diff --git a/crates/spt/tests/engine_room_bringup_e2e.rs b/crates/spt/tests/engine_room_bringup_e2e.rs
index 1401860..a5664ed 100644
--- a/crates/spt/tests/engine_room_bringup_e2e.rs
+++ b/crates/spt/tests/engine_room_bringup_e2e.rs
@@ -530,6 +530,8 @@ fn attempt_bringup_with_status_row(offline_row: bool) -> BringupAttempt {
     let row_before: Option<String> = if offline_row {
         let warm = rc_once(&spt_bin, home.path(), id, &code, &home.path().join("rc-warm"));
         let warm_pid = warm.pid;
+        let warm_out = warm.out.clone();
+        let warm_err = warm.err.clone();
         warm_child = Some(warm.child);
         let up = wait_for_session(&perch_path, Duration::from_secs(45));
         // END THE SESSION THROUGH THE PRODUCT'S OWN VERB, not by killing a pid.
@@ -546,6 +548,7 @@ fn attempt_bringup_with_status_row(offline_row: bool) -> BringupAttempt {
         //
         // The controller goes away first: the seat is stopped, not merely
         // detached from.
+        let harness_pid = spt_store::info::read_pid(&perch_path);
         kill_pid(warm_pid);
         let stopped = {
             let mut cmd = Command::new(&spt_bin);
@@ -554,13 +557,12 @@ fn attempt_bringup_with_status_row(offline_row: bool) -> BringupAttempt {
                 .env("SPT_HOME", home.path());
             output_bounded(cmd, Duration::from_secs(30))
         };
+        let row = wait_for_offline_row(&perch_path, Duration::from_secs(45));
         setup = format!(
-            "{setup}; warm bring-up spawned={up}; endpoint stop exit={:?} out={} err={}",
-            stopped.status.code(),
-            String::from_utf8_lossy(&stopped.stdout).trim(),
-            String::from_utf8_lossy(&stopped.stderr).trim(),
+            "{setup}; harness_pid={harness_pid:?} alive_after_stop={} row_after_stop={row:?}",
+            harness_pid.is_some_and(|pid| spt_store::proc::process_cmdline(pid).is_some()),
         );
-        wait_for_offline_row(&perch_path, Duration::from_secs(45))
+        row
     } else {
         spt_store::info::read_info(&perch_path).and_then(|i| i.status)
     };
@@ -584,9 +586,25 @@ fn attempt_bringup_with_status_row(offline_row: bool) -> BringupAttempt {
 
     let truth_after = wait_for_broker_session(id, Duration::from_secs(45));
     let spawned = truth_after.is_some();
-    let sid_after = spt_store::info::read_info(&perch_path)
-        .map(|i| i.session_id)
-        .unwrap_or_default();
+    let sid_probe_start = Instant::now();
+    let mut sid_samples = Vec::new();
+    let sid_after = loop {
+        let info = spt_store::info::read_info(&perch_path);
+        let sid = info.as_ref().map(|i| i.session_id.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
+        let status = info.and_then(|i| i.status).unwrap_or_default();
+        sid_samples.push(format!(
+            "{}ms:{sid}:{status}",
+            sid_probe_start.elapsed().as_millis()
+        ));
+        if sid != sid_before || sid_probe_start.elapsed() >= Duration::from_secs(3) {
+            break sid;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(25));
+    };
+    setup = format!(
+        "{setup}; [DEBUG-er-rca] broker truth={truth_after:?} sid timeline={}",
+        sid_samples.join(",")
+    );
 
     let rc_pid = rc.pid;
     let _ = rc.child.kill();
@@ -1151,8 +1169,10 @@ fn a_cleanly_offline_engine_room_is_still_brought_up_by_its_own_gate() {
         offline.row_before.as_deref(),
         Some(spt_store::liveness::STATUS_OFFLINE),
         "PRECONDITION: the offline arm must actually reach the offline row, \
-         written by the daemon's OWN exit path — not by this test. setup: {}",
+         written by the daemon's OWN exit path — not by this test. setup: {}\n\
+         === brain log ===\n{}",
         offline.setup,
+        offline.brain_log,
     );
     assert_ne!(
         cleared.row_before.as_deref(),