diff --git a/scripts/ci-test-scope.cjs b/scripts/ci-test-scope.cjs
index d4b2ac6cf..bdc7ac92d 100644
--- a/scripts/ci-test-scope.cjs
+++ b/scripts/ci-test-scope.cjs
@@ -133,7 +133,14 @@ const RULES = [
       'tests/install-regressions.test.cjs',
       'tests/install-runtime-artifacts.test.cjs',
       'tests/install-path-detection.test.cjs',
-      'tests/release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs',
+      // NOTE: release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs is intentionally NOT here.
+      // It is a 3–6 min `npm pack` + `npm install -g` integration test with its
+      // OWN dedicated workflow (.github/workflows/install-smoke.yml, triggered on
+      // the production install paths). Running it in the scoped/targeted lane too
+      // is redundant and blows the per-chunk Windows timeout when a broad PR
+      // bundles it with many other changed test files (epic #1969). See the
+      // SCOPED_LANE_EXCLUDE guard below, which also drops it when it is itself a
+      // changed test file.
       'tests/runtime-artifact-layout.test.cjs',
       'tests/golden-install-parity.test.cjs', // any src/installer change can alter emitted install artifacts → re-verify golden install parity (drift guard)
     ],
@@ -398,6 +405,17 @@ function classify(files) {
     }
   }
 
+  // Heavy integration tests that own a dedicated workflow must never run in the
+  // scoped/targeted lane — they carry a multi-minute cost that overruns the
+  // per-chunk timeout (worst on Windows) when a broad PR bundles them with many
+  // other changed test files, and their production paths already trigger their
+  // own workflow. Drop them however they entered (matched rule OR changed-file).
+  const SCOPED_LANE_EXCLUDE = new Set([
+    // covered by .github/workflows/install-smoke.yml
+    'tests/release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs',
+  ]);
+  for (const f of SCOPED_LANE_EXCLUDE) { targeted.delete(f); windows.delete(f); }
+
   // code_changed: true when product/pipeline OR inert CI changed.
   // Docs-only PRs (neither flag set) get code_changed=false → full matrix skip.
   const codeChanged = productOrPipelineChanged || inertCiChanged;
diff --git a/tests/ci-test-scope.test.cjs b/tests/ci-test-scope.test.cjs
index 670ae7224..6f9db506f 100644
--- a/tests/ci-test-scope.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/ci-test-scope.test.cjs
@@ -161,7 +161,13 @@ describe('ci-test-scope.cjs', () => {
       `expected product_changed=true for bin/gsd, got: ${JSON.stringify(result)}`);
     assert.strictEqual(result.full_matrix, true);
     assert.ok(result.targeted_tests.includes('tests/install.test.cjs'));
-    assert.ok(result.targeted_tests.includes('tests/release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs'));
+    // release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs is intentionally EXCLUDED from the
+    // scoped/targeted lane (SCOPED_LANE_EXCLUDE in ci-test-scope.cjs): it is a
+    // 3–6 min npm-pack + global-install integration test that runs via its own
+    // install-smoke.yml workflow, not here — running it in the scoped lane too is
+    // redundant and overran the per-chunk Windows timeout (epic #1969).
+    assert.ok(!result.targeted_tests.includes('tests/release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs'),
+      `release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs must not be in the scoped targeted lane; got: ${JSON.stringify(result.targeted_tests)}`);
   });
 
   test('missing required CLI values fail with usage', () => {