diff --git a/.github/workflows/rustfs-pool-expand-test.yml b/.github/workflows/rustfs-pool-expand-test.yml
index ee2a31d06..83677c3be 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rustfs-pool-expand-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rustfs-pool-expand-test.yml
@@ -583,6 +583,25 @@ jobs:
             echo "pool test script reported a failure (step FAIL verdict or die() abort)" >&2
             failed=1
           fi
+          # A runner-level kill (step timeout) truncates the suite without a
+          # FAIL verdict or an [ERROR] line, so require every expected
+          # [POOL-STEP] marker to be present with PASS - missing markers mean
+          # the run was truncated, not green. This also closes the gap for
+          # standalone dispatches, where the chain driver's evidence
+          # validation does not run.
+          last_step=6
+          if [ "${{ inputs.pools || '3' }}" = "3" ]; then
+            last_step=8
+            if [ "${{ inputs.run_decommission != 'false' }}" = "true" ]; then
+              last_step=9
+            fi
+          fi
+          for n in $(seq 1 "${last_step}"); do
+            grep -q "^\[POOL-STEP\] ${n} .* PASS" "${POOL_ARTIFACT_DIR}/pool-test.log" 2>/dev/null || {
+              echo "pool test log is missing [POOL-STEP] ${n} PASS (expected through step ${last_step}); the run was truncated" >&2
+              failed=1
+            }
+          done
           [ "${failed}" -eq 0 ] || exit 1
 
       - name: Upload functional report to dashboard