diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 51548ebfd..bcd5f5ee4 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1175,7 +1175,7 @@ The connection owner spans preparation and the transferred Run without a reserva
 deadline; every exit releases it.
 
 The existing Worker scans pending inputs using the same bounded scheduling slots,
-Session locks, durable deadlines and engine capability checks. Keep the five-second
+Session locks, durable deadlines and engine capability checks. Keep the one-second
 Environment-input scan cadence and at most 100 candidates per scan. At EOF after a
 nonempty cursor, refill the first page once in the same scan; an empty queue must
 not spin. Advance the cursor before readiness checks so an unavailable Runtime
@@ -1183,8 +1183,10 @@ cannot starve later candidates. Preserve the four active slots and alternation
 between ordinary Turns and Environment inputs. A self-hosted Session
 waits for its dedicated enrolled device; it cannot select an arbitrary same-tenant
 device or migrate an existing binding. Preparation failure can retry while still
-pending without extending the deadline. Unknown promotion results or errors after
-admission retain the existing no-replay settlement rules.
+pending without extending the deadline. Preparation retries share this scan cadence;
+the four slots bound concurrency, not attempt frequency. Managed-provider lifecycle
+polling retains its separate five-second interval. Unknown promotion results or
+errors after admission retain the existing no-replay settlement rules.
 
 `AGENTS_API_DAEMON_WS_URL` enables the private gateway and supplies the unchanged
 public `remote_url`. `AGENTS_API_HARNESSES` explicitly adds deployment-supported
diff --git a/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go b/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go
index 51ca11939..013cab51f 100644
--- a/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go
+++ b/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func (s *workerSchedule) selectWork(ctx context.Context, w *Worker, devices []st
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		s.nextEnvironmentScan = time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
+		s.nextEnvironmentScan = time.Now().Add(time.Second)
 		if len(environments) == 0 && s.environmentCursor != "" {
 			s.environmentCursor = ""
 			// Retry the first page now instead of spending a scan interval on EOF.
diff --git a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go
index 462120807..7627e29e0 100644
--- a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go
+++ b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func TestWorkerEnvironmentRetriesNewlyReadyAtNextScan(t *testing.T) {
 	waitTurn(t, h, barrier.ID, store.TurnCompleted)
 
 	prepare := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionPrepare)
-	if elapsed := time.Since(scanned); elapsed < 4*time.Second || elapsed > 8*time.Second {
+	if elapsed := time.Since(scanned); elapsed < 750*time.Millisecond || elapsed > 3*time.Second {
 		t.Fatal("readiness retry must use the next scan, without an empty scan interval", elapsed)
 	}
 	if workerRuntimeForPreparation(t, h, prepare) != runtime {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func TestWorkerEnvironmentPaginationReachesReadyTail(t *testing.T) {
 	// The first 100 unbound inputs must not pin the cursor, and the ready
 	// tail must wait for its own bounded page rather than an unbounded drain.
 	prepare := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionPrepare)
-	if elapsed := time.Since(scanned); elapsed < 4*time.Second || elapsed > 8*time.Second {
+	if elapsed := time.Since(scanned); elapsed < 750*time.Millisecond || elapsed > 3*time.Second {
 		t.Fatal("pagination lost the scan bound or starved the ready tail", elapsed)
 	}
 	if workerRuntimeForPreparation(t, h, prepare) != runtime {
diff --git a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go
index 2484ae9b9..64615d1b4 100644
--- a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go
+++ b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func TestWorkerEnvironmentRetriesPendingWithoutExtendingDeadline(t *testing.T) {
 	h.write(request.ID, proto.TypeDone, proto.DonePayload{Content: "complete"})
 	waitTurn(t, h, request.ID, store.TurnCompleted)
 	second := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionPrepare)
-	if elapsed := time.Since(started); elapsed < 4*time.Second || elapsed > 8*time.Second || first.ID == second.ID {
+	if elapsed := time.Since(started); elapsed < 750*time.Millisecond || elapsed > 3*time.Second || first.ID == second.ID {
 		t.Fatal("pending preparation missed its next scan or reused a released owner")
 	}
 	acknowledgePreparation(runtime, second.ID)