diff --git a/eslint-rules/no-adhoc-timeout-literal.allowlist.json b/eslint-rules/no-adhoc-timeout-literal.allowlist.json
index 3c04f1103..58fd17217 100644
--- a/eslint-rules/no-adhoc-timeout-literal.allowlist.json
+++ b/eslint-rules/no-adhoc-timeout-literal.allowlist.json
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
   "tests/check-glossary-refs.test.cjs",
   "tests/check-predicate.test.cjs",
   "tests/check-tdd-review-checkpoint-e2e.test.cjs",
-  "tests/ci-rebase-check.test.cjs",
   "tests/cjs-command-router-adapter.test.cjs",
   "tests/code-review-pipeline-regression.test.cjs",
   "tests/code-review.test.cjs",
@@ -50,7 +49,6 @@
   "tests/gsd-mcp-server-bin.test.cjs",
   "tests/gsd-secret-read-guard.test.cjs",
   "tests/gsd-statusline.test.cjs",
-  "tests/gsd-validate-commit-crash-policy.test.cjs",
   "tests/gsd-write-guard.test.cjs",
   "tests/health-validation.test.cjs",
   "tests/hooks-commonjs-marker.test.cjs",
@@ -87,7 +85,6 @@
   "tests/plan-review-convergence.test.cjs",
   "tests/plugin-manifest.test.cjs",
   "tests/policy-160-route0-resume.test.cjs",
-  "tests/pr-branch-planning-filter.test.cjs",
   "tests/prohibition-enforcement.test.cjs",
   "tests/prompt-injection-scan.security.test.cjs",
   "tests/qa/tdd-walk.cjs",
@@ -95,7 +92,6 @@
   "tests/read-guard.test.cjs",
   "tests/read-injection-scanner.property.test.cjs",
   "tests/read-injection-scanner.security.test.cjs",
-  "tests/reapply-verify-hunks.test.cjs",
   "tests/release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs",
   "tests/representative-corpus.test.cjs",
   "tests/review-lane-invocation.test.cjs",
@@ -108,14 +104,11 @@
   "tests/security.test.cjs",
   "tests/shared-hooks-dir-resolution.test.cjs",
   "tests/shell-command-projection-dispatch.test.cjs",
-  "tests/ship-notes-wedged-pr.test.cjs",
-  "tests/slug-derivation-drift-guard.test.cjs",
   "tests/state-document.test.cjs",
   "tests/state-todos-render.test.cjs",
   "tests/task-command-router-resolve-content.test.cjs",
   "tests/task-content-resolution.test.cjs",
   "tests/task-content-resolver-grammar-parity.test.cjs",
   "tests/teams-status.test.cjs",
-  "tests/windsurf-hooks-bridge.test.cjs",
-  "tests/worktree-safety.test.cjs"
+  "tests/windsurf-hooks-bridge.test.cjs"
 ]
diff --git a/tests/ci-rebase-check.test.cjs b/tests/ci-rebase-check.test.cjs
index f5a312786..6db356651 100644
--- a/tests/ci-rebase-check.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/ci-rebase-check.test.cjs
@@ -27,7 +27,16 @@ const NODE   = process.execPath;
 const { cleanup } = require('./helpers.cjs');
 const { gitOrThrow } = require('./helpers/git-fixture.cjs');
 // #3145: class-norm timeout, not a per-suite value — see helpers/timeouts.cjs.
-const { GIT_TIMEOUT_MS } = require('./helpers/timeouts.cjs');
+const { GIT_TIMEOUT_MS, QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS } = require('./helpers/timeouts.cjs');
+
+/**
+ * The real ci-rebase-check.cjs script run below (fetch+merge against a real
+ * git fixture remote) is heavier than a QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS-class call —
+ * it does real git network/merge work, not a trivial mocked/in-process
+ * operation. Kept as its own pre-existing value, unchanged by this
+ * migration (#4514).
+ */
+const CI_REBASE_SCRIPT_TIMEOUT_MS = 20000;
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Helper: run a small inline Node snippet that requires the run() helper
@@ -54,7 +63,7 @@ function evalRunHelper(stmts) {
     }
     ${stmts}
   `;
-  const r = spawnSync(NODE, ['-e', code], { encoding: 'utf8', timeout: 10_000 });
+  const r = spawnSync(NODE, ['-e', code], { encoding: 'utf8', timeout: QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS });
   return { status: r.status ?? 1, stdout: r.stdout ?? '', stderr: r.stderr ?? '' };
 }
 
@@ -157,7 +166,7 @@ describe('ci-rebase-check: fetch-retry loop resolves when git fetch succeeds', (
       const r = spawnSync(NODE, [SCRIPT], {
         cwd:      workDir,
         encoding: 'utf8',
-        timeout:  20_000,
+        timeout:  CI_REBASE_SCRIPT_TIMEOUT_MS,
         env: {
           ...process.env,
           GITHUB_BASE_REF:    'main',
diff --git a/tests/gsd-validate-commit-crash-policy.test.cjs b/tests/gsd-validate-commit-crash-policy.test.cjs
index 210981e95..9d57f0398 100644
--- a/tests/gsd-validate-commit-crash-policy.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/gsd-validate-commit-crash-policy.test.cjs
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@ const path = require('node:path');
 const { createTempDir, cleanup, TEST_ENV_BASE } = require('./helpers.cjs');
 const { runHook, OUTCOME } = require('./helpers/process-seam.cjs');
 
+/**
+ * gsd-validate-commit.sh is invoked via bash and internally fans out to
+ * nested `node -e` calls (the classifier/config-read/JSON-extraction
+ * sites this file's own header docblock describes) -- conceptually the
+ * same shape `HOOK_FANOUT_TIMEOUT_MS` (60000ms) describes, but this hook
+ * sits at a much lighter pre-existing value. Not reclassified/raised: no
+ * bench citation exists for whether this specific hook needs more.
+ * Pre-existing value, unchanged by this migration (#4514).
+ */
+const VALIDATE_COMMIT_HOOK_TIMEOUT_MS = 15000;
+
 const HOOK_PATH = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'hooks', 'gsd-validate-commit.sh');
 
 const CONFORMING_COMMIT_PAYLOAD = JSON.stringify({
@@ -94,7 +105,7 @@ function runValidateCommit({ payload, cwd, env } = {}) {
     cwd,
     env: { ...process.env, ...TEST_ENV_BASE, ...env },
     input: payload,
-    timeoutMs: 15000,
+    timeoutMs: VALIDATE_COMMIT_HOOK_TIMEOUT_MS,
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/helpers/timeouts.cjs b/tests/helpers/timeouts.cjs
index d7c491258..fb39959b7 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/timeouts.cjs
+++ b/tests/helpers/timeouts.cjs
@@ -110,6 +110,23 @@ const INSTALL_TIMEOUT_MS = 120000;
  */
 const SEAM_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 60000;
 
+/**
+ * A cheap, lightweight subprocess/hook invocation whose own work is
+ * trivial -- a synchronous in-process guard hook, a fully-mocked shell
+ * harness (git/gh functions stubbed out), a small `node -e` snippet, or a
+ * lint script scanning a tiny temp fixture -- with no real git/network/
+ * fan-out work inside. 10000ms leaves generous headroom over each call
+ * site's sub-second observed worst case (#4514, batch 3 of the ad hoc
+ * timeout literal migration, epic #4445 -- consolidates 5 call sites
+ * across 4 files that had all independently arrived at this exact value).
+ *
+ * Deliberately NOT the same as `PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS` (15000ms): consolidating
+ * onto that would RAISE these sites' bound with no bench citation, which
+ * this migration's scope (naming, not tuning) does not permit. This norm
+ * is for the even-lighter end of the spectrum PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS occupies.
+ */
+const QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS = 10000;
+
 module.exports = {
   PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS,
   HOOK_FANOUT_TIMEOUT_MS,
@@ -118,4 +135,5 @@ module.exports = {
   BUILD_TIMEOUT_MS,
   INSTALL_TIMEOUT_MS,
   SEAM_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS,
 };
diff --git a/tests/pr-branch-planning-filter.test.cjs b/tests/pr-branch-planning-filter.test.cjs
index 5b0271785..57bb1bf70 100644
--- a/tests/pr-branch-planning-filter.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/pr-branch-planning-filter.test.cjs
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ const CONFIG_SCHEMA_MANIFEST_PATH = path.join(
   REPO_ROOT, 'gsd-core', 'bin', 'shared', 'config-schema.manifest.json',
 );
 
+/**
+ * The cherry-pick recipe below runs the REAL create_pr_branch loop
+ * extracted from pr-branch.md against a real git fixture (rev-list,
+ * checkout, cherry-pick) -- genuine git work, not a mocked/trivial
+ * operation. Pre-existing value, unchanged by this migration (#4514).
+ */
+const CHERRY_PICK_RECIPE_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000;
+
 // ── Shared git-fixture primitives (L2 + L4) ────────────────────────────────
 
 function git(args, cwd) {
@@ -379,7 +387,7 @@ describe('#2971 — pr-branch.md planning.pr_strict filter (failing-first)', ()
       const filterPaths = strict ? ['.planning/'] : transientDirs.map((d) => `.planning/${d}/`);
       const script = buildRecipeScript(filterPaths);
       try {
-        const stdout = execFileSync('sh', ['-c', script], { cwd: repoDir, encoding: 'utf8', timeout: 30000 });
+        const stdout = execFileSync('sh', ['-c', script], { cwd: repoDir, encoding: 'utf8', timeout: CHERRY_PICK_RECIPE_TIMEOUT_MS });
         return { status: 0, stdout, stderr: '' };
       } catch (err) {
         return {
diff --git a/tests/reapply-verify-hunks.test.cjs b/tests/reapply-verify-hunks.test.cjs
index 3cf99b827..aa17e588f 100644
--- a/tests/reapply-verify-hunks.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/reapply-verify-hunks.test.cjs
@@ -1099,6 +1099,12 @@ let savedHome;
 let savedUserProfile;
 let restoreConfigEnv;
 
+/**
+ * Runs the real verify-reapply-patches.cjs CLI against patches+config
+ * fixture dirs. Pre-existing value, unchanged by this migration (#4514).
+ */
+const VERIFY_REAPPLY_TIMEOUT_MS = 60000;
+
 function writeFile(absPath, content) {
   fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(absPath), { recursive: true });
   fs.writeFileSync(absPath, content);
@@ -1110,7 +1116,7 @@ function runVerifier() {
     '--patches-dir', patchesDir,
     '--config-dir', configDir,
     '--json',
-  ], { timeoutMs: 60_000 });
+  ], { timeoutMs: VERIFY_REAPPLY_TIMEOUT_MS });
   return {
     status: r.exitCode,
     report: r.stdout && r.stdout.length ? JSON.parse(r.stdout) : null,
@@ -1238,6 +1244,14 @@ function resetFixture() {
   fs.mkdirSync(pristineDir);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Runs the real verify-reapply-patches.cjs CLI against patches+config+
+ * pristine fixture dirs -- a distinct describe-block scope from the other
+ * runVerifier() above (different fixture, different pre-existing budget).
+ * Pre-existing value, unchanged by this migration (#4514).
+ */
+const VERIFY_REAPPLY_PRISTINE_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000;
+
 function runVerifier() {
   const r = runNode([
     SCRIPT,
@@ -1245,7 +1259,7 @@ function runVerifier() {
     '--config-dir',  configDir,
     '--pristine-dir', pristineDir,
     '--json',
-  ], { timeoutMs: 30_000 });
+  ], { timeoutMs: VERIFY_REAPPLY_PRISTINE_TIMEOUT_MS });
   return {
     status: r.exitCode,
     report: r.stdout && r.stdout.length ? JSON.parse(r.stdout) : null,
diff --git a/tests/ship-notes-wedged-pr.test.cjs b/tests/ship-notes-wedged-pr.test.cjs
index 15c4c363e..dd03e2b98 100644
--- a/tests/ship-notes-wedged-pr.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/ship-notes-wedged-pr.test.cjs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const fs = require('node:fs');
 const path = require('node:path');
 const { stripFencedCode, scanFencedBlocks } = require('../gsd-core/bin/lib/markdown-sectionizer.cjs');
 const { cleanup, createTempDir, readFileNormalized } = require('./helpers.cjs');
+const { QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS } = require('./helpers/timeouts.cjs');
 
 const SHIP_MD = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'gsd-core', 'workflows', 'ship.md');
 
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ function runTrackShipping(responses) {
     const result = spawnSync('bash', ['-c', `${preamble}\n${extractTrackShippingScript()}`], {
       cwd: tmpDir,
       encoding: 'utf8',
-      timeout: 10000,
+      timeout: QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS,
       env: {
         ...process.env,
         CURRENT_BRANCH: 'fix/ship-note',
diff --git a/tests/slug-derivation-drift-guard.test.cjs b/tests/slug-derivation-drift-guard.test.cjs
index b76f174e5..80048c1c1 100644
--- a/tests/slug-derivation-drift-guard.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/slug-derivation-drift-guard.test.cjs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const { generateSlugInternal } = require(path.join(ROOT, 'gsd-core', 'bin', 'lib
 const { getPhaseDirFromPhaseId } = require(path.join(ROOT, 'gsd-core', 'bin', 'lib', 'phase-id.cjs'));
 const { slugify: qaSmellRatchetSlugify } = require(path.join(ROOT, 'scripts', 'qa-smell-ratchet.cjs'));
 const { createTempDir, cleanup } = require('./helpers.cjs');
+const { QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS } = require('./helpers/timeouts.cjs');
 const { splitLines } = require(path.join(ROOT, 'gsd-core', 'bin', 'lib', 'text-lines.cjs'));
 const { MAX_REGEX_LITERAL_LEN, resetRegexScanStats, getRegexScanStats } = require(path.join(ROOT, 'scripts', 'lib', 'drift-scan.cjs'));
 
@@ -439,7 +440,7 @@ describe('CLI (main()) — the process.exitCode/stderr surface scanRepo alone do
 
     const res = spawnSync(process.execPath, [path.join(tmpRoot, 'scripts', 'lint-slug-derivation-drift.cjs')], {
       encoding: 'utf8',
-      timeout: 10000,
+      timeout: QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS,
     });
 
     assert.equal(res.status, 1, 'main() must set a non-zero process.exitCode when a violation is found');
@@ -470,7 +471,7 @@ describe('CLI (main()) — the process.exitCode/stderr surface scanRepo alone do
 
     const res = spawnSync(process.execPath, [path.join(tmpRoot, 'scripts', 'lint-slug-derivation-drift.cjs')], {
       encoding: 'utf8',
-      timeout: 10000,
+      timeout: QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS,
     });
 
     assert.equal(res.status, 0);
diff --git a/tests/worktree-safety.test.cjs b/tests/worktree-safety.test.cjs
index ecd24c2ee..64010364d 100644
--- a/tests/worktree-safety.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/worktree-safety.test.cjs
@@ -4980,6 +4980,7 @@ const path = require('node:path');
 const { cleanup } = require('./helpers.cjs');
 const { runHook: seamRunHook } = require('./helpers/process-seam.cjs');
 const { gitOrThrow } = require('./helpers/git-fixture.cjs');
+const { QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS } = require('./helpers/timeouts.cjs');
 
 const HOOK_PATH = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'hooks', 'gsd-worktree-path-guard.js');
 const INSTALL_SRC = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'bin', 'install.js');
@@ -5036,15 +5037,17 @@ function makeWorktree(mainRepo, branchName) {
  * Run the hook with a given payload, returning the spawnSync result.
  */
 function runHook(cwd, payload) {
-  // 10000ms: previously UNBOUNDED (no `timeout` option passed to spawnSync).
-  // gsd-worktree-path-guard.js is a synchronous, in-process path-guard hook
-  // (fs/path checks against a JSON stdin payload) — no subprocess or network
-  // work of its own. 10s leaves generous headroom over its sub-second
-  // worst case even on a heavily contended CI runner.
+  // QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS (10000ms): previously UNBOUNDED (no `timeout`
+  // option passed to spawnSync). gsd-worktree-path-guard.js is a
+  // synchronous, in-process path-guard hook (fs/path checks against a JSON
+  // stdin payload) — no subprocess or network work of its own. 10s leaves
+  // generous headroom over its sub-second worst case even on a heavily
+  // contended CI runner. See tests/helpers/timeouts.cjs for the shared
+  // norm this value was promoted to (#4514).
   const r = seamRunHook(HOOK_PATH, [], {
     cwd,
     input: JSON.stringify(payload),
-    timeoutMs: 10_000,
+    timeoutMs: QUICK_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS,
   });
   return { status: r.exitCode, stdout: r.stdout, stderr: r.stderr };
 }