diff --git a/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime.Tests/Drivers/DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests.cs b/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime.Tests/Drivers/DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests.cs
index 484b2b10..588bb431 100644
--- a/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime.Tests/Drivers/DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime.Tests/Drivers/DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
 {
     private static readonly TimeSpan WriteLatency = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(1200);
 
+    /// <summary>
+    ///     Polls for <paramref name="count"/> writes inside the driver with an EXPLICIT short interval. Akka's
+    ///     <c>AwaitCondition</c> without one polls every <c>max / 10</c> of the DILATED budget — 1.5 s locally, 4.5 s
+    ///     under CI's <c>AKKA_TEST_TIMEFACTOR=3</c>. The write under test is already held inside the driver by then,
+    ///     and <c>DriverInstanceActor.RunWriteAsync</c> bounds it with a fixed (undilated) 5 s token, so one missed
+    ///     first poll plus the test's own settle window cancelled it ("write timeout") before
+    ///     <c>ReleaseWrites()</c>: <c>A_queued_write_older_than_the_budget…</c> failed every CI run that hit it
+    ///     (hosted runs 2215 and 2260), and fails locally at timefactor 3.
+    /// </summary>
+    private void AwaitWritesEntered(SlowWritableDriver driver, int count) =>
+        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == count, PresenceBudget, TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(20));
+
     private (IActorRef Actor, Akka.TestKit.TestProbe Parent) Connect(
         IDriver driver, int? maxWritesInFlight = null, TimeSpan? queuedWriteBudget = null, TimeSpan? writeTimeout = null)
     {
@@ -67,7 +79,7 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
 
         var pending = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-a", 7), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 1, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 1);
 
         driver.FireDataChange("tag-a", 3.5);
         var published = parent.ExpectMsg<DriverInstanceActor.AttributeValueBatchPublished>(PresenceBudget);
@@ -90,7 +102,7 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
                 new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute($"tag-{i}", i), PresenceBudget))
             .ToArray();
 
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 2, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 2);
         // Settle: a third write entering the driver would show up here.
         await Task.Delay(300);
         driver.WritesEntered.ShouldBe(2, "the cap let a third write into the driver");
@@ -119,13 +131,13 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
 
         var first = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-a", 1), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 1, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 1);
         var second = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-a", 2), PresenceBudget);
         // Positive control: a DIFFERENT tag is not held behind tag-a.
         var other = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-b", 9), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 2, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 2);
         driver.EnteredRefs.ShouldBe(new[] { "tag-a", "tag-b" });
 
         await Task.Delay(300);
@@ -149,7 +161,7 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
 
         var inFlight = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-0", 0), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 1, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 1);
         var stale = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-1", 1), PresenceBudget);
 
@@ -181,7 +193,7 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
 
         var hung = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-a", 1), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 1, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 1);
 
         var hungResult = await hung;
         hungResult.Success.ShouldBeFalse();
@@ -193,7 +205,7 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
         // abandoned one is still inside it.
         var later = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-a", 2), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 2, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 2);
         driver.EnteredRefs.ShouldBe(new[] { "tag-a", "tag-a" });
         var laterResult = await later;
         laterResult.Success.ShouldBeTrue(laterResult.Reason);
@@ -209,7 +221,7 @@ public sealed class DriverInstanceActorConcurrentWriteTests : RuntimeActorTestBa
 
         var inFlight = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-0", 0), PresenceBudget);
-        AwaitCondition(() => driver.WritesEntered == 1, PresenceBudget);
+        AwaitWritesEntered(driver, 1);
         var queued = actor.Ask<DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttributeResult>(
             new DriverInstanceActor.WriteAttribute("tag-1", 1), PresenceBudget);