diff --git a/src/process/ProviderDeadline.test.ts b/src/process/ProviderDeadline.test.ts
index 6f26c870e..727132899 100644
--- a/src/process/ProviderDeadline.test.ts
+++ b/src/process/ProviderDeadline.test.ts
@@ -279,9 +279,9 @@ it("releases the timer and listener on dispose with a pending wait", async () =>
   }
 });
 
-// Preserve the authored fractional-clock control while following the current
-// owning deadline's re-arm contract for an early native timer callback.
-it("reports zero after the re-armed deadline reaches a fractional early callback", async () => {
+// Retain the authored terminal-budget regression under the newer monotonic
+// expiry policy and re-arm contract for an early native timer callback.
+it("reports no remaining time after terminal expiry near the monotonic boundary", async () => {
   vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ["setTimeout", "clearTimeout"] });
   const now = vi.spyOn(performance, "now").mockReturnValue(1_000);
   const deadline = new ProviderStartupDeadline(40);
@@ -294,6 +294,9 @@ it("reports zero after the re-armed deadline reaches a fractional early callback
     await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1);
     expect(deadline.signal.aborted).toBe(true);
     expect(deadline.interruption).toBe("timeout");
+    // A terminal timeout stays terminal even if the monotonic source is
+    // observed below its deadline after the abort timer has fired.
+    now.mockReturnValue(1_039);
     expect(deadline.remainingMs()).toBe(0);
   } finally {
     deadline.dispose();
diff --git a/src/process/ProviderDeadline.ts b/src/process/ProviderDeadline.ts
index 7681ecf62..26e1b0fb0 100644
--- a/src/process/ProviderDeadline.ts
+++ b/src/process/ProviderDeadline.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ export class ProviderStartupDeadline {
   /** Milliseconds still available to the next startup phase. */
   remainingMs(): number {
     // Node timers can fire a fraction of a millisecond before the monotonic
-    // deadline, so an elapsed timer must not report time left to spend.
+    // deadline, so an elapsed timer must not report time left to spend. A
+    // terminal timeout also cannot regain budget after later clock queries.
     if (this.#interruption === "timeout") return 0;
     return Math.max(0, Math.ceil(this.#deadlineAt - performance.now()));
   }