diff --git a/source/isaaclab_tasks/changelog.d/esekkin-force-interval-events.skip b/source/isaaclab_tasks/changelog.d/esekkin-force-interval-events.skip
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..eed9e7244538
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/isaaclab_tasks/changelog.d/esekkin-force-interval-events.skip
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Test-only change.
+
+* Reduced the default ``num_steps`` from 100 to 20 in ``_run_environments``.
+* Tuned ``test_environments`` to pass ``force_interval_events=True`` so ``EventManager`` interval handlers
+  (e.g. locomotion ``push_robot``) run on step 1 instead of never firing within the legacy step budget.
diff --git a/source/isaaclab_tasks/changelog.d/esekkin-pr-a-newton-xfail.rst b/source/isaaclab_tasks/changelog.d/esekkin-pr-a-newton-xfail.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..42736dca455b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/isaaclab_tasks/changelog.d/esekkin-pr-a-newton-xfail.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Fixed
+^^^^^
+
+* Removed the stale file-level ``@pytest.mark.xfail`` decorator on
+  ``test_environments_newton`` (the cited Hydra deep-nesting issue was already
+  resolved by PR #5029 and follow-ups #5130 / #5177).
diff --git a/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/env_test_utils.py b/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/env_test_utils.py
index cde4db9a3693..525e3e8770b0 100644
--- a/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/env_test_utils.py
+++ b/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/env_test_utils.py
@@ -217,15 +217,49 @@ def setup_environment(
     ]
 
 
+def _force_interval_events_to_fire_immediately(env_cfg) -> None:
+    """Rewrite every interval-mode event term so it fires on the first ``step()``.
+
+    The :class:`isaaclab.managers.EventManager` samples ``time_left`` from
+    ``interval_range_s`` at reset, then fires the term once ``time_left < 1e-6``
+    after subtracting ``dt`` each step.  Setting both bounds of the range to
+    ``1e-6`` guarantees the sampled ``time_left`` lands at the trigger threshold
+    on the first step, regardless of ``is_global_time``.
+
+    Mutates ``env_cfg.events`` in place.  No-op if ``env_cfg.events`` is ``None``
+    or has no interval-mode terms.
+
+    Args:
+        env_cfg: A parsed env config.
+    """
+    events_cfg = getattr(env_cfg, "events", None)
+    if events_cfg is None:
+        return
+    for term_name in dir(events_cfg):
+        if term_name.startswith("_"):
+            continue
+        try:
+            term = getattr(events_cfg, term_name, None)
+        except AttributeError:
+            continue
+        if (
+            term is not None
+            and getattr(term, "mode", None) == "interval"
+            and getattr(term, "interval_range_s", None) is not None
+        ):
+            term.interval_range_s = (1e-6, 1e-6)
+
+
 def _run_environments(
     task_name,
     device,
     num_envs,
-    num_steps=100,
+    num_steps=20,
     multi_agent=False,
     create_stage_in_memory=False,
     disable_clone_in_fabric=False,
     physics_preset_name: str | None = None,
+    force_interval_events: bool = False,
 ):
     """Run all environments and check environments return valid signals.
 
@@ -239,6 +273,8 @@ def _run_environments(
         disable_clone_in_fabric: Whether to disable fabric cloning.
         physics_preset_name: Name of the physics preset to apply (e.g., 'newton_mjwarp').
             If None, uses the environment's default physics.
+        force_interval_events: If True, rewrite interval-mode event terms so they
+            fire on the first ``step()``.
     """
 
     # skip test if stage in memory is not supported
@@ -300,6 +336,7 @@ def _run_environments(
         create_stage_in_memory=create_stage_in_memory,
         disable_clone_in_fabric=disable_clone_in_fabric,
         physics_preset_name=physics_preset_name,
+        force_interval_events=force_interval_events,
     )
     print(f""">>> Closing environment: {task_name}""")
     print("-" * 80)
@@ -309,11 +346,12 @@ def _check_random_actions(
     task_name: str,
     device: str,
     num_envs: int,
-    num_steps: int = 100,
+    num_steps: int = 20,
     multi_agent: bool = False,
     create_stage_in_memory: bool = False,
     disable_clone_in_fabric: bool = False,
     physics_preset_name: str | None = None,
+    force_interval_events: bool = False,
 ):
     """Run random actions and check environments return valid signals.
 
@@ -327,6 +365,8 @@ def _check_random_actions(
         disable_clone_in_fabric: Whether to disable fabric cloning.
         physics_preset_name: Name of the physics preset to apply (e.g., 'newton_mjwarp').
             If None, uses the environment's default physics.
+        force_interval_events: If True, rewrite interval-mode event terms so they
+            fire on the first ``step()``.
     """
     # create a new context stage, if stage in memory is not enabled
     if not create_stage_in_memory:
@@ -355,6 +395,9 @@ def _check_random_actions(
         if disable_clone_in_fabric:
             env_cfg.scene.clone_in_fabric = False
 
+        if force_interval_events:
+            _force_interval_events_to_fire_immediately(env_cfg)
+
         # filter based off multi agents mode and create env
         if multi_agent:
             if not hasattr(env_cfg, "possible_agents"):
diff --git a/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/test_environments.py b/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/test_environments.py
index 6f9da001b514..a56a030a0e15 100644
--- a/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/test_environments.py
+++ b/source/isaaclab_tasks/test/test_environments.py
@@ -37,4 +37,10 @@
 @pytest.mark.isaacsim_ci
 def test_environments(task_name, num_envs, device):
     # run environments without stage in memory
-    _run_environments(task_name, device, num_envs, create_stage_in_memory=False)
+    _run_environments(
+        task_name,
+        device,
+        num_envs,
+        force_interval_events=True,
+        create_stage_in_memory=False,
+    )