diff --git a/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.ControlPlane.Tests/ConfigPublishCoordinatorTimeoutTests.cs b/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.ControlPlane.Tests/ConfigPublishCoordinatorTimeoutTests.cs
index 42fc744b..0490eece 100644
--- a/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.ControlPlane.Tests/ConfigPublishCoordinatorTimeoutTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.ControlPlane.Tests/ConfigPublishCoordinatorTimeoutTests.cs
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ public sealed class ConfigPublishCoordinatorTimeoutTests : ControlPlaneActorTest
         var dbFactory = NewInMemoryDbFactory();
         var deploymentId = SeedDispatchingDeployment(dbFactory);
 
-        // Short deadline so we can drive it deterministically in the test.
-        var actor = Sys.ActorOf(ConfigPublishCoordinator.Props(dbFactory, TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(150)));
-
-        // Seed a NodeDeploymentState row so the coordinator doesn't see "zero expected acks"
-        // and short-circuit to Sealed. We pretend a driver node exists in the cluster.
+        // Seed the NodeDeploymentState row BEFORE the actor is spawned. PreStart reads
+        // NodeDeploymentStates to recover the expected-ack set, and it runs as soon as Sys.ActorOf
+        // schedules the actor — so seeding afterwards is a race: if PreStart wins, the coordinator
+        // sees zero expected acks and can short-circuit straight to Sealed, and the assertion below
+        // never sees TimedOut. We pretend a driver node exists in the cluster.
         using (var db = dbFactory.CreateDbContext())
         {
             db.NodeDeploymentStates.Add(new Configuration.Entities.NodeDeploymentState
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ public sealed class ConfigPublishCoordinatorTimeoutTests : ControlPlaneActorTest
             db.SaveChanges();
         }
 
+        // Deliberately un-hittable wall-clock deadline (matching the other tests in this class).
+        // The apply deadline is a real Akka timer: a short one can self-fire under load and race
+        // the explicit DeadlineElapsed below, so the test would sometimes be measuring the timer
+        // rather than the message handler. Five minutes guarantees the ONLY deadline signal the
+        // coordinator ever receives is the one this test sends.
+        var actor = Sys.ActorOf(ConfigPublishCoordinator.Props(dbFactory, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5)));
+
         // Drive the deadline ourselves rather than waiting for the cluster's empty driver-set
         // bypass. Tell the actor the deadline elapsed for this id.
         actor.Tell(new ConfigPublishCoordinator.DeadlineElapsed(deploymentId));