			best_dist = d
 			best_target = tpos
 	if best_target != Vector2i(-1, -1):
-		_move_toward(unit, best_target, game_map)
+		_worker_step_toward(unit, best_target, game_map)
 		return
 	if not player.cities.is_empty():
-		_move_toward(unit, player.cities[0].position, game_map)
+		_worker_step_toward(unit, player.cities[0].position, game_map)
 	else:
 		_explore(unit, player, game_map)
 
 
+func _worker_step_toward(unit: Variant, target: Vector2i, game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
+	# Workers must step ONTO the target tile to build on it — do not use the
+	# attack-adjacent shortcut in _move_toward which skips movement entirely.
+	if unit.position == target:
+		return
+	var reachable: Dictionary = PathfinderScript.movement_range(
+		game_map, unit.position, unit.movement_remaining, "land"
+	)
+	if reachable.is_empty():
+		return
+	var best_pos: Vector2i = unit.position
+	var best_dist: int = HexUtilsScript.hex_distance(unit.position, target)
+	for pos: Vector2i in reachable:
+		if pos == unit.position:
+			continue
+		var dist: int = HexUtilsScript.hex_distance(pos, target)
+		if dist < best_dist:
+			best_dist = dist
+			best_pos = pos
+	if best_pos != unit.position:
+		_do_move(unit, best_pos, game_map)
+
+
 func _nearest_city_to_target(player: RefCounted) -> RefCounted:
 	## Return the player's city closest to the locked attack target.
 	## Falls back to city[0] if no target is locked.