diff --git a/packages/workflow/workflow-workerthread/tests/workflow-workerthread.spec.ts b/packages/workflow/workflow-workerthread/tests/workflow-workerthread.spec.ts
index ecaeed61f6..61e6709bb6 100644
--- a/packages/workflow/workflow-workerthread/tests/workflow-workerthread.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow/workflow-workerthread/tests/workflow-workerthread.spec.ts
@@ -663,7 +663,10 @@ describe('dsh-workflow-workerthread', () => {
         `),
         parent,
       })
-      await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(order.filter(entry => entry.startsWith('start:')).length).toBe(2) })
+      await vi.waitFor(
+        () => { expect(order.filter(entry => entry.startsWith('start:')).length).toBe(2) },
+        { timeout: 5_000 },
+      )
       const fast = provider.runs.find(run => (run.request.prompt[0] as { text?: string }).text === 'fast')!
       fast.settle(text('fast done'))
       handle.cancel('stop now')
@@ -802,7 +805,10 @@ describe('dsh-workflow-workerthread', () => {
         `),
         parent,
       })
-      await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(order.filter(entry => entry.startsWith('start:')).length).toBe(2) })
+      await vi.waitFor(
+        () => { expect(order.filter(entry => entry.startsWith('start:')).length).toBe(2) },
+        { timeout: 5_000 },
+      )
       const fast = provider.runs.find(run => (run.request.prompt[0] as { text?: string }).text === 'fast')!
       fast.settle(text('fast done'))
       const result = await handle.result
diff --git a/scripts/run-gates.ts b/scripts/run-gates.ts
index 9ee5a66ed6..ef1e07ea43 100644
--- a/scripts/run-gates.ts
+++ b/scripts/run-gates.ts
@@ -286,18 +286,28 @@ function demoSmokeGate(options: { needs?: string[] } = {}): Gate {
     ...dependencyOptions,
     verify: async (result) => {
       const output = result.stdout + result.stderr
-      if (!output.includes('[tool call] echo({"text":"ci smoke"})')) {
-        throw new Error('demo smoke did not show the echo tool call.')
+      const sessionsRoot = join(root, '.sessions')
+      try {
+        if (!output.includes('[tool call] echo({"text":"ci smoke"})')) {
+          throw new Error('demo smoke did not show the echo tool call.')
+        }
+        if (!output.includes('[tool result] ECHO: CI SMOKE')) {
+          throw new Error('demo smoke did not show the echo tool result.')
+        }
+        const buckets = await readdir(sessionsRoot, { withFileTypes: true })
+        let found = false
+        for (const bucket of buckets) {
+          if (!bucket.isDirectory() || !bucket.name.startsWith('cwd-')) continue
+          const entries = await readdir(join(sessionsRoot, bucket.name))
+          if (entries.some(entry => /^main-session-.+\.jsonl$/.test(entry))) {
+            found = true
+            break
+          }
+        }
+        if (!found) throw new Error('demo smoke did not create a main-session JSONL log in a cwd bucket.')
+      } finally {
+        await rm(sessionsRoot, { recursive: true, force: true })
       }
-      if (!output.includes('[tool result] ECHO: CI SMOKE')) {
-        throw new Error('demo smoke did not show the echo tool result.')
-      }
-      const sessionDir = join(root, '.sessions', '_no-cwd')
-      const entries = await readdir(sessionDir)
-      if (!entries.some(entry => /^main-session-.+\.jsonl$/.test(entry))) {
-        throw new Error('demo smoke did not create a main-session JSONL log.')
-      }
-      await rm(join(root, '.sessions'), { recursive: true, force: true })
     },
   }
 }