diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts
index fcca165e249..e87b1e057f9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts
@@ -19898,6 +19898,9 @@ describe('connectPanePty', () => {
     await flushAsyncTicks(20)
 
     expect(writes).toContain('relay-fallback-output')
+    // Why: a stalled reveal must cost exactly one bounded probe — a re-probe
+    // would buy a second timeout window before the relay paint.
+    expect(window.api.pty.getMainBufferSnapshot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
   })
 
   it('does not auto-reconnect after a user cancels deferred SSH passphrase auth', async () => {