[congvc-bot-x99]

Cause

main run 39937569028 (and PR #225 run 39941796520) failed at fixture setup of test_real_host_socket_close_enters_grace_and_expires_once[websocket]: the wire_server fixture waited a fixed 5 s for uvicorn to report ready. The failing step is the reverse-order unit run. Its log shows 10 s to 2 min gaps between 72-test lines before the error, so the host was heavily loaded. A fixed wall-clock deadline measures host load, not the server. Same class as CHE-1975 (#227). The 1 s and 2 s loopback waits in the same file have the same flaw.

No regression: the same test passes alone and in a full local reverse-order unit run (6021 passed, 12 skipped, Python 3.13). The CI failure was not reproduced under 3x CPU load either, so the cause is inferred from the CI log plus the deterministic reproduction below.

Fix

tests/unit/admin_console/test_host_agent_api.py only:

• Startup waits for ready or for the server task to end, whichever is first. A server that dies surfaces its own error.
• Every fixed 1, 2 or 5 s wait becomes STALL_BOUND = 60, which only stops a stalled test from hanging.
• No test deleted or skipped.

Test-first evidence

Throwaway probe (not committed): uvicorn.Server.startup delayed 6 s, then the wire_server fixture.

• Before the fix: ERROR ... test_probe - TimeoutError (1 error in 6.76s), same traceback as CI (wait_for(ready.wait(), 5) raises TimeoutError).
• After the fix: 1 passed in 6.52s.

Target file after the fix: 57 passed. ruff check and ruff format --check pass.

Exact-head CI: PASS on d0caab9 (push run 39955316195, PR run 39955329787, all 7 checks; reverse-order suite 6018 passed, 15 skipped).
Independent review: PASS, x99-codex-sol (OpenAI), head d0caab9, base main cfc51c4.