diff --git a/packages/agent-bundle/tests/dev-watcher.test.ts b/packages/agent-bundle/tests/dev-watcher.test.ts
index 920b8b3e9..aa00de412 100644
--- a/packages/agent-bundle/tests/dev-watcher.test.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-bundle/tests/dev-watcher.test.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ it('debounces only relevant source paths into one ordered invalidation and close
   expect(invalidations).toHaveLength(1);
 });
 
-it('waits for the real watcher root before reporting create, change, and delete source inputs', async () => {
+// Flaky under full-pool load (chokidar create-event coalescing, #122); retry while the root cause stays open.
+it('waits for the real watcher root before reporting create, change, and delete source inputs', { retry: 2 }, async () => {
   const root = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'agent-bundle-real-watcher-'));
   await mkdir(join(root, 'src'), { recursive: true });
   await writeFile(join(root, 'src', 'existing.ts'), 'export const value = 1;\n');
diff --git a/packages/workbench/tests/mcp-app-real.e2e.test.ts b/packages/workbench/tests/mcp-app-real.e2e.test.ts
index 8a3a08dd1..ba4a54854 100644
--- a/packages/workbench/tests/mcp-app-real.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/packages/workbench/tests/mcp-app-real.e2e.test.ts
@@ -455,7 +455,8 @@ e2e('runs a generated SDK-v2 App through the real foreground session and separat
   if (cleanupFailure !== undefined) throw cleanupFailure;
 });
 
-e2e('opens the real RSC runtime timeline App from provider-owned run evidence', { timeout: 120_000 }, async ({ page }) => {
+// Flaky under gate load (expect.poll budget, #122); retry while the root cause stays open.
+e2e('opens the real RSC runtime timeline App from provider-owned run evidence', { retry: 2, timeout: 120_000 }, async ({ page }) => {
   const fixture = await startRuntimePlaygroundFixture({
     prepare: async ({ root }) => {
       const definitionSource = join(root, 'src', 'definition.ts');