diff --git a/src/commands/onboard-helpers.test.ts b/src/commands/onboard-helpers.test.ts
index 8901436465d..5ce319e8a03 100644
--- a/src/commands/onboard-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/onboard-helpers.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   resolveControlUiLinks,
   summarizeExistingConfig,
   validateGatewayPasswordInput,
+  waitForGatewayReachable,
 } from "./onboard-helpers.js";
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -307,6 +308,31 @@ describe("probeGatewayReachable", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("waitForGatewayReachable", () => {
+  it("keeps oversized poll intervals within the overall deadline", async () => {
+    mocks.probeGateway.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: false,
+      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+      connectLatencyMs: null,
+      error: "connect failed: timeout",
+      close: null,
+      health: null,
+      status: null,
+      presence: null,
+      configSnapshot: null,
+    });
+
+    const result = await waitForGatewayReachable({
+      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+      deadlineMs: 5,
+      pollMs: Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
+      probeTimeoutMs: 1,
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, detail: "connect failed: timeout" });
+  });
+});
+
 describe("summarizeExistingConfig", () => {
   it("collapses gateway fields into a friendly remote summary", () => {
     expect(
diff --git a/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts b/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts
index 9592344bd5c..df87185e585 100644
--- a/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/commands/onboard-helpers.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { inspect } from "node:util";
 import { cancel, isCancel } from "@clack/prompts";
+import { resolveTimerTimeoutMs } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/number-coercion";
 import { normalizeOptionalString } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/string-coerce";
 import { uniqueStrings } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/string-normalization";
 import { visibleWidth } from "../../packages/terminal-core/src/ansi.js";
@@ -339,7 +340,7 @@ export async function waitForGatewayReachable(params: {
   pollMs?: number;
 }): Promise<{ ok: boolean; detail?: string }> {
   const deadlineMs = params.deadlineMs ?? 15_000;
-  const pollMs = params.pollMs ?? 400;
+  const pollMs = resolveTimerTimeoutMs(params.pollMs ?? 400, 400, 0);
   const probeTimeoutMs = params.probeTimeoutMs ?? 1500;
   const startedAt = Date.now();
   let lastDetail: string | undefined;
@@ -355,7 +356,11 @@ export async function waitForGatewayReachable(params: {
       return probe;
     }
     lastDetail = probe.detail;
-    await sleep(pollMs);
+    const remainingMs = deadlineMs - (Date.now() - startedAt);
+    if (remainingMs <= 0) {
+      break;
+    }
+    await sleep(Math.min(pollMs, remainingMs));
   }
 
   return { ok: false, detail: lastDetail };