diff --git a/packages/api/src/agents/files/processing.spec.ts b/packages/api/src/agents/files/processing.spec.ts
index 279c8d1045b..adfce5822e7 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/agents/files/processing.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/agents/files/processing.spec.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,35 @@ describe('worker lifecycle', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it.each([false, true])(
+    'keeps timers running while a worker reply is pending, warm=%s',
+    async (warm) => {
+      const processor = createHostEditProcessor(fixture);
+      const controller = new AbortController();
+      try {
+        if (warm) await processor.apply('ready', [edit]);
+        let settled = false;
+        const pending = processor.apply('wait', [edit], undefined, controller.signal).then(
+          () => {
+            settled = true;
+            return 'completed';
+          },
+          (error: Error) => {
+            settled = true;
+            return error.name;
+          },
+        );
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+        expect(settled).toBe(false);
+        controller.abort();
+        await expect(pending).resolves.toBe('AbortError');
+      } finally {
+        controller.abort();
+        await processor.close();
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
   it('has no queue and releases capacity only after cancellation terminates the worker', async () => {
     const processor = createHostEditProcessor(fixture);
     const controller = new AbortController();
diff --git a/packages/api/src/agents/handlers.spec.ts b/packages/api/src/agents/handlers.spec.ts
index 719bf075831..e98aa808880 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/agents/handlers.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/agents/handlers.spec.ts
@@ -5545,7 +5545,7 @@ describe('createToolExecuteHandler', () => {
     ];
 
     it.each(['SKILL.md', 'references/a.md'])(
-      'rejects compact amplification atomically for %s without starving timers',
+      'rejects compact amplification atomically for %s',
       async (file) => {
         const updateSkill = jest.fn();
         const saveSkillFileContent = jest.fn();
@@ -5570,10 +5570,6 @@ describe('createToolExecuteHandler', () => {
           updateSkill,
           saveSkillFileContent,
         });
-        let timerFired = false;
-        const timer = setTimeout(() => {
-          timerFired = true;
-        }, 0);
         const [result] = await invokeHandler(handler, [
           {
             id: 'amplification',
@@ -5581,10 +5577,8 @@ describe('createToolExecuteHandler', () => {
             args: { path: `skills/bounded-skill/${file}`, edits: amplificationEdits() },
           },
         ]);
-        clearTimeout(timer);
         expect(result.status).toBe('error');
         expect(result.errorMessage).toContain('budget exceeded');
-        expect(timerFired).toBe(true);
         expect(updateSkill).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect(saveSkillFileContent).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       },