diff --git a/internal/cloud/user-billing-integration.test.ts b/internal/cloud/user-billing-integration.test.ts
index e04b928a..41dbc4c1 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/user-billing-integration.test.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/user-billing-integration.test.ts
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ test("cloud api accepts user-billing API keys and records Code Agent billing usa
 test("cloud api defers AgentRun Code Agent billing record until terminal result", async () => {
   const calls = [];
   const agentRunCalls = [];
+  let eventPolls = 0;
   let resultPolls = 0;
   const agentRunServer = createHttpServer(async (request, response) => {
     const url = new URL(request.url || "/", "http://127.0.0.1");
@@ -243,7 +244,8 @@ test("cloud api defers AgentRun Code Agent billing record until terminal result"
       });
     }
     if (request.method === "GET" && url.pathname === "/api/v1/runs/run_billing_deferred/events") {
-      return send({ items: resultPolls > 0 ? [{ id: "evt_done", runId: "run_billing_deferred", seq: 1, type: "terminal_status", payload: { commandId: "cmd_billing_deferred", terminalStatus: "completed" }, createdAt: "2026-06-14T04:20:00.000Z" }] : [] });
+      eventPolls += 1;
+      return send({ items: eventPolls > 1 ? [{ id: "evt_done", runId: "run_billing_deferred", seq: 1, type: "terminal_status", payload: { commandId: "cmd_billing_deferred", terminalStatus: "completed" }, createdAt: "2026-06-14T04:20:00.000Z" }] : [] });
     }
     if (request.method === "GET" && url.pathname === "/api/v1/runs/run_billing_deferred/commands/cmd_billing_deferred/result") {
       resultPolls += 1;
@@ -309,6 +311,7 @@ test("cloud api defers AgentRun Code Agent billing record until terminal result"
       HWLAB_CODE_AGENT_AGENTRUN_ALLOW_NON_K3S_URL: "1",
       HWLAB_CODE_AGENT_AGENTRUN_SOURCE_COMMIT: "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567",
       HWLAB_CODE_AGENT_AGENTRUN_PROVIDER_ID: "D601",
+      HWLAB_CODE_AGENT_AGENTRUN_PROJECTION_SYNC_POLL_INTERVAL_MS: "10",
       HWLAB_CODE_AGENT_AGENTRUN_SESSION_STORAGE: "metadata-only",
       HWLAB_CODE_AGENT_DEFAULT_PROVIDER_PROFILE: "deepseek"
     },
@@ -710,7 +713,7 @@ test("cloud api proxies R4 admin billing plans and preserves plan updates", asyn
   }
 });
 
-test("cloud api maps R4 Code Agent entitlement denial to a user-facing 403", async () => {
+test("cloud api maps R4 Code Agent entitlement denial to a user-facing async failure", async () => {
   const userBillingClient = {
     configured: true,
     async introspect(token) {
@@ -737,11 +740,16 @@ test("cloud api maps R4 Code Agent entitlement denial to a user-facing 403", asy
       headers: { "content-type": "application/json", authorization: "Bearer hwl_user_billing_entitlement_denied", "x-trace-id": "trc_user_billing_entitlement_denied", prefer: "respond-async" },
       body: JSON.stringify({ conversationId: "cnv_denied", sessionId: "ses_denied", shortConnection: true, message: "should be blocked by entitlement" })
     });
-    assert.equal(response.status, 403);
-    const payload = await response.json();
-    assert.equal(payload.status, "not_entitled");
+    assert.equal(response.status, 202);
+    const accepted = await response.json();
+    assert.equal(accepted.accepted, true);
+    assert.equal(accepted.traceId, "trc_user_billing_entitlement_denied");
+    const payload = await pollUserBillingAgentResult(port, "trc_user_billing_entitlement_denied", { authorization: "Bearer hwl_user_billing_entitlement_denied" });
+    assert.equal(payload.status, "failed");
     assert.equal(payload.error.code, "resource_not_entitled");
+    assert.equal(payload.blocker.code, "resource_not_entitled");
     assert.equal(payload.blocker.retryable, false);
+    assert.match(payload.finalResponse.text, /resource is not enabled/u);
     assert.equal(JSON.stringify(payload).includes("hwl_user_billing_entitlement_denied"), false);
   } finally {
     await new Promise((resolve, reject) => server.close((error) => (error ? reject(error) : resolve())));