diff --git a/.github/workflows/adhoc-mac-build.yml b/.github/workflows/adhoc-mac-build.yml
index 7cabc3667bb..9f291345398 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/adhoc-mac-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/adhoc-mac-build.yml
@@ -250,11 +250,19 @@ jobs:
           echo "tag=$TAG" >>"$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
   build-adhoc-mac-arch:
-    needs: [resolve-ref, orcad-template-support, release-javascript, prepare-adhoc-mac-release]
-    # Template qualification gates packaging after desktop preparation.
+    needs:
+      [
+        resolve-ref,
+        orcad-template-support,
+        orcad-template,
+        release-javascript,
+        prepare-adhoc-mac-release
+      ]
+    # Start after template qualification: overlapping ~2.5 min of preparation left both 12-vCPU Macs idle ~7 min.
     if: >-
       !cancelled() && github.repository == 'stablyai/orca' &&
       needs.orcad-template-support.result == 'success' &&
+      (needs.orcad-template.result == 'success' || needs.orcad-template-support.outputs.ships != 'true') &&
       needs.release-javascript.result == 'success' &&
       needs.prepare-adhoc-mac-release.result == 'success'
     # Signing environment must restrict deployments to main after MAC_CERTS/password, APPLE_ID/app password/team and hourly App secrets move there; referencing it alone enforces nothing.
@@ -374,30 +382,6 @@ jobs:
           # Leave build identity unset: telemetry accepts only official stable/rc, so branch artifacts stay silent.
           ORCA_DIAGNOSTICS_TOKEN_URL: https://www.onorca.dev/diagnostics/token
 
-      - name: Wait for the qualified orcad template
-        if: needs.orcad-template-support.outputs.ships == 'true'
-        uses: actions/github-script@v8
-        with:
-          script: |
-            const deadline = Date.now() + 30 * 60_000
-            while (Date.now() < deadline) {
-              const jobs = await github.paginate(github.rest.actions.listJobsForWorkflowRun, {
-                ...context.repo, run_id: context.runId, filter: 'latest', per_page: 100
-              })
-              const lanes = jobs.filter(job => job.name.startsWith('orcad-template / '))
-              const failed = lanes.find(job => job.status === 'completed' &&
-                ['failure', 'cancelled', 'timed_out', 'action_required', 'startup_failure'].includes(job.conclusion))
-              if (failed) throw new Error(`Template qualification failed: ${failed.name}`)
-              const artifacts = await github.paginate(github.rest.actions.listWorkflowRunArtifacts, {
-                ...context.repo, run_id: context.runId, per_page: 100
-              })
-              const ready = artifacts.some(artifact => artifact.name === 'orcad-template' && !artifact.expired)
-              const completed = lanes.length > 0 && lanes.every(job => job.status === 'completed')
-              if (ready && (process.env.WAIT_FOR_TEMPLATE_COMPLETION !== '1' || completed)) return
-              await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 15_000))
-            }
-            throw new Error('Timed out waiting for the qualified orcad template')
-
       # After the app build so nothing that cleans out/ can drop it; electron-builder ships it.
       - name: Download the orcad deployment template
         if: needs.orcad-template-support.outputs.ships == 'true'
diff --git a/config/scripts/adhoc-release-waits.test.mjs b/config/scripts/adhoc-release-waits.test.mjs
index 13c03a7ca2b..bb48928bd85 100644
--- a/config/scripts/adhoc-release-waits.test.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/adhoc-release-waits.test.mjs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { parse } from 'yaml'
 const adhoc = parse(readFileSync('.github/workflows/adhoc-mac-build.yml', 'utf8'))
 const publisher = parse(readFileSync('.github/workflows/dev-channel-win-publish.yml', 'utf8'))
 const windows = parse(readFileSync('.github/workflows/dev-channel-win-build.yml', 'utf8'))
-const macSteps = adhoc.jobs['build-adhoc-mac-arch'].steps
+const macBuild = adhoc.jobs['build-adhoc-mac-arch']
 const finalSteps = adhoc.jobs['build-adhoc-mac'].steps
 const publishSteps = publisher.jobs['publish-win'].steps
 const macWait = publishSteps.find((step) => step.name === 'Wait for successful macOS publication')
@@ -53,50 +53,58 @@ const job = (name, conclusion) => ({
   conclusion
 })
 
-describe.each([
-  ['Mac', macSteps],
-  ['Windows', windows.jobs['build-win'].steps]
-])('%s release waits retain qualification and publication gates', (_platform, buildSteps) => {
-  const templateWait = buildSteps.find(
-    (step) => step.name === 'Wait for the qualified orcad template'
+it('starts paid Mac packaging only after template qualification succeeds', () => {
+  expect(macBuild.needs).toContain('orcad-template')
+  expect(macBuild.if).toContain("needs.orcad-template.result == 'success'")
+  expect(macBuild.steps.some((step) => step.name === 'Wait for the qualified orcad template')).toBe(
+    false
   )
-  it('allows desktop setup first, but waits for a qualified artifact from this run', async () => {
-    const { result, calls } = execute(templateWait, [
-      { jobs: [job('orcad-template / cache', 'success')] },
-      { jobs: [job('orcad-template / qualify / persistence (windows-11-arm)')] },
-      { artifacts: [{ name: 'orcad-template', expired: true }] },
-      { artifacts: [{ name: 'orcad-template', expired: false }] }
-    ])
-    await result
-    expect(calls.filter((call) => call.endpoint === 'artifacts')).toHaveLength(4)
-    expect(calls.every((call) => call.input.run_id === 42)).toBe(true)
-    expect(buildSteps.indexOf(templateWait)).toBeGreaterThan(
-      buildSteps.findIndex((step) => step.name === 'Build app')
-    )
-    expect(buildSteps.indexOf(templateWait)).toBeLessThan(
-      buildSteps.findIndex((step) => step.name === 'Download the orcad deployment template')
-    )
-  })
-
-  it.each(['failure', 'cancelled', 'timed_out', 'action_required', 'startup_failure'])(
-    'refuses to package after template qualification ends with %s',
-    async (conclusion) => {
-      await expect(
-        execute(templateWait, [
-          {
-            jobs: [job('orcad-template / qualify / persistence (windows-11-arm)', conclusion)],
-            artifacts: [{ name: 'orcad-template', expired: false }]
-          }
-        ]).result
-      ).rejects.toThrow('Template qualification failed')
-    }
-  )
-
-  it('times out when no qualified artifact is produced', async () => {
-    await expect(execute(templateWait, [{}]).result).rejects.toThrow('Timed out')
-  })
 })
 
+describe.each([['Windows', windows.jobs['build-win'].steps]])(
+  '%s release waits retain qualification and publication gates',
+  (_platform, buildSteps) => {
+    const templateWait = buildSteps.find(
+      (step) => step.name === 'Wait for the qualified orcad template'
+    )
+    it('allows desktop setup first, but waits for a qualified artifact from this run', async () => {
+      const { result, calls } = execute(templateWait, [
+        { jobs: [job('orcad-template / cache', 'success')] },
+        { jobs: [job('orcad-template / qualify / persistence (windows-11-arm)')] },
+        { artifacts: [{ name: 'orcad-template', expired: true }] },
+        { artifacts: [{ name: 'orcad-template', expired: false }] }
+      ])
+      await result
+      expect(calls.filter((call) => call.endpoint === 'artifacts')).toHaveLength(4)
+      expect(calls.every((call) => call.input.run_id === 42)).toBe(true)
+      expect(buildSteps.indexOf(templateWait)).toBeGreaterThan(
+        buildSteps.findIndex((step) => step.name === 'Build app')
+      )
+      expect(buildSteps.indexOf(templateWait)).toBeLessThan(
+        buildSteps.findIndex((step) => step.name === 'Download the orcad deployment template')
+      )
+    })
+
+    it.each(['failure', 'cancelled', 'timed_out', 'action_required', 'startup_failure'])(
+      'refuses to package after template qualification ends with %s',
+      async (conclusion) => {
+        await expect(
+          execute(templateWait, [
+            {
+              jobs: [job('orcad-template / qualify / persistence (windows-11-arm)', conclusion)],
+              artifacts: [{ name: 'orcad-template', expired: false }]
+            }
+          ]).result
+        ).rejects.toThrow('Template qualification failed')
+      }
+    )
+
+    it('times out when no qualified artifact is produced', async () => {
+      await expect(execute(templateWait, [{}]).result).rejects.toThrow('Timed out')
+    })
+  }
+)
+
 it('keeps the release a draft until qualification and its cleanup finish', async () => {
   const final = finalSteps.find(
     (step) => step.name === 'Confirm final template qualification before publication'
diff --git a/config/scripts/adhoc-windows-parallelism.test.mjs b/config/scripts/adhoc-windows-parallelism.test.mjs
index a1096645624..8414ceac3c0 100644
--- a/config/scripts/adhoc-windows-parallelism.test.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/adhoc-windows-parallelism.test.mjs
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ function qualification(template = 'success', ships = 'true') {
 }
 
 describe('adhoc Windows compilation overlaps Mac without publishing early', () => {
-  it('starts both platforms during qualification without a Mac dependency', () => {
-    expect(mac.needs).toEqual([...windows.needs, 'prepare-adhoc-mac-release'])
-    expect(mac.needs).not.toContain('orcad-template')
+  it('starts Windows during qualification without a Mac dependency', () => {
+    expect(mac.needs).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([...windows.needs, 'orcad-template', 'prepare-adhoc-mac-release'])
+    )
     expect(windows.needs).not.toContain('build-adhoc-mac')
     expect(windows.with.stage_only).toBe(true)
     expect(windows.with.fast_release).toBe(true)