diff --git a/tests/discourse/recipe_meta.py b/tests/discourse/recipe_meta.py
index d39b46d..a9a2ab6 100644
--- a/tests/discourse/recipe_meta.py
+++ b/tests/discourse/recipe_meta.py
@@ -7,5 +7,18 @@
 # redirect to setup).
 HEALTH_PATH = "/srv/status"
 HEALTH_OK = (200,)
-DEPLOY_TIMEOUT = 1800
+DEPLOY_TIMEOUT = 2400  # was 1800 — slow Rails cold boot (15-25min) overran it; bumped to match TIMEOUT
 HTTP_TIMEOUT = 1200
+
+# cc-ci deploy overlay: discourse's 15-25min Rails cold boot exceeds the recipe healthcheck's
+# start_period:5m (+8min grace), so swarm kills the still-booting app and the deploy never converges
+# (observed: 1800s timeout). compose.ccci-health.yml raises the app healthcheck start_period to 1200s
+# (failures ignored during it; a PASS still marks healthy at once) — DEPLOY/infra tuning, NO test
+# weakened. install_steps.sh provides the overlay into the checkout; COMPOSE_FILE wires it; TIMEOUT
+# 2400 lets abra's convergence wait outlast the boot. CHAOS_BASE_DEPLOY lets the pinned base deploy
+# proceed with the untracked overlay present. (Same pattern as tests/ghost/.)
+CHAOS_BASE_DEPLOY = True
+EXTRA_ENV = {
+    "TIMEOUT": "2400",
+    "COMPOSE_FILE": "compose.yml:compose.ccci-health.yml",
+}