diff --git a/canvas/vitest.config.ts b/canvas/vitest.config.ts
index 15fb4195..0d290378 100644
--- a/canvas/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/canvas/vitest.config.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,32 @@ export default defineConfig({
   test: {
     environment: 'node',
     exclude: ['e2e/**', 'node_modules/**', '**/dist/**'],
+    // CI-conditional test timeout (issue #96).
+    //
+    // Vitest's 5000ms default is too tight for the first test in any
+    // file under our CI shape: `npx vitest run --coverage` on the
+    // self-hosted Gitea Actions Docker runner. The cold-start cost
+    // (v8 coverage instrumentation init + JSDOM bootstrap + module-
+    // graph import for @/components/* and @/lib/* + first React
+    // render) consistently consumes 5-7 seconds for the first
+    // synchronous test in heavyweight component files
+    // (ActivityTab.test.tsx, CreateWorkspaceDialog.test.tsx,
+    // ConfigTab.provider.test.tsx) — even though every subsequent
+    // test in the same file completes in 100-1500ms.
+    //
+    // Empirically the worst observed first-test was 6453ms in a
+    // single file (CreateWorkspaceDialog). 30000ms gives ~5x
+    // headroom over that on CI; we still keep 5000ms locally so
+    // genuine waitFor races / hung promises stay sensitive in dev.
+    //
+    // Same vitest pattern documented at:
+    //   https://vitest.dev/config/testtimeout
+    //   https://vitest.dev/guide/coverage#profiling-test-performance
+    //
+    // Per-test duration is still emitted to the CI log; if a test
+    // ever silently approaches 25-30s under this raised ceiling that
+    // will surface as a duration regression and we revisit.
+    testTimeout: process.env.CI ? 30000 : 5000,
     // Coverage is instrumented but NOT yet a CI gate — first land
     // observability so we can see the baseline, then dial in
     // thresholds + a hard gate in a follow-up PR (#1815). Today's