diff --git a/tests/browser/workspace-activity.spec.mjs b/tests/browser/workspace-activity.spec.mjs
index 8badc8c..af8ccd4 100644
--- a/tests/browser/workspace-activity.spec.mjs
+++ b/tests/browser/workspace-activity.spec.mjs
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ import { startCoverage, saveCoverage } from '../../tools/vendor/browser-coverage
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures.mjs';
 import { seedConcept, openConcept, openProduction } from './concept-inventory.mjs';
 
+// The Activity store's periodic list read (activity-store.mjs POLL_MS) and the detail view's read throttle
+// (activity-job-view.mjs DETAIL_INTERVAL_MS).
+const POLL_MS = 15_000;
+const DETAIL_INTERVAL_MS = 1_000;
+// A request is reported to the test a little after the browser sends it; that delay is not a shorter wait.
+const REPORT_SLACK_MS = 100;
+
 // Activity (#249 Activity-1): the concept's Activity page (app.js renderActivity 732–738), its top-bar button
 // (index.html 51–52) and sidebar row (app.js ~341), with the recorded D52 (counts of running jobs), D53 (the progress
 // pill) and D54 (real job items). Fake jobs come from tests/browser/workspace_activity_fixture.py.
@@ -278,8 +285,8 @@ test('reload during a scan reattaches to the running job', async ({ page, reques
 });
 
 test('lost server clears the pill and marks jobs ended', async ({ page, request }) => {
-    // The failed re-reads back off for 1 + 2 + 4 s before the third is seen.
-    test.setTimeout(60_000);
+    // A poll interval after the restart, then failed re-reads backing off for 1 + 2 + 4 s.
+    test.setTimeout(90_000);
     await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1600, height: 1100 });
     const job = await startJob(request);
     await step(request, job.id, { processed: 4000 });
@@ -296,9 +303,12 @@ test('lost server clears the pill and marks jobs ended', async ({ page, request
     await expect(items(page).first().locator('p')).toHaveText(LOST);
     await expect(items(page).first().locator('progress, .row-actions')).toHaveCount(0);
     await expect(navRow(page).locator('.nav-count')).toHaveCount(0);
-    // One re-read found the restart; there is no retry storm and no finish toast for a job that only vanished.
-    await page.waitForTimeout(2500);
-    expect(reads.length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(2);
+    // One re-read found the restart; there is no retry storm and no finish toast for a job that only vanished. The
+    // read after it is the periodic one, a whole poll interval later: any extra read lands in that gap and fails it.
+    const found = reads.length;
+    expect(found, 'reads that found the restart').toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1);
+    await expect.poll(() => reads.length, { timeout: POLL_MS + 10_000 }).toBeGreaterThan(found);
+    expect(reads[found] - reads[found - 1], 'the next read waits for the poll').toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(POLL_MS - REPORT_SLACK_MS);
     await expect(toast(page)).toHaveText('');
 
     // A server that cannot be read at all also ends the running job, then is read again with a growing backoff.
@@ -314,8 +324,6 @@ test('lost server clears the pill and marks jobs ended', async ({ page, request
     // reads themselves are the evidence, so a slow runner noticing the ended job late cannot add a read to a window.
     await expect.poll(() => failed.length, { timeout: 20_000 }).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
     const gaps = failed.slice(1, 3).map((at, index) => at - failed[index]);
-    // A request is reported to the test a little after the browser sends it; that delay is not a shorter backoff.
-    const REPORT_SLACK_MS = 100;
     expect(gaps[0]).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2000 - REPORT_SLACK_MS);
     expect(gaps[1]).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(4000 - REPORT_SLACK_MS);
     await page.unroute('**/prompt_manager/jobs**');
@@ -614,6 +622,8 @@ test('filter narrows the selected outcome', async ({ page, request }) => {
 
 test('job view renders 200-row cap note', async ({ page, request }) => {
     await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1600, height: 1100 });
+    // The page's timers are Playwright's, running at real speed, so the M12 check below can run a read throttle out.
+    await page.clock.install();
     const job = await startJob(request);
     await step(request, job.id, { processed: 260, bulk: { group: 'added', count: 250 }, records: [
         ...Array.from({ length: 10 }, (_, index) => ({ group: 'no_metadata', path: `misc/plain_${index}.png`, detail: 'No prompt metadata in the file' })),
@@ -653,11 +663,15 @@ test('job view renders 200-row cap note', async ({ page, request }) => {
     page.on('request', item => { if (new URL(item.url()).pathname === `/prompt_manager/jobs/${job.id}`) reads.push(Date.now()); });
     await step(request, job.id, { processed: 300, bulk: { group: 'added', count: 40 } });
     await expect(tiles(page).first().locator('dd')).toHaveText('290');
-    await page.waitForTimeout(1500);
+    // Every read the counter update could have scheduled is due within one throttle interval: run it out, so any such
+    // read is sent before the log opens. Requests reach the test in the order they were sent, so once the log's read
+    // has answered, a read sent before it would already be listed.
+    await page.clock.runFor(DETAIL_INTERVAL_MS);
     expect(reads).toEqual([]);
     await scanLog(page).locator('summary').click();
     await expect.poll(() => reads.length).toBe(1);
     await expect(scanLog(page).locator('pre')).toContainText('bulk/file_00039.png');
+    expect(reads, 'only the log\'s own read').toHaveLength(1);
 });
 
 test('cancel scan ends cancelled with partial counts', async ({ page, request }) => {
@@ -687,14 +701,17 @@ test('cancel scan ends cancelled with partial counts', async ({ page, request })
 
 test('busy start names the running job', async ({ page, request }) => {
     await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1600, height: 1100 });
+    // The page's timers are Playwright's, so the toast's lifetime below is run out rather than waited for.
+    await page.clock.install();
     const running = await startJob(request, { title: 'Database maintenance', kind: 'maintenance' });
     await startFromImport(page);
     await expect(toast(page)).toHaveText('Another job is running: Database maintenance.');
     await expect(toast(page).getByRole('link', { name: 'Database maintenance', exact: true })).toHaveAttribute('href', `#/activity/${running.id}`);
     await expect(page).toHaveURL(/#\/images$/);
     expect((await listed(request)).map(item => item.id)).toEqual([running.id]);
-    // Review M14: a toast with a link outlasts the plain 6.5 s, so the link stays reachable.
-    await page.waitForTimeout(7000);
+    // Review M14: a toast with a link outlasts the plain 6.5 s, so the link stays reachable. Running the page's timers
+    // 7 s on fires a 6.5 s clear for certain, however slowly this runner reached this line.
+    await page.clock.runFor(7000);
     await expect(toast(page).getByRole('link', { name: 'Database maintenance', exact: true })).toBeVisible();
     await toast(page).getByRole('link', { name: 'Database maintenance', exact: true }).click();
     await expect(heading(page).locator('h1')).toHaveText('Database maintenance');