diff --git a/src/runner/k8s-job.ts b/src/runner/k8s-job.ts
index 1839520..c9a1e31 100644
--- a/src/runner/k8s-job.ts
+++ b/src/runner/k8s-job.ts
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ function runnerEnv(options: RunnerJobRenderOptions, context: { namespace: string
     { name: "AGENTRUN_K8S_JOB_NAME", value: context.jobName },
     { name: "AGENTRUN_LOG_PATH", value: "/tmp/agentrun-runner.jsonl" },
     { name: "AGENTRUN_RUNNER_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS", value: "600000" },
+    { name: "AGENTRUN_RUNNER_POLL_INTERVAL_MS", value: "250" },
     { name: "HOME", value: "/home/agentrun" },
     { name: "CODEX_HOME", value: codexHome },
     ...(selectedSecret ? [{ name: "AGENTRUN_CODEX_SECRET_HOME", value: selectedSecret.projectionMountPath }] : []),
diff --git a/src/runner/run-once.ts b/src/runner/run-once.ts
index bf0f9a9..ecab3d6 100644
--- a/src/runner/run-once.ts
+++ b/src/runner/run-once.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export async function runOnce(options: RunnerOnceOptions): Promise<JsonRecord> {
 
   const stopHeartbeat = startHeartbeat(api, options.runId, runner.id, leaseMs);
   const idleTimeoutMs = options.idleTimeoutMs ?? 120_000;
-  const pollIntervalMs = options.pollIntervalMs ?? 2_000;
+  const pollIntervalMs = normalizePollIntervalMs(options.pollIntervalMs);
   const commandResults: CommandExecutionResult[] = [];
   let workspacePath: string | undefined;
   let materializationAttempted = false;
@@ -231,3 +231,8 @@ function noPendingResult(runner: RunnerRecord, claimed: RunRecord, commandResult
 function sleep(ms: number): Promise<void> {
   return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
 }
+
+function normalizePollIntervalMs(value: number | undefined): number {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(value ?? NaN)) return 250;
+  return Math.max(50, Math.min(2_000, Math.floor(value!)));
+}
diff --git a/src/selftest/cases/20-runner-k8s-job.ts b/src/selftest/cases/20-runner-k8s-job.ts
index b330965..311ae00 100644
--- a/src/selftest/cases/20-runner-k8s-job.ts
+++ b/src/selftest/cases/20-runner-k8s-job.ts
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ function assertRunnerJobUsesWritableCodexHome(manifest: JsonRecord, expectedCode
   assert.equal(value("CODEX_HOME"), expectedCodexHome);
   assert.equal(value("AGENTRUN_CODEX_SECRET_HOME"), projectionPath);
   assert.equal(value("AGENTRUN_RUNNER_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS"), "600000");
+  assert.equal(value("AGENTRUN_RUNNER_POLL_INTERVAL_MS"), "250");
   assert.equal(value("AGENTRUN_RUNNER_ONE_SHOT"), undefined);
   assert.notEqual(value("CODEX_HOME"), value("AGENTRUN_CODEX_SECRET_HOME"));
 }
diff --git a/src/selftest/cases/50-hwlab-manual-dispatch.ts b/src/selftest/cases/50-hwlab-manual-dispatch.ts
index 087214a..191ae1c 100644
--- a/src/selftest/cases/50-hwlab-manual-dispatch.ts
+++ b/src/selftest/cases/50-hwlab-manual-dispatch.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ console.log(JSON.stringify({ apiVersion: manifest.apiVersion, kind: manifest.kin
     assert.equal(starts.length, 1, "same-run multiturn runner must keep one codex app-server process alive instead of restarting per command");
     const multiEventsResponse = await client.get(`/api/v1/runs/${multiTurn.runId}/events?afterSeq=0&limit=200`) as { items?: Array<{ type?: string; payload?: JsonRecord }> };
     const multiEvents = multiEventsResponse.items ?? [];
+    const secondCommandCreatedAt = await commandCreatedAt(client, multiTurn.runId, secondCommand.id);
+    const reuseEvent = multiEvents.find((event) => event.type === "backend_status" && event.payload?.phase === "codex-app-server:reused" && event.payload?.commandId === secondCommand.id);
+    assert.ok(secondCommandCreatedAt, "second command must expose createdAt for pickup latency assertion");
+    assert.ok(reuseEvent?.payload, "second command must produce codex-app-server:reused event");
+    assert.ok(Date.parse(String((reuseEvent as JsonRecord).createdAt ?? "")) - Date.parse(secondCommandCreatedAt) < 1_000, "same-run runner should pick up the next command without multi-second polling latency");
     assert.equal(multiEvents.filter((event) => event.type === "backend_status" && event.payload?.phase === "codex-app-server-starting").length, 1);
     assert.equal(multiEvents.filter((event) => event.type === "backend_status" && event.payload?.phase === "codex-app-server:reused").length, 1);
     assert.equal(multiEvents.filter((event) => event.type === "backend_status" && event.payload?.phase === "resource-bundle-materialized").length, 1);
@@ -164,6 +169,11 @@ async function waitForCommandState(client: ManagerClient, runId: string, command
   throw new Error(`command ${commandId} did not reach ${state}`);
 }
 
+async function commandCreatedAt(client: ManagerClient, runId: string, commandId: string): Promise<string> {
+  const command = await client.get(`/api/v1/runs/${runId}/commands/${commandId}`) as { createdAt?: string };
+  return command.createdAt ?? "";
+}
+
 async function readTextIfExists(filePath: string): Promise<string> {
   try {
     return await readFile(filePath, "utf8");