diff --git a/crates/spt-daemon/tests/sync.rs b/crates/spt-daemon/tests/sync.rs
index 07450ed3..18dde988 100644
--- a/crates/spt-daemon/tests/sync.rs
+++ b/crates/spt-daemon/tests/sync.rs
@@ -99,13 +99,34 @@ fn wait_for_stream_except(brain: &mut Brain, skip: &[u64]) -> (u64, String) {
     // 10s budget: polls exit early when the stream appears, so the long bound
     // only pays on a loaded runner (2s flaked on gravity under a parallel
     // full-workspace run — 2026-06-04).
-    for _ in 0..400 {
+    let poll_started = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let mut ipc_elapsed = Duration::ZERO;
+    let mut sleep_elapsed = Duration::ZERO;
+    let mut streams_seen = 0usize;
+    let mut streams_skipped = 0usize;
+    for iteration in 1..=400 {
+        let ipc_started = std::time::Instant::now();
         let reply = brain.net_streams().expect("net-streams");
+        ipc_elapsed += ipc_started.elapsed();
+        streams_seen = reply.streams.len();
+        streams_skipped = reply.streams.iter().filter(|s| skip.contains(&s.stream_id)).count();
         if let Some(s) = reply.streams.iter().find(|s| !skip.contains(&s.stream_id)) {
+            println!(
+                "[IR95-SYNC] outcome=success iterations={} iteration_budget=400 elapsed_us={} ipc_us={} sleep_us={} last_streams_seen={} last_streams_skipped={}",
+                iteration, poll_started.elapsed().as_micros(), ipc_elapsed.as_micros(),
+                sleep_elapsed.as_micros(), streams_seen, streams_skipped
+            );
             return (s.stream_id, s.remote_id_hex.clone());
         }
+        let sleep_started = std::time::Instant::now();
         thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(25));
+        sleep_elapsed += sleep_started.elapsed();
     }
+    println!(
+        "[IR95-SYNC] outcome=expiry iterations=400 iteration_budget=400 elapsed_us={} ipc_us={} sleep_us={} last_streams_seen={} last_streams_skipped={}",
+        poll_started.elapsed().as_micros(), ipc_elapsed.as_micros(),
+        sleep_elapsed.as_micros(), streams_seen, streams_skipped
+    );
     panic!("sync stream never appeared at the responder's broker");
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/spt/tests/contract_e2e.rs b/crates/spt/tests/contract_e2e.rs
index cc52f3df..d4e9b98e 100644
--- a/crates/spt/tests/contract_e2e.rs
+++ b/crates/spt/tests/contract_e2e.rs
@@ -391,17 +391,45 @@ fn live_agent_lifecycle_e2e() {
     // and routed whole to the LIVE tier of the tracked two-tier context store.
     let commune = drops.path().join(format!("{id}-commune.md"));
     let ctx = spt_store::contextstore::live_context_file(&home.path().join("tracked"), id);
-    let deadline = std::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(30);
+    let poll_started = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let deadline = poll_started + Duration::from_secs(30);
+    let mut poll_iterations = 0u64;
     loop {
-        let ingested = !commune.exists()
-            && std::fs::read_to_string(&ctx)
-                .map(|s| s.contains("mid-session note"))
-                .unwrap_or(false);
+        poll_iterations += 1;
+        let commune_still_exists = commune.exists();
+        let ctx_has_marker = if !commune_still_exists {
+            Some(
+                std::fs::read_to_string(&ctx)
+                    .map(|s| s.contains("mid-session note"))
+                    .unwrap_or(false),
+            )
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+        let ingested = ctx_has_marker == Some(true);
         if ingested {
+            println!(
+                "[IR95-CONTRACT] outcome=success elapsed_us={} iterations={} budget_ms=30000 commune_still_exists={} ctx_has_marker=true",
+                poll_started.elapsed().as_micros(), poll_iterations, commune_still_exists
+            );
             break;
         }
+        let within_budget = std::time::Instant::now() < deadline;
+        if !within_budget {
+            let elapsed = poll_started.elapsed();
+            // Preserve short-circuit polling; sample the skipped half only at exit.
+            let ctx_has_marker = ctx_has_marker.unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                std::fs::read_to_string(&ctx)
+                    .map(|s| s.contains("mid-session note"))
+                    .unwrap_or(false)
+            });
+            println!(
+                "[IR95-CONTRACT] outcome=expiry elapsed_us={} iterations={} budget_ms=30000 commune_still_exists={} ctx_has_marker={}",
+                elapsed.as_micros(), poll_iterations, commune_still_exists, ctx_has_marker
+            );
+        }
         assert!(
-            std::time::Instant::now() < deadline,
+            within_budget,
             "the brain pulse must ingest the commune into the live context tier"
         );
         std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));