diff --git a/docs/00-style-guide.md b/docs/00-style-guide.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8a5419c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/00-style-guide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# Documentation style guide
+
+This repository aims for a NetBox-like style: clear, technical, and written for working engineers.
+
+## Voice and tone
+
+- **Direct and technical.** Prefer short sentences and specific nouns.
+- **Narrative flow.** Describe how the system behaves, not how the doc was produced.
+- **Calm, professional tone.** Avoid hype.
+- **Assume competence, not context.** Define repo-specific terms once, then reuse them.
+
+## Page structure (default)
+
+Use a consistent, scan-friendly layout.
+
+1. **Title**
+2. **1–3 sentence intro**
+   - What this page covers and who it’s for.
+3. **Deep dives / Related docs** (optional but common)
+   - Links to more detailed pages.
+4. **Main content**
+   - Prefer sections that match user intent: “Quickstart”, “How it works”, “Configuration”, “Common workflows”, “Troubleshooting”.
+5. **Next steps** (optional)
+   - Where to go next.
+
+## Headings and conventions
+
+- Prefer **verb-led** headings when describing procedures: “Run migrations”, “Regenerate the client”.
+- Prefer **intent-led** headings when describing concepts: “How requests flow”, “Auth model”.
+- Use numbered steps when order matters.
+- Keep headings short; avoid long parentheticals.
+
+## Cross-linking
+
+- Treat the numbered IA pages in `docs/` as **entrypoints**.
+- Link to deep dives instead of duplicating content.
+- Use readable link text:
+  - Good: “Deployment guide” → `docs/deployment/README.md`
+  - Avoid: ``docs/deployment/README.md``
+
+## Link formatting rules
+
+- Use markdown links: `[Deployment guide](deployment/README.md)`.
+- Use relative paths that work in GitHub and typical markdown renderers.
+- Keep code formatting for:
+  - commands (`make check`)
+  - environment variables (`NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL`)
+  - literal file paths when you mean “this exact file on disk” (not as a navigational link)
+
+## Avoided phrases (and what to use instead)
+
+Avoid doc-meta language:
+
+- Avoid: “evidence basis”, “evidence anchors”, “this page is intentionally…”
+- Prefer:
+  - “Source of truth: …” (only when it matters)
+  - “See also: …”
+  - Just link the file or section.
+
+Avoid hedging:
+
+- Avoid: “likely”, “probably”, “should” (unless it’s a policy decision)
+- Prefer: state what the code does, and point to the file.
+
+## Preferred patterns
+
+- **Start here** blocks for role-based entry.
+- **Common workflows** sections with copy/paste commands.
+- **Troubleshooting** sections with symptoms → checks → fixes.
+- **Footguns** called out explicitly when they can cause outages or confusing behavior.
+
+## Example rewrites
+
+### Example 1: remove doc-meta “evidence” language
+
+Before:
+> Evidence basis: consolidated from repo root `README.md`, `.github/workflows/ci.yml`, `Makefile`.
+
+After:
+> This page describes the development workflow that matches CI: setup, checks, and common local loops.
+
+### Example 2: prefer readable links over code-formatted paths
+
+Before:
+- See `docs/deployment/README.md` for deployment.
+
+After:
+- See the [Deployment guide](deployment/README.md).
+
+### Example 3: replace “first pass” filler with a clear scope boundary
+
+Before:
+- Non-goals (first pass)
+
+After:
+- Out of scope
diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 1e54c70f..243ba080 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ This folder is the canonical documentation set for Mission Control.
 
 ## Table of contents (IA)
 
+- [Style guide](00-style-guide.md)
+
+
 1. [Overview](01-overview.md)
 2. [Quickstart](02-quickstart.md)
 3. [Development](03-development.md)
diff --git a/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts b/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts
index a80af55e..ff266bb1 100644
--- a/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts
+++ b/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@ describe("/activity feed", () => {
   const apiBase = "**/api/v1";
   const email = Cypress.env("CLERK_TEST_EMAIL") || "jane+clerk_test@example.com";
 
+  const originalDefaultCommandTimeout = Cypress.config("defaultCommandTimeout");
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Clerk's Cypress helpers perform async work inside `cy.then()`.
+    // CI can be slow enough that the default 4s command timeout flakes.
+    Cypress.config("defaultCommandTimeout", 20_000);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    Cypress.config("defaultCommandTimeout", originalDefaultCommandTimeout);
+  });
+
   function stubStreamEmpty() {
     cy.intercept(
       "GET",