diff --git a/lib/apps/fabro-cli/tests/it/cmd/mcp.rs b/lib/apps/fabro-cli/tests/it/cmd/mcp.rs
index 253134714..e810bd4d9 100644
--- a/lib/apps/fabro-cli/tests/it/cmd/mcp.rs
+++ b/lib/apps/fabro-cli/tests/it/cmd/mcp.rs
@@ -555,7 +555,10 @@ fn stdio_server_exits_when_executable_is_replaced() {
     fs::write(&replacement, b"replacement").expect("replacement file should be written");
     fs::rename(replacement, &executable).expect("Fabro executable should be replaced");
 
-    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(5);
+    // The server takes up to 1s to notice the replacement and then bounds its
+    // own shutdown at 5s, so 6s is the worst case. Allow more so a loaded runner
+    // cannot fail a healthy server; a passing run exits in about a second.
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(20);
     let status = loop {
         if let Some(status) = child.try_wait().expect("MCP server should be polled") {
             break status;
diff --git a/lib/apps/fabro-mcp-server/src/server.rs b/lib/apps/fabro-mcp-server/src/server.rs
index 924ddf9d5..6a9c9941d 100644
--- a/lib/apps/fabro-mcp-server/src/server.rs
+++ b/lib/apps/fabro-mcp-server/src/server.rs
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ pub(crate) struct FabroMcpServer {
 }
 
 /// How long to wait for the MCP service to stop after an upgrade is detected.
-/// Bounded because the transport closes by writing to a stdout the host may
-/// already have stopped reading.
+/// The wait is bounded because the transport closes by writing to stdout, which
+/// blocks if the host has stopped reading.
 const SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
 
 pub async fn start(settings: FabroMcpServerSettings) -> Result<()> {