diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.test.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.test.ts
index 78f03f1f91b72..c329aef3553d9 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.test.ts
@@ -521,6 +521,26 @@ describe("server browser evaluate", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("server browser wait", () => {
+  it("ends at its timeout when a check never answers", async () => {
+    // As on a desktop tab whose Playwright utility world never answers.
+    const page = {
+      locator: () => ({ count: () => new Promise<number>(() => {}) }),
+    } as unknown as Page;
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      let failure: unknown;
+      void ServerBrowserPage.waitFor(page, { selector: "button", timeoutMs: 300 }).catch(
+        (error: unknown) => (failure = error),
+      );
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(300);
+      expect(failure).toMatchObject({ tag: "PreviewAutomationTimeoutError" });
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 describe("server browser net errors", () => {
   it.each([
     ["net::ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED", "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED", -102],
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.ts
index 31cff821c6e42..21284ae7504e8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserPage.ts
@@ -947,7 +947,6 @@ export const evaluate = async (
 
 export const waitFor = async (page: Page, input: PreviewAutomationWaitForInput) => {
   const timeoutMs = input.timeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS;
-  const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
   const locator = targetLocator(page, input);
   const { text, urlIncludes } = input;
   const checks: Array<() => Promise<boolean>> = [];
@@ -962,16 +961,28 @@ export const waitFor = async (page: Page, input: PreviewAutomationWaitForInput)
     );
   }
   if (urlIncludes !== undefined) checks.push(async () => page.url().includes(urlIncludes));
-  for (;;) {
-    const results = await Promise.all(checks.map((check) => check()));
-    if (results.every(Boolean)) return;
-    if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
-      throw new ServerBrowserOperationError({
-        tag: "PreviewAutomationTimeoutError",
-        message: `Waited ${timeoutMs}ms without every condition holding.`,
-      });
+  // `count()` and `evaluate()` take no timeout; a stalled check would hold the tab's control queue.
+  let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
+  const expired = new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+    timer = setTimeout(
+      () =>
+        reject(
+          new ServerBrowserOperationError({
+            tag: "PreviewAutomationTimeoutError",
+            message: `Waited ${timeoutMs}ms without every condition holding.`,
+          }),
+        ),
+      timeoutMs,
+    );
+  });
+  try {
+    for (;;) {
+      const results = await Promise.race([Promise.all(checks.map((check) => check())), expired]);
+      if (results.every(Boolean)) return;
+      await Promise.race([new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, WAIT_POLL_MS)), expired]);
     }
-    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, WAIT_POLL_MS));
+  } finally {
+    clearTimeout(timer);
   }
 };