diff --git a/crates/botloftd/tests/browser.rs b/crates/botloftd/tests/browser.rs
index b1248a57..eb80a62f 100644
--- a/crates/botloftd/tests/browser.rs
+++ b/crates/botloftd/tests/browser.rs
@@ -218,8 +218,9 @@ async fn new_tabs_and_dialogs_reach_the_bot_and_the_owner_watches() {
     assert!(tab.contains("Thanks, Tab"), "{tab}");
     // The new tab is the active one, after the tab that opened it. The app
     // may hear of its address a moment after the bot read the page: the
-    // events that bring it wait while the new tab is set up.
-    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(5);
+    // events that bring it wait while the new tab is set up, longer on a
+    // busy CI runner.
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(20);
     let tabs = loop {
         let open = b.app.call("browser.list", Value::Null).await.expect("list");
         let tabs = open[0]["tabs"].as_array().expect("tabs").clone();
diff --git a/crates/botloftd/tests/common/browsing.rs b/crates/botloftd/tests/common/browsing.rs
index 87a593cb..ae8cd626 100644
--- a/crates/botloftd/tests/common/browsing.rs
+++ b/crates/botloftd/tests/common/browsing.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ pub async fn setup() -> Option<Browsing> {
         eprintln!("Microsoft Edge is not installed; skipping");
         return None;
     }
-    let t = TestDaemon::start_supervised().await;
+    // A real browser can be slow to ask on a busy CI runner.
+    let t = TestDaemon::start_supervised_patient().await;
     let mut app = t.session().await;
     let crew = app
         .call("crews.create", json!({ "name": "Web" }))
diff --git a/crates/botloftd/tests/common/mod.rs b/crates/botloftd/tests/common/mod.rs
index 7b6c894f..c81bed1a 100644
--- a/crates/botloftd/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/botloftd/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,16 @@ pub struct Parts {
 }
 
 pub fn new_daemon(settings: SupervisorSettings) -> Parts {
+    new_daemon_waiting(settings, APPROVAL_WAIT)
+}
+
+/// Approvals time out fast enough for a test to wait for it.
+const APPROVAL_WAIT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(3);
+/// For tests with a real browser, whose requests may come late on a busy
+/// CI runner: long enough that none expires before the test answers it.
+const PATIENT_APPROVAL_WAIT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
+
+pub fn new_daemon_waiting(settings: SupervisorSettings, approval_wait: Duration) -> Parts {
     let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
     let paths = Paths::new(dir.path().join("home"), dir.path().join("workspaces"));
     let runtime = FakeRuntime::new();
@@ -118,9 +128,7 @@ pub fn new_daemon(settings: SupervisorSettings) -> Parts {
         },
         bots: bot_settings(),
         browser: BrowserSettings::default(),
-        // Approvals time out fast enough for a test to wait for it.
-        settings: LiveSettings::new(None, &Config::default())
-            .with_approval_wait(Duration::from_secs(3)),
+        settings: LiveSettings::new(None, &Config::default()).with_approval_wait(approval_wait),
         trash: Arc::new(trash.clone()),
     });
     Parts {
@@ -136,17 +144,23 @@ pub fn new_daemon(settings: SupervisorSettings) -> Parts {
 impl TestDaemon {
     /// Server only: bots are never started and nothing is delivered.
     pub async fn start() -> Self {
-        Self::launch(false).await
+        Self::launch(false, APPROVAL_WAIT).await
     }
 
     /// Server, supervisor and courier, with bots running on a
     /// [`FakeRuntime`].
     pub async fn start_supervised() -> Self {
-        Self::launch(true).await
+        Self::launch(true, APPROVAL_WAIT).await
+    }
+
+    /// As [`TestDaemon::start_supervised`], with approvals that wait long
+    /// enough for a real browser on a slow machine.
+    pub async fn start_supervised_patient() -> Self {
+        Self::launch(true, PATIENT_APPROVAL_WAIT).await
     }
 
-    async fn launch(supervised: bool) -> Self {
-        let parts = new_daemon(test_settings());
+    async fn launch(supervised: bool, approval_wait: Duration) -> Self {
+        let parts = new_daemon_waiting(test_settings(), approval_wait);
         let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.expect("bind");
         let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("addr");
         if supervised {