diff --git a/scripts/release-preflight-worker.sh b/scripts/release-preflight-worker.sh
index b2626311e6..901f77e1a7 100755
--- a/scripts/release-preflight-worker.sh
+++ b/scripts/release-preflight-worker.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ RUN_DIR="${WORKER_ROOT}/tmp/${RUN_ID}"
 # argument". Set PULSE_RELEASE_PREFLIGHT_GO_TMP_DIR only for a deliberately
 # isolated, equally short directory.
 GO_TMP_DIR="${PULSE_RELEASE_PREFLIGHT_GO_TMP_DIR:-}"
+# The rehearsal runs the backend as one serial `go test` process so its streamed
+# events stay readable. Go's default per-package timeout is 10m, which the
+# shared worker exceeded on internal/api under ordinary concurrent load (606.9s
+# on 2026-09-19), killing an otherwise green package with "panic: test timed
+# out". Match the release profile's per-package budget so host contention cannot
+# turn a healthy candidate into a release-gate failure.
+REHEARSAL_BACKEND_TIMEOUT="${PULSE_RELEASE_PREFLIGHT_REHEARSAL_TIMEOUT:-30m}"
 TIMINGS_FILE="${RUN_DIR}/timings.tsv"
 TEST_DATA_DIR="${WORKER_ROOT}/test-data/${PROFILE}"
 # The smoke stacks publish the Pulse server and agent ports on the host. A
@@ -227,7 +234,7 @@ run_backend() (
     # Keep readable Output and the original verdict via pipefail; instrument
     # only the known stress-test window, without changing tests or thresholds.
     backend_serial() {
-      env PULSE_DATA_DIR="$TEST_DATA_DIR" go test -json -p 1 ./... |
+      env PULSE_DATA_DIR="$TEST_DATA_DIR" go test -json -p 1 -timeout "$REHEARSAL_BACKEND_TIMEOUT" ./... |
         python3 ./scripts/release-go-test-events.py
     }
     phase backend-serial backend_serial
diff --git a/scripts/release_control/internal/release_preflight_test.py b/scripts/release_control/internal/release_preflight_test.py
index da70a5d452..e9f757d97f 100755
--- a/scripts/release_control/internal/release_preflight_test.py
+++ b/scripts/release_control/internal/release_preflight_test.py
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ echo CONTINUED
 PROFILE=rehearsal
 TEST_DATA_DIR=unused
 ACTUAL_GO=fixture
+REHEARSAL_BACKEND_TIMEOUT=30m
 rm() {{ :; }}
 mkdir() {{ :; }}
 python3() {{
@@ -330,7 +331,7 @@ python3() {{
   fi
 }}
 env() {{
-  [ "$*" = 'PULSE_DATA_DIR=unused go test -json -p 1 ./...' ] || return 42
+  [ "$*" = 'PULSE_DATA_DIR=unused go test -json -p 1 -timeout 30m ./...' ] || return 42
   printf '%s\\n' '{{"Action":"output","Output":"synthetic verdict\\n"}}'
   return {code}
 }}