diff --git a/src/hold-my-task.mjs b/src/hold-my-task.mjs
index 9cdb198..a428686 100644
--- a/src/hold-my-task.mjs
+++ b/src/hold-my-task.mjs
@@ -1622,6 +1622,16 @@ export class HoldMyTask extends EventEmitter {
 			nextTime = Math.min(nextTime, this.nextAvailableTime);
 		}
 
+		// A task already sitting in the ready heap needs an imminent recheck if nothing
+		// else would schedule one - otherwise nextTime falls through to Infinity and the
+		// 24.8-day fallback below strands it. Only force this when nextTime would
+		// otherwise stay Infinity (the stranded-task case); an active future delay
+		// already set nextTime above and should keep its single efficient timeout
+		// rather than degrade into a tick-interval poll loop until it expires.
+		if (nextTime === Infinity && this.readyHeap.size() > 0) {
+			nextTime = now;
+		}
+
 		// If next event is imminent or past, run immediately
 		if (nextTime <= now + this.options.tick) {
 			this.intervalId = setInterval(() => this.schedulerTick(), this.options.tick);
diff --git a/tests/BypassDelayCompletionTiming.test.vitest.mjs b/tests/BypassDelayCompletionTiming.test.vitest.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9936455
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/BypassDelayCompletionTiming.test.vitest.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+import { test, expect, describe, vi } from "vitest";
+import { HoldMyTask } from "../src/hold-my-task.mjs";
+
+// Isolated from HoldMyTask.test.vitest.mjs: this test hangs until the 30s Vitest
+// timeout on the `lts/*` CI matrix job specifically (never on the explicit 20/22/24
+// jobs running the identical Node binary), and never reproduces locally even under
+// CPU throttling. Splitting it into its own file removes it from the tail end of a
+// 72-test file where ~30 prior HoldMyTask instances are never destroy()'d, to check
+// whether accumulated per-instance timer/state leakage from earlier tests in the same
+// file is a factor.
+describe.each([
+	{ smartScheduling: true, mode: "Smart Scheduling" },
+	{ smartScheduling: false, mode: "Traditional Polling" }
+])("HoldMyTask with $mode", ({ smartScheduling }) => {
+	test("bypassed task still applies its own completion delay", async () => {
+		const q = new HoldMyTask({
+			concurrency: 1,
+			delays: { 1: 200, 2: 400 },
+			smartScheduling
+		});
+		const results = [];
+		const timestamps = [];
+
+		// Task 1: Priority 1 (200ms delay) - will complete first
+		q.enqueue(
+			() => {
+				timestamps.push(Date.now());
+				return "task1";
+			},
+			(err, result) => results.push(result),
+			{ priority: 1 }
+		);
+
+		// Task 2: Same priority but bypasses the delay from task1
+		q.enqueue(
+			() => {
+				timestamps.push(Date.now());
+				return "task2";
+			},
+			(err, result) => results.push(result),
+			{ priority: 1, bypassDelay: true }
+		);
+
+		// Task 3: Should wait for whatever delay task2 creates (task2 has no specific delay config, so uses priority 1 = 200ms)
+		q.enqueue(
+			() => {
+				timestamps.push(Date.now());
+				return "task3";
+			},
+			(err, result) => results.push(result),
+			{ priority: 1 }
+		);
+
+		try {
+			// Race the drain wait against a short timeout: if drain never fires (the exact
+			// deadlock this file exists to catch), fail fast instead of hanging to vitest's
+			// 30s global timeout - and keep the wait inside the try so the finally still
+			// runs q.destroy() and doesn't leak timers into later tests.
+			await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+				const timer = setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("drain not emitted within 5000ms")), 5000);
+				q.once("drain", () => {
+					clearTimeout(timer);
+					resolve();
+				});
+			});
+
+			expect(results).toEqual(["task1", "task2", "task3"]); // Normal priority order, task2 bypasses task1's delay
+
+			// Task2 bypasses task1's delay (should start immediately after task1)
+			const task1ToTask2Gap = timestamps[1] - timestamps[0];
+			expect(task1ToTask2Gap).toBeLessThan(100);
+
+			// Task3 waits for task2's completion delay (200ms since task2 is priority 1)
+			const task2ToTask3Gap = timestamps[2] - timestamps[1];
+			expect(task2ToTask3Gap).toBeGreaterThan(150);
+		} finally {
+			q.destroy();
+		}
+	});
+});
+
+// Regression test for the scheduler deadlock fixed alongside the test above:
+// _scheduleNextTick() only derived its next wake time from pendingHeap and
+// nextAvailableTime. Called at the exact moment nextAvailableTime had just
+// expired (a narrow race against schedulerTick's own timing), with pendingHeap
+// empty, nextTime fell through to Infinity - arming a ~24.8-day setTimeout and
+// stranding any task already sitting in readyHeap forever. Traditional Polling
+// only: Smart Scheduling uses a different scheduleSmartTimeout()/runScheduler()
+// path unaffected by this bug. Uses the constructor's injectable `now` option to
+// force the exact race deterministically instead of racing real wall-clock time.
+test("a readyHeap task is not stranded when its delay has just expired (regression)", async () => {
+	let fakeNow = Date.now();
+	const q = new HoldMyTask({
+		concurrency: 1,
+		delays: { 1: 50 },
+		smartScheduling: false,
+		now: () => fakeNow
+	});
+	const results = [];
+
+	q.enqueue(
+		() => "task1",
+		(err, r) => results.push(r),
+		{ priority: 1 }
+	);
+	q.enqueue(
+		() => "task2",
+		(err, r) => results.push(r),
+		{ priority: 1 }
+	);
+
+	try {
+		// Wait (bounded) until task1 has actually run + completed and task2 has moved
+		// into readyHeap, blocked by task1's post-completion delay - polling the
+		// observable state instead of a fixed sleep, which is nondeterministic on slow/
+		// contended CI. The queue's delay bookkeeping uses the injected now(), not real
+		// time, so task2 stays parked in readyHeap. Kept inside the try so the finally
+		// still runs q.destroy() if this ever times out.
+		const deadline = Date.now() + 2000;
+		while (!(results.includes("task1") && q.readyHeap.size() === 1 && q.pendingHeap.size() === 0)) {
+			if (Date.now() > deadline) {
+				throw new Error("task1 did not complete / task2 did not reach readyHeap within 2000ms");
+			}
+			await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+		}
+
+		// task2 is now sitting in readyHeap, blocked by task1's post-completion delay.
+		expect(q.readyHeap.size()).toBe(1);
+		expect(q.pendingHeap.size()).toBe(0);
+		expect(q.nextAvailableTime).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+		// Simulate wall-clock time crossing nextAvailableTime right before the
+		// scheduler gets a chance to recheck it - the exact race window that caused
+		// the deadlock.
+		fakeNow = q.nextAvailableTime + 1;
+
+		const setTimeoutSpy = vi.spyOn(global, "setTimeout");
+		let armedCalls;
+		try {
+			q._scheduleNextTick();
+		} finally {
+			// Capture the recorded calls BEFORE restoring, and restore in finally so the
+			// global spy never leaks into later tests even if _scheduleNextTick throws.
+			armedCalls = setTimeoutSpy.mock.calls.slice();
+			setTimeoutSpy.mockRestore();
+		}
+
+		if (armedCalls.length > 0) {
+			const armedDelay = armedCalls.at(-1)[1];
+			// Before the fix this was ~2147483647 (the 24.8-day fallback), stranding
+			// task2 forever. After the fix it must be an imminent recheck.
+			expect(armedDelay).toBeLessThan(1000);
+		} else {
+			// Took the interval branch instead - also an imminent recheck, also fine.
+			expect(q.intervalId).toBeTruthy();
+		}
+	} finally {
+		q.destroy();
+	}
+});
diff --git a/tests/HoldMyTask.test.vitest.mjs b/tests/HoldMyTask.test.vitest.mjs
index 82ea457..1ed7331 100644
--- a/tests/HoldMyTask.test.vitest.mjs
+++ b/tests/HoldMyTask.test.vitest.mjs
@@ -803,58 +803,6 @@ describe.each([
 		// Test passed if no timeout occurred (task2 started immediately)
 	});
 
-	test("bypassed task still applies its own completion delay", async () => {
-		const q = new HoldMyTask({
-			concurrency: 1,
-			delays: { 1: 200, 2: 400 },
-			smartScheduling
-		});
-		const results = [];
-		const timestamps = [];
-
-		// Task 1: Priority 1 (200ms delay) - will complete first
-		q.enqueue(
-			() => {
-				timestamps.push(Date.now());
-				return "task1";
-			},
-			(err, result) => results.push(result),
-			{ priority: 1 }
-		);
-
-		// Task 2: Same priority but bypasses the delay from task1, priority 2 means higher priority but has delay
-		q.enqueue(
-			() => {
-				timestamps.push(Date.now());
-				return "task2";
-			},
-			(err, result) => results.push(result),
-			{ priority: 1, bypassDelay: true }
-		);
-
-		// Task 3: Should wait for whatever delay task2 creates (task2 has no specific delay config, so uses priority 1 = 200ms)
-		q.enqueue(
-			() => {
-				timestamps.push(Date.now());
-				return "task3";
-			},
-			(err, result) => results.push(result),
-			{ priority: 1 }
-		);
-
-		await new Promise((resolve) => q.on("drain", resolve));
-
-		expect(results).toEqual(["task1", "task2", "task3"]); // Normal priority order, task2 bypasses task1's delay
-
-		// Task2 bypasses task1's delay (should start immediately after task1)
-		const task1ToTask2Gap = timestamps[1] - timestamps[0];
-		expect(task1ToTask2Gap).toBeLessThan(100);
-
-		// Task3 waits for task2's completion delay (200ms since task2 is priority 1)
-		const task2ToTask3Gap = timestamps[2] - timestamps[1];
-		expect(task2ToTask3Gap).toBeGreaterThan(150);
-	});
-
 	test("handles maxQueue: -1 as unlimited queue", async () => {
 		const q = new HoldMyTask({ smartScheduling, maxQueue: -1 });