diff --git a/tests/ghost/recipe_meta.py b/tests/ghost/recipe_meta.py
index 2052930..966ae89 100644
--- a/tests/ghost/recipe_meta.py
+++ b/tests/ghost/recipe_meta.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 # mysqldump pre-hook; P4 (ops.py + test_{backup,restore,upgrade}.py) seeds a `ci_marker` row there.
 HEALTH_PATH = "/"  # Ghost serves a themed site HTML at root (200)
 HEALTH_OK = (200,)
-DEPLOY_TIMEOUT = 1200  # subprocess timeout for `abra app deploy`
+DEPLOY_TIMEOUT = 2400  # subprocess timeout for `abra app deploy` (cold-boot wall-time, see below)
 HTTP_TIMEOUT = 900
 
 # Ghost's fresh-DB first boot runs a full schema migration (dozens of CREATE TABLEs, each a separate
@@ -35,10 +35,13 @@ HTTP_TIMEOUT = 900
 # clean-tree gate on that untracked overlay. It persists across the head checkout (idempotent — the PR
 # head already ships 15m). This is the policy-blessed "minimal overlay on the from-version so
 # upgrade-to-latest can run" — grace-only, masks no defect, weakens no test.
-# TIMEOUT 1200s = migration (≤9min) + convergence, bounded so a genuine failure still fails (not a
-# long blackout). See DECISIONS (ghost MySQL cold-boot / start_period recipe-PR + base-grace overlay).
+# TIMEOUT/DEPLOY_TIMEOUT 2400s: the BASE cold boot's wall-time is mysql fresh-dir init (~6min, during
+# which the app crash-loops harmlessly on `ECONNREFUSED 3306` until mysql accepts connections — no
+# migration progress lost, it hasn't started) PLUS the ~9-15min schema migration (round-trip-bound,
+# slower under host load). 1200s was too tight (full4 killed at the near-final `email_recipients`
+# tables while still 0/1); 2400s gives headroom while still bounding a genuine hang (matches discourse).
 CHAOS_BASE_DEPLOY = True
 EXTRA_ENV = {
-    "TIMEOUT": "1200",
+    "TIMEOUT": "2400",
     "COMPOSE_FILE": "compose.yml:compose.ccci.yml",
 }