diff --git a/docs/releasing.md b/docs/releasing.md
index 4e5c545..46d29e4 100644
--- a/docs/releasing.md
+++ b/docs/releasing.md
@@ -371,9 +371,18 @@ What the script does:
 6. Aborts if the generated version is not a `-beta.*` prerelease.
 7. Requires typing `publish beta` before publishing.
 8. Publishes with `changeset publish --no-git-tag` (no commit, no push, no git tag).
-9. Verifies npm `latest` is unchanged and `beta` points at the new version.
+9. Polls npm every five seconds for up to five minutes until `beta` points at the new version. Stops immediately if `latest` changes.
 10. Removes the temp worktree.
 
+A successful npm publish can precede registry visibility. The same polling budget applies when the publish command fails, because npm can accept a package before the command reports an error.
+
+If verification times out, the publish outcome remains unresolved. Do not republish or change dist-tags based only on stale metadata. Check the exact version and current tags first:
+
+```bash
+npm view opencode-supabase@<published-version> version
+npm view opencode-supabase dist-tags --json
+```
+
 Expected npm state after a successful run:
 
 ```json
diff --git a/scripts/release-beta.ts b/scripts/release-beta.ts
index 6b6caee..2c7733d 100644
--- a/scripts/release-beta.ts
+++ b/scripts/release-beta.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import { $ } from "bun";
 
 const CONFIRM_PHRASE = "publish beta";
 const PACKAGE_NAME = "opencode-supabase";
+// npm can accept a publish before the version and dist-tags become visible.
+export const BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS = 5 * 60_000;
 
 class ReleaseBetaError extends Error {}
 
@@ -188,7 +190,14 @@ async function main() {
       console.error("\nrelease:beta: publish command failed; probing npm state.");
       let probed: Record<string, string>;
       try {
-        probed = await npmDistTags();
+        probed = await waitForBetaDistTag({
+          expectedBeta: newVersion,
+          expectedLatest: latestBefore,
+          readTags: npmDistTags,
+          sleep,
+          timeoutMs: BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS,
+          intervalMs: 5_000,
+        });
       } catch (probeErr) {
         abort(
           `publish command failed and npm dist-tag probe failed; state unknown. Inspect npm manually before retrying. Underlying error: ${
@@ -196,14 +205,6 @@ async function main() {
           }; probe error: ${probeErr instanceof Error ? probeErr.message : String(probeErr)}`,
         );
       }
-      probed = await waitForBetaDistTag({
-        expectedBeta: newVersion,
-        expectedLatest: latestBefore,
-        readTags: npmDistTags,
-        sleep,
-        timeoutMs: 90_000,
-        intervalMs: 5_000,
-      });
       const betaOk = probed.beta === newVersion;
       const latestOk = probed.latest === latestBefore;
       const publishErrMsg = publishErr instanceof Error ? publishErr.message : String(publishErr);
@@ -219,7 +220,7 @@ async function main() {
       }
       if (!betaOk && latestOk) {
         abort(
-          `publish command failed; npm beta is "${probed.beta}", expected "${newVersion}". Inspect npm before retrying. Underlying error: ${publishErrMsg}`,
+          `publish command failed; npm beta is "${probed.beta}", expected "${newVersion}" after waiting for propagation. Publication may still be processing; do NOT republish or change dist-tags until npm state is checked. Underlying error: ${publishErrMsg}`,
         );
       }
       abort(
@@ -227,12 +228,13 @@ async function main() {
       );
     }
 
+    console.log(`\nWaiting up to ${BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS / 60_000} minutes for npm beta propagation...`);
     const afterTags = await waitForBetaDistTag({
       expectedBeta: newVersion,
       expectedLatest: latestBefore,
       readTags: npmDistTags,
       sleep,
-      timeoutMs: 90_000,
+      timeoutMs: BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS,
       intervalMs: 5_000,
     });
     console.log(`\nnpm latest after:  ${afterTags.latest}`);
@@ -246,8 +248,7 @@ async function main() {
     }
     if (afterTags.beta !== newVersion) {
       abort(
-        `npm beta is "${afterTags.beta}", expected "${newVersion}"; ` +
-          `fix with: npm dist-tag add ${PACKAGE_NAME}@${newVersion} beta`,
+        `publish command succeeded, but npm beta is still "${afterTags.beta}", expected "${newVersion}"; verification timed out. Publication may still be processing; do NOT republish or change dist-tags yet. Recheck with: npm view ${PACKAGE_NAME} dist-tags --json; check the version with: npm view ${PACKAGE_NAME}@${newVersion} version`,
       );
     }
     console.log("latest unchanged, beta points at new version. OK.");
diff --git a/test/release-beta-version.test.ts b/test/release-beta-version.test.ts
index 6b49da5..2ecea4e 100644
--- a/test/release-beta-version.test.ts
+++ b/test/release-beta-version.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { describe, expect, spyOn, test } from "bun:test";
 
-import { makeTimestampedBetaVersion, waitForBetaDistTag } from "../scripts/release-beta";
+import { BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS, makeTimestampedBetaVersion, waitForBetaDistTag } from "../scripts/release-beta";
 
 describe("release beta version suffix", () => {
   test("replaces changesets beta counter with UTC datetime and git SHA", () => {
@@ -62,4 +62,70 @@ describe("release beta dist-tag polling", () => {
     });
     expect(sleeps).toEqual([1_000, 1_000]);
   });
+
+  test("production polling budget tolerates two-minute npm processing after a successful publish", async () => {
+    const expectedBeta = "0.5.0-beta.20260630t143015z.sha.gabcdef123456";
+    let elapsed = 0;
+    const clock = spyOn(Date, "now").mockImplementation(() => elapsed);
+    try {
+      const result = await waitForBetaDistTag({
+        expectedBeta,
+        expectedLatest: "0.4.2",
+        readTags: async () => ({
+          latest: "0.4.2",
+          beta: elapsed >= 120_000 ? expectedBeta : "0.5.0-beta.0",
+        }),
+        sleep: async (ms) => { elapsed += ms; },
+        timeoutMs: BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        intervalMs: 5_000,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.beta).toBe(expectedBeta);
+      expect(elapsed).toBe(120_000);
+    } finally {
+      clock.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("stops polling immediately if latest changes", async () => {
+    const changed = { latest: "0.5.0-beta.0", beta: "0.5.0-beta.0" };
+    let reads = 0;
+    const sleeps: number[] = [];
+    const result = await waitForBetaDistTag({
+      expectedBeta: "new-beta",
+      expectedLatest: "0.4.2",
+      readTags: async () => {
+        reads++;
+        return changed;
+      },
+      sleep: async (ms) => { sleeps.push(ms); },
+      timeoutMs: BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      intervalMs: 5_000,
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual(changed);
+    expect(reads).toBe(1);
+    expect(sleeps).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test("stops at the deadline if npm beta never changes", async () => {
+    const stale = { latest: "0.4.2", beta: "0.5.0-beta.0" };
+    let elapsed = 0;
+    const clock = spyOn(Date, "now").mockImplementation(() => elapsed);
+    try {
+      const result = await waitForBetaDistTag({
+        expectedBeta: "new-beta",
+        expectedLatest: "0.4.2",
+        readTags: async () => stale,
+        sleep: async (ms) => { elapsed += ms; },
+        timeoutMs: BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        intervalMs: 5_000,
+      });
+
+      expect(result).toEqual(stale);
+      expect(elapsed).toBe(BETA_DIST_TAG_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    } finally {
+      clock.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
 });