diff --git a/nodejs/__test__/connection.test.ts b/nodejs/__test__/connection.test.ts
index d195a0ca4..45c678cd3 100644
--- a/nodejs/__test__/connection.test.ts
+++ b/nodejs/__test__/connection.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ import * as tmp from "tmp";
 import { Connection, Table, connect, connectNamespace } from "../lancedb";
 import { LocalTable } from "../lancedb/table";
 
+// The `_versions` directory may also contain `latest_version_hint.json`, which
+// Lance writes on non-lexically-ordered stores (e.g. the local filesystem) to
+// speed up latest-version lookup. Only assert on manifest files.
+function manifestFiles(versionsDir: string): string[] {
+  return readdirSync(versionsDir).filter((f) => f.endsWith(".manifest"));
+}
+
 describe("when connecting", () => {
   let tmpDir: tmp.DirResult;
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -171,7 +178,7 @@ describe("given a connection", () => {
 
     let manifestDir =
       tmpDir.name + "/test_manifest_paths_v2_empty.lance/_versions";
-    readdirSync(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
+    manifestFiles(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
       expect(file).toMatch(/^\d{20}\.manifest$/);
     });
 
@@ -180,7 +187,7 @@ describe("given a connection", () => {
     })) as LocalTable;
     expect(await table.usesV2ManifestPaths()).toBe(true);
     manifestDir = tmpDir.name + "/test_manifest_paths_v2.lance/_versions";
-    readdirSync(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
+    manifestFiles(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
       expect(file).toMatch(/^\d{20}\.manifest$/);
     });
   });
@@ -199,14 +206,14 @@ describe("given a connection", () => {
 
     const manifestDir =
       tmpDir.name + "/test_manifest_path_migration.lance/_versions";
-    readdirSync(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
+    manifestFiles(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
       expect(file).toMatch(/^\d\.manifest$/);
     });
 
     await table.migrateManifestPathsV2();
     expect(await table.usesV2ManifestPaths()).toBe(true);
 
-    readdirSync(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
+    manifestFiles(manifestDir).forEach((file) => {
       expect(file).toMatch(/^\d{20}\.manifest$/);
     });
   });
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_db.py b/python/python/tests/test_db.py
index d3db372de..0230c11d0 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_db.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_db.py
@@ -450,6 +450,13 @@ async def test_create_exist_ok_async(tmp_db_async: lancedb.AsyncConnection):
     #     await db.create_table("test", schema=bad_schema, exist_ok=True)
 
 
+def _manifest_files(versions_dir):
+    # The `_versions` directory may also contain `latest_version_hint.json`,
+    # which Lance writes on non-lexically-ordered stores (e.g. the local
+    # filesystem) to speed up latest-version lookup. Only assert on manifests.
+    return [f for f in os.listdir(versions_dir) if f.endswith(".manifest")]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_create_table_v2_manifest_paths_async(tmp_path):
     db_with_v2_paths = await lancedb.connect_async(
@@ -465,7 +472,7 @@ async def test_create_table_v2_manifest_paths_async(tmp_path):
     )
     assert await tbl.uses_v2_manifest_paths()
     manifests_dir = tmp_path / "test_v2_manifest_paths.lance" / "_versions"
-    for manifest in os.listdir(manifests_dir):
+    for manifest in _manifest_files(manifests_dir):
         assert re.match(r"\d{20}\.manifest", manifest)
 
     # Start a table in V1 mode then migrate
@@ -475,13 +482,13 @@ async def test_create_table_v2_manifest_paths_async(tmp_path):
     )
     assert not await tbl.uses_v2_manifest_paths()
     manifests_dir = tmp_path / "test_v2_migration.lance" / "_versions"
-    for manifest in os.listdir(manifests_dir):
+    for manifest in _manifest_files(manifests_dir):
         assert re.match(r"\d\.manifest", manifest)
 
     await tbl.migrate_manifest_paths_v2()
     assert await tbl.uses_v2_manifest_paths()
 
-    for manifest in os.listdir(manifests_dir):
+    for manifest in _manifest_files(manifests_dir):
         assert re.match(r"\d{20}\.manifest", manifest)