diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d82eac6..9a78ccf 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -123,11 +123,12 @@ test = { composite = ["utest", "itest", "smoke"] }
 # Coverage scripts:
 # - Each group writes its own data file to .temp/.coverage.<group>.xml
 #
-"test:cov"  = { composite = ["utest:cov", "itest:cov", "smoke:cov", "coverage:combine"] }
-"utest:cov" = { shell = "python -m pytest --capture=tee-sys -m \"not itest and not smoke\" --cov=src/kleinanzeigen_bot --cov-report=xml:.temp/coverage-unit.xml --cov-append" }
-"itest:cov" = { shell = "python -m pytest --capture=tee-sys -m \"itest and not smoke\" --cov=src/kleinanzeigen_bot --cov-report=xml:.temp/coverage-integration.xml --cov-append" }
-"smoke:cov" = { shell = "python -m pytest --capture=tee-sys -m smoke --cov=src/kleinanzeigen_bot --cov-report=xml:.temp/coverage-smoke.xml --cov-append" }
-"coverage:combine" = { shell = "coverage report -m" }
+"coverage:prepare" = { shell = "python scripts/coverage_helper.py prepare" }
+"test:cov"  = { composite = ["coverage:prepare", "utest:cov", "itest:cov", "smoke:cov", "coverage:combine"] }
+"utest:cov" = { shell = "python scripts/coverage_helper.py run .temp/.coverage-unit.sqlite .temp/coverage-unit.xml \"not itest and not smoke\"" }
+"itest:cov" = { shell = "python scripts/coverage_helper.py run .temp/.coverage-itest.sqlite .temp/coverage-integration.xml \"itest and not smoke\"" }
+"smoke:cov" = { shell = "python scripts/coverage_helper.py run .temp/.coverage-smoke.sqlite .temp/coverage-smoke.xml smoke" }
+"coverage:combine" = { shell = "python scripts/coverage_helper.py combine .temp/.coverage-unit.sqlite .temp/.coverage-itest.sqlite .temp/.coverage-smoke.sqlite" }
 # Run all tests with coverage in a single invocation
 "test:cov:unified" = "python -m pytest --capture=tee-sys --cov=src/kleinanzeigen_bot --cov-report=term-missing"
 
@@ -375,6 +376,7 @@ relative_files = true
 precision = 2
 show_missing = true
 skip_covered = false
+include = ["src/kleinanzeigen_bot/*"]
 
 #####################
 # yamlfix
diff --git a/scripts/coverage_helper.py b/scripts/coverage_helper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..496a591
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/coverage_helper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+"""Utility helpers for the coverage pipeline used by the pdm test scripts."""
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © Jens Bergmann and contributors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+# SPDX-ArtifactOfProjectHomePage: https://github.com/Second-Hand-Friends/kleinanzeigen-bot/
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import logging
+import os
+import subprocess  # noqa: S404 subprocess usage is limited to known internal binaries
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+TEMP = ROOT / ".temp"
+
+logging.basicConfig(level = logging.INFO, format = "%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(name)s %(message)s")
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def prepare() -> None:
+    logger.info("Preparing coverage artifacts in %s", TEMP)
+    try:
+        TEMP.mkdir(parents = True, exist_ok = True)
+        removed_patterns = 0
+        for pattern in ("coverage-*.xml", ".coverage-*.sqlite"):
+            for coverage_file in TEMP.glob(pattern):
+                coverage_file.unlink()
+                removed_patterns += 1
+        removed_paths = 0
+        for path in (TEMP / "coverage.sqlite", ROOT / ".coverage"):
+            if path.exists():
+                path.unlink()
+                removed_paths += 1
+    except Exception as exc:  # noqa: S110 suppress to log
+        logger.exception("Failed to clean coverage artifacts: %s", exc)
+        raise
+    logger.info(
+        "Removed %d pattern-matching files and %d fixed paths during prepare",
+        removed_patterns,
+        removed_paths,
+    )
+
+
+def run_suite(data_file:Path, xml_file:Path, marker:str, extra_args:list[str]) -> None:
+    os.environ["COVERAGE_FILE"] = str(ROOT / data_file)
+    cmd = [
+        sys.executable,
+        "-m",
+        "pytest",
+        "--capture=tee-sys",
+        "-m",
+        marker,
+        "--cov=src/kleinanzeigen_bot",
+        f"--cov-report=xml:{ROOT / xml_file}",
+    ]
+    if extra_args:
+        cmd.extend(extra_args)
+    logger.info("Running pytest marker=%s coverage_data=%s xml=%s", marker, data_file, xml_file)
+    subprocess.run(cmd, cwd = ROOT, check = True)  # noqa: S603 arguments are constant and controlled
+    logger.info("Pytest marker=%s finished", marker)
+
+
+def combine(data_files:list[Path]) -> None:
+    combined = TEMP / "coverage.sqlite"
+    os.environ["COVERAGE_FILE"] = str(combined)
+    resolved = []
+    missing = []
+    for data in data_files:
+        candidate = ROOT / data
+        if not candidate.exists():
+            missing.append(str(candidate))
+        else:
+            resolved.append(candidate)
+    if missing:
+        message = f"Coverage data files missing: {', '.join(missing)}"
+        logger.error(message)
+        raise FileNotFoundError(message)
+    cmd = [sys.executable, "-m", "coverage", "combine"] + [str(path) for path in resolved]
+    logger.info("Combining coverage data files: %s", ", ".join(str(path) for path in resolved))
+    subprocess.run(cmd, cwd = ROOT, check = True)  # noqa: S603 arguments controlled by this script
+    logger.info("Coverage combine completed, generating report")
+    subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-m", "coverage", "report", "-m"], cwd = ROOT, check = True)  # noqa: S603
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description = "Coverage helper commands")
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest = "command", required = True)
+
+    subparsers.add_parser("prepare", help = "Clean coverage artifacts")
+
+    run_parser = subparsers.add_parser("run", help = "Run pytest with a custom coverage file")
+    run_parser.add_argument("data_file", type = Path, help = "Coverage data file to write")
+    run_parser.add_argument("xml_file", type = Path, help = "XML report path")
+    run_parser.add_argument("marker", help = "pytest marker expression")
+
+    combine_parser = subparsers.add_parser("combine", help = "Combine coverage data files")
+    combine_parser.add_argument(
+        "data_files",
+        nargs = "+",
+        type = Path,
+        help = "List of coverage data files to combine",
+    )
+
+    args, extra_args = parser.parse_known_args()
+
+    if args.command == "prepare":
+        prepare()
+    elif args.command == "run":
+        run_suite(args.data_file, args.xml_file, args.marker, extra_args)
+    else:
+        combine(args.data_files)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()