diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index ddf0279..398f73a 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ jobs:
       needs.validate.result == 'success'
     runs-on: docker
     container: git.oblachno.oblachno.fyi/oblachno-oss/runner-images/ci-base:latest
-    timeout-minutes: 10
+    timeout-minutes: 50
     defaults:
       run:
         shell: bash
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           . .venv/bin/activate 2>/dev/null || true
           # Poll commit status until all required checks pass or fail
-          MAX_WAIT=600  # 10 minutes
+          MAX_WAIT=2400  # 40 minutes — covers the ~25-min molecule suite
           ELAPSED=0
           while [ $ELAPSED -lt $MAX_WAIT ]; do
             STATUS=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: token $CI_GITEA_API_TOKEN" \
diff --git a/docs/specs/GRM-169.md b/docs/specs/GRM-169.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3407a93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/specs/GRM-169.md
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# GRM-169: Fix auto-merge timeout — molecule wait exceeds 10-min job cap
+
+## Problem
+
+The `auto-merge` job in `ci.yml` polls molecule-tests status with
+`MAX_WAIT=600` (10 minutes) inside a job capped at
+`timeout-minutes: 10`. The molecule suite takes ~25 minutes under the
+4-runner distribution. Result: every `pull_request` synchronize run of
+auto-merge exhausts MAX_WAIT, prints `Timed out waiting for molecule
+tests`, and fails — observed on PR #275 (run 5988) where all molecule
+jobs were green but auto-merge died before they finished. The merge
+only completed via a manual rerun-failed-jobs call after molecule was
+already green.
+
+## Approach
+
+REQ-1: Raise the molecule wait budget in `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` so it
+exceeds the observed suite duration: `MAX_WAIT=2400` (40 minutes — ~1.6x
+the observed 25-minute suite) and the job `timeout-minutes` to `50`
+(wait budget plus setup/post overhead).
+
+REQ-2: No other behavior changes — the wait loop, success/failure/skipped
+classification, and merge semantics stay identical. The job still runs
+on every pull_request event; it simply no longer aborts early.
+
+## Test Plan
+
+- `make workflow-lint` (actionlint) passes on the edited file.
+- `make workflow-dryrun` where available.
+- Next PR's auto-merge run waits past the 10-minute mark and merges
+  after molecule turns green (verified on a subsequent PR).
+
+## Deploy Plan
+
+Merge via auto-merge — ironically exercised by this very PR's auto-merge
+run: it must wait for this PR's own molecule jobs, demonstrating the fix
+in production immediately.
+
+## Rollback Plan
+
+Revert the two changed lines. Risk of keeping the fix: none — a longer
+wait can only extend a job that was previously guaranteed to fail.
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [x] `MAX_WAIT` raised to 2400 in the auto-merge wait loop.
+- [x] `timeout-minutes` raised to 50 on the auto-merge job.
+- [x] `make workflow-lint` passes.