diff --git a/src/MeshWeaver.Fixture/HubFactAttribute.cs b/src/MeshWeaver.Fixture/HubFactAttribute.cs
index ed5f5ef416..21b0131424 100644
--- a/src/MeshWeaver.Fixture/HubFactAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/MeshWeaver.Fixture/HubFactAttribute.cs
@@ -10,17 +10,30 @@ namespace MeshWeaver.Fixture;
 public class HubFactAttribute : FactAttribute;
 #else
 /// <summary>
-/// Marks a hub test method. In non-DEBUG builds a 5 second timeout is applied
-/// so that a wedged hub fails the test fast instead of hanging the run.
+/// Marks a hub test method. In non-DEBUG builds a timeout is applied so that a wedged hub fails
+/// the test instead of hanging the run.
+///
+/// <para>🚨 The budget must exceed what the MESH FIXTURE costs on a loaded CI runner, or the test
+/// measures the runner instead of the code. It was 5s, and 5s is not achievable there: a CI log for
+/// <c>MeshNodeVersionSyncTest</c> (2026-07-27) shows class init at 19:59:22.595 and dispose at
+/// 19:59:30.720 — <b>8.1s of fixture</b> before the body runs at all. That produced a recurring
+/// main-red flake with no defect behind it, and the same trap bit a heartbeat test written the same
+/// night ("Test execution timed out after 5000 milliseconds", passing locally where no budget is
+/// enforced).</para>
+///
+/// <para>30s matches the runner-wide <c>methodTimeout</c> and still fails a genuine wedge well
+/// before the run hangs — a wedged read surfaces its own <c>GetMeshNode … timed out after 60.0s</c>
+/// first, so nothing is masked by the larger budget.</para>
 /// </summary>
 public sealed class HubFactAttribute : FactAttribute
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// Initializes a new instance and sets the test timeout to 5000 milliseconds.
+    /// Initializes a new instance and sets the test timeout to 30000 milliseconds — above the
+    /// measured CI fixture cost, in line with the runner-wide <c>methodTimeout</c>.
     /// </summary>
     public HubFactAttribute()
     {
-        Timeout = 5000;
+        Timeout = 30000;
     }
 };
 #endif
diff --git a/test/MeshWeaver.Persistence.Test/MeshNodeVersionSyncTest.cs b/test/MeshWeaver.Persistence.Test/MeshNodeVersionSyncTest.cs
index 24771b285f..ac3b9f2d65 100644
--- a/test/MeshWeaver.Persistence.Test/MeshNodeVersionSyncTest.cs
+++ b/test/MeshWeaver.Persistence.Test/MeshNodeVersionSyncTest.cs
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
         }
     }
 
-    [Fact(Timeout = 10000)]
+    [Fact(Timeout = 30000)]
     public async Task MeshNode_InitialVersion_IsZero()
     {
         // Arrange - check initial version via the authoritative owner-hub read
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public async Task MeshNode_InitialVersion_IsZero()
         initialNode!.Version.Should().Be(0, "initial version should be 0");
     }
 
-    [Fact(Timeout = 10000)]
+    [Fact(Timeout = 30000)]
     public async Task MeshNode_VersionProperty_CanBeSetAndPersisted()
     {
         // Arrange - create a node with a specific version. Use a built-in
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ public async Task MeshNode_VersionProperty_CanBeSetAndPersisted()
         savedNode!.Version.Should().Be(42, "version should be preserved in persistence");
     }
 
-    [Fact(Timeout = 10000)]
+    [Fact(Timeout = 30000)]
     public void MessageHub_HasSetInitialVersionMethod()
     {
         // Verify that IMessageHub interface has the SetInitialVersion method