diff --git a/scripts/smoke-test-installer.js b/scripts/smoke-test-installer.js
index 2679682..fdcd337 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-test-installer.js
+++ b/scripts/smoke-test-installer.js
@@ -223,6 +223,19 @@ function verifyInstalledPhase(phase) {
   return uninstallerPath;
 }
 
+async function waitForInstallerSurfaceClean(phases, { keyExists, pathExists = fs.existsSync, timeoutMs = 30000, pollIntervalMs = 250 }) {
+  const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
+  for (;;) {
+    try {
+      assertInstallerSurfaceClean(phases, { keyExists, pathExists });
+      return;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (Date.now() >= deadline) throw error;
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, pollIntervalMs));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 async function waitForPathRemoval(targetPath, timeoutMs = 10000) {
   const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
   while (fs.existsSync(targetPath)) {
@@ -274,7 +287,7 @@ async function main() {
       if (!await waitForPathRemoval(phase.installationDirectory, 30000)) {
         throw new Error(`Silent uninstall left the installation directory behind: ${phase.installationDirectory}`);
       }
-      assertCleanInstallerSmokeSurface(phases);
+      await waitForInstallerSurfaceClean(phases, { keyExists: registryKeyExists });
       results.push({
         flag: phase.flag,
         hive: phase.hive,
@@ -314,5 +327,6 @@ module.exports = {
   assertShortcutDetails,
   createInstallerPhases,
   readShortcutDetails,
-  registryKeys
+  registryKeys,
+  waitForInstallerSurfaceClean
 };
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-test-installer.test.js b/scripts/smoke-test-installer.test.js
index d59ad38..278cdb5 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-test-installer.test.js
+++ b/scripts/smoke-test-installer.test.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const {
   assertInstallerSurfaceClean,
   assertPathInside,
   assertShortcutDetails,
+  waitForInstallerSurfaceClean,
   createInstallerPhases,
   readShortcutDetails,
   registryKeys
@@ -222,6 +223,41 @@ test('clean surface contract includes both registry hives and both shortcut scop
   }), /HKLM.*Twitch VOD Manager\.lnk/i);
 });
 
+test('surface wait tolerates asynchronous uninstaller cleanup before the deadline', async () => {
+  const phases = createInstallerPhases('C:\\smoke', {
+    commonDesktop: 'C:\\shared-desktop',
+    commonPrograms: 'C:\\shared-programs',
+    currentDesktop: 'C:\\user-desktop',
+    currentPrograms: 'C:\\user-programs'
+  });
+  let sweeps = 0;
+  await waitForInstallerSurfaceClean(phases, {
+    keyExists: (key) => {
+      if (key === registryKeys('HKCU').uninstall) sweeps += 1;
+      return sweeps < 3;
+    },
+    pathExists: () => sweeps < 3,
+    timeoutMs: 5000,
+    pollIntervalMs: 5
+  });
+  assert.ok(sweeps >= 3);
+});
+
+test('surface wait still fails when the uninstaller never cleans up', async () => {
+  const phases = createInstallerPhases('C:\\smoke', {
+    commonDesktop: 'C:\\shared-desktop',
+    commonPrograms: 'C:\\shared-programs',
+    currentDesktop: 'C:\\user-desktop',
+    currentPrograms: 'C:\\user-programs'
+  });
+  await assert.rejects(() => waitForInstallerSurfaceClean(phases, {
+    keyExists: () => true,
+    pathExists: () => false,
+    timeoutMs: 60,
+    pollIntervalMs: 5
+  }), /clean registry and shortcut surface/);
+});
+
 test('recursive cleanup is limited to the dedicated runner temp directory', () => {
   assert.doesNotThrow(() => assertPathInside('C:\\runner-temp\\tvm-installer-123', 'C:\\runner-temp'));
   assert.throws(() => assertPathInside('C:\\runner-temp', 'C:\\runner-temp'), /outside its parent/i);