diff --git a/electron/gateway/manager.ts b/electron/gateway/manager.ts
index df6e40c..3a3b581 100644
--- a/electron/gateway/manager.ts
+++ b/electron/gateway/manager.ts
@@ -155,7 +155,12 @@ export class GatewayManager extends EventEmitter {
   private static readonly HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT_MS_WIN = 25_000;
   private static readonly HEARTBEAT_MAX_MISSES_WIN = 5;
   public static readonly RESTART_COOLDOWN_MS = 5_000;
-  private static readonly GATEWAY_READY_FALLBACK_MS = 30_000;
+  // Fallback for the server-side gateway.ready event: if the event doesn't
+  // arrive within this window after the WS handshake completes, we assume the
+  // gateway is effectively ready so downstream consumers don't block forever.
+  // Kept short (5s) because handshake completion already implies a working
+  // RPC channel — this is only a safety net, not the primary signal.
+  private static readonly GATEWAY_READY_FALLBACK_MS = 5_000;
   private lastRestartAt = 0;
   /** Set by scheduleReconnect() before calling start() to signal auto-reconnect. */
   private isAutoReconnectStart = false;
diff --git a/tests/unit/gateway-ready-fallback.test.ts b/tests/unit/gateway-ready-fallback.test.ts
index 8cd9596..62cfd1d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/gateway-ready-fallback.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/gateway-ready-fallback.test.ts
@@ -90,10 +90,10 @@ describe('GatewayManager gatewayReady fallback', () => {
     (manager as unknown as { scheduleGatewayReadyFallback: () => void }).scheduleGatewayReadyFallback();
 
     // Before timeout, no gatewayReady update
-    vi.advanceTimersByTime(29_000);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(4_000);
     expect(statusUpdates.find((u) => u.gatewayReady === true)).toBeUndefined();
 
-    // After 30s fallback timeout
+    // After fallback timeout (5s)
     vi.advanceTimersByTime(2_000);
     const readyUpdate = statusUpdates.find((u) => u.gatewayReady === true);
     expect(readyUpdate).toBeDefined();
@@ -115,13 +115,13 @@ describe('GatewayManager gatewayReady fallback', () => {
     // Schedule fallback
     (manager as unknown as { scheduleGatewayReadyFallback: () => void }).scheduleGatewayReadyFallback();
 
-    // gateway:ready event arrives at 5s
-    vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+    // gateway:ready event arrives before fallback (at 1s, well under 5s)
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(1_000);
     manager.emit('gateway:ready', {});
     expect(statusUpdates.filter((u) => u.gatewayReady === true)).toHaveLength(1);
 
-    // After 30s, no duplicate gatewayReady=true
-    vi.advanceTimersByTime(30_000);
+    // Well past the fallback window, no duplicate gatewayReady=true
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(10_000);
     expect(statusUpdates.filter((u) => u.gatewayReady === true)).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 });