diff --git a/viewer/openworlds/app.jsx b/viewer/openworlds/app.jsx
index 6894141a..667706b1 100644
--- a/viewer/openworlds/app.jsx
+++ b/viewer/openworlds/app.jsx
@@ -79,8 +79,29 @@ window.neutralizeMarkup = window.neutralizeMarkup || function neutralizeMarkup(r
 //
 // The poll is best-effort and a no-op unless a LIVE campaign is bound (mirrors the server's
 // /chat gating: empty items when no chat is configured / the view isn't the live run).
-const PENDING_RECOVERY_MS = 90 * 1000;        // #342: re-enable the bar if the DM stalls this long…
-const PENDING_BACKSTOP_MS = 12 * 60 * 1000;   // …with the original hard backstop as a final net.
+// #348: the recovery 'stuck' timeout is ADAPTIVE by turn position, because the DM beat lands
+// all-at-once (the /chat tail carries NO streaming/partial/heartbeat signal — the duo+human
+// runners append ONE {"role":"dm",...} line only after the whole turn's `result` is in, so the
+// poll sees zero new items for the entire turn then the complete beat). With no in-flight
+// progress to reset on, a fixed wall-clock from submit was the only lever — and at 90s it
+// PRE-EMPTED the legit Act-opening (the #324 narrative persona saw the cold-open take several
+// minutes and still succeed → false 'stuck', narration lost at a cliffhanger, #348).
+//   • FIRST beat of a session (the cold-open / Act-opening) gets a generous window — the engine
+//     is building the world + setting the scene; a blind newbie run saw this take 5–8 min.
+//   • LATER beats are quick (the old 90s was tuned for these); keep them snappy so a genuine
+//     mid-session stall still recovers fast.
+// The 12-min hard backstop is UNCHANGED — a turn that blows even the first-beat window still
+// gets force-cleared. "first beat?" = no DM narration has arrived this session yet (the hook's
+// dmBeatCountRef, reset to 0 on every run change).
+const PENDING_RECOVERY_MS = 90 * 1000;            // #342: later-beat stall window (DM turns are ~35–60s).
+const PENDING_RECOVERY_FIRST_MS = 4 * 60 * 1000;  // #348: first-beat (Act-opening) window — fits the multi-minute cold open.
+const PENDING_BACKSTOP_MS = 12 * 60 * 1000;       // …with the original hard backstop as a final net.
+// #348: the single source of truth for the recovery window, by turn position. Pure + exported
+// (window.__PENDING_TIMING__ below) so the timing contract is unit-testable without reaching into
+// the hook's internal beat counter. firstBeat ⇒ the longer cold-open window; else the snappy one.
+function recoveryWindowMs(firstBeat) {
+  return firstBeat ? PENDING_RECOVERY_FIRST_MS : PENDING_RECOVERY_MS;
+}
 function useLiveSession(state) {
   const campaigns = Array.isArray(state?.campaigns) ? state.campaigns : [];
   const activeCampaign =
@@ -109,15 +130,23 @@ function useLiveSession(state) {
 
   const clearPending = React.useCallback(() => { clearTimers(); setPending(null); }, [clearTimers]);
 
-  // #342: arm the narrating indicator + a SHORT recovery timeout. If a DM beat doesn't arrive within
-  // PENDING_RECOVERY_MS the turn is flagged `stuck` (the bar re-enables with a "try again" hint)
+  // #342 + #348: arm the narrating indicator + a recovery timeout. If a DM beat doesn't arrive within
+  // the recovery window the turn is flagged `stuck` (the bar re-enables with a "try again" hint)
   // instead of staying frozen until the 12-minute backstop. A real beat (below) clears it outright.
+  // #348: the window is turn-position-aware — the FIRST beat of a session (the cold-open, which the
+  // engine spends minutes building) gets PENDING_RECOVERY_FIRST_MS so a slow-but-valid opening is no
+  // longer falsely declared stuck; later beats keep the snappy PENDING_RECOVERY_MS. `firstBeat` is
+  // recorded on the pending object so the narrating affordance can set an honest expectation, and so
+  // a beat that lands AFTER 'stuck' still renders (the #340 path is unchanged — clearPending on any
+  // real narration beat regardless of this flag).
   const armPending = React.useCallback((text) => {
     clearTimers();
-    setPending({ text, since: Date.now(), stuck: false });
+    const firstBeat = dmBeatCountRef.current === 0;
+    const recoveryMs = recoveryWindowMs(firstBeat);
+    setPending({ text, since: Date.now(), stuck: false, firstBeat });
     recoveryTimer.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
       setPending((p) => (p ? { ...p, stuck: true } : p));
-    }, PENDING_RECOVERY_MS);
+    }, recoveryMs);
     backstopTimer.current = window.setTimeout(() => setPending(null), PENDING_BACKSTOP_MS);
   }, [clearTimers]);
 
@@ -186,6 +215,14 @@ function useLiveSession(state) {
   return { chatBeats, log, pending, armPending, clearPending, recordPlayerEcho };
 }
 window.useLiveSession = useLiveSession;
+// #348: expose the recovery-timing contract for tests (and devtools introspection). Purely
+// additive — nothing in the running app reads these off window; the hook uses the locals above.
+window.recoveryWindowMs = recoveryWindowMs;
+window.__PENDING_TIMING__ = {
+  recoveryMs: PENDING_RECOVERY_MS,
+  recoveryFirstMs: PENDING_RECOVERY_FIRST_MS,
+  backstopMs: PENDING_BACKSTOP_MS,
+};
 
 function App() {
   const [state, setState] = React.useState(window.INITIAL_STATE || {});
diff --git a/viewer/openworlds/screen-table.jsx b/viewer/openworlds/screen-table.jsx
index e9d41df4..b6e103c5 100644
--- a/viewer/openworlds/screen-table.jsx
+++ b/viewer/openworlds/screen-table.jsx
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ function ScreenTable({ onNavigate, state, setState, liveSession }) {
             {visibleLog.length ? visibleLog.map((entry, i) => (
               <LogEntry key={entry.id || `${entry.kind || "n"}-${i}`} entry={entry} />
             )) : <div className="body-sm muted">No moves yet</div>}
-            {pendingActive && <DmNarratingBeat since={pending.since} />}
+            {pendingActive && <DmNarratingBeat since={pending.since} firstBeat={pending.firstBeat} />}
             {pendingStuck && <DmStuckBeat />}
           </div>
 
@@ -798,7 +798,12 @@ function LogEntry({ entry }) {
 // elapsed counter and the dots are aria-hidden so a screen reader isn't spammed every tick.
 // Reduced-motion: the pulsing dots + shimmer are disabled (CSS below + the global token); the
 // elapsed text and hint remain, so the "is it busy?" question is still answered without motion.
-function DmNarratingBeat({ since }) {
+// #348: `firstBeat` makes the expectation HONEST. The DM beat lands all-at-once (no streaming),
+// and the FIRST beat — the cold-open/Act-opening the engine spends minutes building — legitimately
+// takes several minutes. Telling a first-timer "up to a minute" then re-opening the bar at 90s was
+// the #348 false-stuck trap. For the opening we say "a few minutes"; later beats keep "up to a
+// minute" (they really are ~35–60s). This copy mirrors the adaptive recovery window in app.jsx.
+function DmNarratingBeat({ since, firstBeat }) {
   const start = typeof since === "number" ? since : Date.now();
   const [now, setNow] = React.useState(() => Date.now());
   React.useEffect(() => {
@@ -809,6 +814,9 @@ function DmNarratingBeat({ since }) {
   const mm = Math.floor(secs / 60);
   const ss = String(secs % 60).padStart(2, "0");
   const elapsedLabel = `${mm}:${ss}`;
+  const waitHint = firstBeat
+    ? "Setting the opening scene — the first beat of a session can take a few minutes."
+    : "Weaving the next beat — this can take up to a minute.";
   return (
     <div role="status" aria-live="polite" style={{ margin: "14px 0", display: "flex", gap: 12, opacity: 0.92 }}>
       <div style={{ width: 4, alignSelf: "stretch", background: "linear-gradient(180deg, var(--crimson), transparent)" }} />
@@ -828,7 +836,7 @@ function DmNarratingBeat({ since }) {
           </span>
         </div>
         <div className="hand muted" style={{ fontSize: 12, marginTop: 4 }}>
-          Weaving the next beat — this can take up to a minute.
+          {waitHint}
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/viewer/tests/test_recovery_timing.py b/viewer/tests/test_recovery_timing.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..508017b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/viewer/tests/test_recovery_timing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+"""Behavior tests for the #348 adaptive 'stuck' recovery window in `useLiveSession`.
+
+`useLiveSession` (viewer/openworlds/app.jsx) owns the "DM is narrating…" pending
+state and the recovery/backstop timers. Because the DM beat lands ALL-AT-ONCE (the
+/chat tail carries no streaming/partial/heartbeat signal — the duo + human runners
+append ONE {"role":"dm",...} line only after the whole turn's `result` is in), the
+recovery is a wall-clock from submit. #342 fixed it at 90s, which PRE-EMPTED the
+legit multi-minute Act-opening → false 'stuck', narration lost at a cliffhanger
+(#348). #348 makes the window turn-position-aware:
+
+  • FIRST beat of a session (the cold-open the engine spends minutes building):
+    a generous PENDING_RECOVERY_FIRST_MS (~4 min) — no longer falsely stuck.
+  • LATER beats (the ~35–60s norm): the snappy PENDING_RECOVERY_MS (~90s).
+  • The 12-min hard backstop is unchanged.
+
+These tests exercise the REAL code by transpiling the actual `.jsx` with the SAME
+bundled Babel-standalone the browser uses and running it under Node with a
+deterministic React + fake-timer stub, so the test tracks the shipped behavior
+rather than a reimplementation (mirrors test_sanitize_narration.py). They cover:
+
+  • the timing CONTRACT (`recoveryWindowMs` for both branches + the constants);
+  • the hook's observable FIRST-beat behavior (no false stuck at 91s; recovers
+    after the long window; the 12-min backstop still force-clears) — the #348 fix;
+  • the LATER-beat branch (snappy 90s) — preserved for a genuine mid-session stall;
+  • the #344 contract (`armPending`/`clearPending` shape the retry path relies on).
+"""
+
+import json
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+_OPENWORLDS = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "openworlds"
+_APP = _OPENWORLDS / "app.jsx"
+_SCREEN_TABLE = _OPENWORLDS / "screen-table.jsx"
+_BABEL = _OPENWORLDS / "vendor" / "babel-standalone-7.29.0.min.js"
+
+
+# A self-contained Node harness: a minimal-but-real React stub (storing state, refs,
+# callbacks per render so setState re-renders the hook) plus a controllable clock + timer
+# queue. It transpiles screen-table.jsx (defines sanitizeNarration onto window, used by
+# app.jsx) then app.jsx with the bundled Babel, mounts useLiveSession over a live campaign,
+# and exposes a tiny scripting surface (`h`) so each test can arm/clear pending, advance the
+# fake clock, and read pending state — plus the pure `recoveryWindowMs` + constants.
+#
+# `script` is a JS expression evaluated with `h`/`win` in scope; its value → JSON on stdout.
+_HARNESS = r"""
+const fs = require('fs');
+const vm = require('vm');
+const Babel = require(%(babel)s);
+
+// ---- deterministic clock + one-shot timer queue ----------------------------
+let NOW = 1000000;
+const timers = [];
+let nextId = 1;
+function setTimeoutStub(fn, ms) {
+  const id = nextId++;
+  timers.push({ id, at: NOW + (ms || 0), fn, cleared: false });
+  return id;
+}
+function clearTimeoutStub(id) {
+  const t = timers.find((t) => t.id === id);
+  if (t) t.cleared = true;
+}
+// Advance the clock by `ms`, firing each un-cleared timer whose deadline we cross, in
+// deadline order — exactly the browser's behavior.
+function advance(ms) {
+  const target = NOW + ms;
+  while (true) {
+    const due = timers.filter((t) => !t.cleared && t.at <= target).sort((a, b) => a.at - b.at)[0];
+    if (!due) break;
+    NOW = due.at;
+    due.cleared = true;   // setTimeout is one-shot
+    due.fn();
+  }
+  NOW = target;
+}
+
+// ---- a minimal real React: hook cells persist across re-renders ------------
+function makeReact() {
+  const cells = [];
+  let idx = 0;
+  let renderFn = null;
+  let result = null;
+  function useState(init) {
+    const i = idx++;
+    if (cells[i] === undefined) cells[i] = { v: typeof init === 'function' ? init() : init };
+    const cell = cells[i];
+    const set = (next) => { cell.v = (typeof next === 'function') ? next(cell.v) : next; rerender(); };
+    return [cell.v, set];
+  }
+  function useRef(init) {
+    const i = idx++;
+    if (cells[i] === undefined) cells[i] = { current: init };
+    return cells[i];
+  }
+  // The /chat poll + clearTimers effects are NOT exercised here (we drive arm/clear + the
+  // clock directly), so useEffect/useCallback can be lightweight: callbacks pass through,
+  // effects are skipped (their cleanup-only/interval bodies aren't under test).
+  function useCallback(fn) { return fn; }
+  function useEffect() {}
+  function rerender() { idx = 0; result = renderFn(); }
+  const React = { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect, createElement: () => null, Fragment: 'F' };
+  function mount(fn) { renderFn = fn; rerender(); }
+  return { React, mount };
+}
+
+const reactHost = makeReact();
+const sandbox = {
+  React: reactHost.React,
+  // app.jsx ends with ReactDOM.createRoot(...).render(<App/>); stub it to a no-op so module load
+  // doesn't try to mount the whole app — we drive useLiveSession ourselves (defined above that line).
+  ReactDOM: { createRoot: () => ({ render() {} }) },
+  // getElementById returns truthy so screen-table.jsx's ensureDmNarrateStyle() IIFE early-returns
+  // (it injects a <style> on first load; irrelevant to timing and needs no real DOM here).
+  document: { addEventListener() {}, removeEventListener() {}, visibilityState: 'visible', getElementById: () => ({}) },
+  setTimeout: setTimeoutStub,
+  clearTimeout: clearTimeoutStub,
+  setInterval: () => 0,
+  clearInterval: () => {},
+  fetch: () => Promise.resolve({ ok: false, json: () => Promise.resolve({}) }),
+  console,
+};
+sandbox.window = sandbox;
+sandbox.Date = { now: () => NOW };
+vm.createContext(sandbox);
+
+function load(p, stripBootstrap) {
+  let src = fs.readFileSync(p, 'utf8');
+  // app.jsx ends with `ReactDOM.createRoot(...).render(<ToastProvider>…)` — a browser bootstrap
+  // that references components defined in OTHER bundle files (ToastProvider, …) not loaded here.
+  // Strip that trailing statement so module load defines our targets (useLiveSession, the timing
+  // helper + constants — all ABOVE it) without needing the whole app's component graph stubbed.
+  if (stripBootstrap) {
+    const i = src.indexOf('ReactDOM.createRoot');
+    if (i !== -1) src = src.slice(0, i);
+  }
+  const code = Babel.transform(src, { presets: ['react'], filename: p }).code;
+  vm.runInContext(code, sandbox);
+}
+load(%(screen_table)s);
+load(%(app)s, true);
+
+const useLiveSession = sandbox.window.useLiveSession;
+if (typeof useLiveSession !== 'function') throw new Error('useLiveSession not exported');
+
+// Mount the hook over a LIVE campaign so its body runs (campaignId must be truthy).
+const state = { activeCampaign: 'camp1', campaigns: [{ id: 'camp1', campaign_id: 'camp1' }] };
+let api = null;
+reactHost.mount(() => { api = useLiveSession(state); return null; });
+
+const win = sandbox.window;
+const h = {
+  now: () => NOW,
+  advance,
+  pending: () => api.pending,
+  arm: (text) => api.armPending(text || 'do something'),
+  clear: () => api.clearPending(),
+  recoveryWindowMs: (firstBeat) => win.recoveryWindowMs(firstBeat),
+  constants: () => win.__PENDING_TIMING__,
+};
+
+const script = %(script)s;
+const result = (function () { return eval(script); })();
+process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify(result));
+"""
+
+
+@unittest.skipIf(shutil.which("node") is None, "node is required to transpile + run the JSX hook")
+class RecoveryTimingTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    NODE_BIN = shutil.which("node")
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        for p in (_APP, _SCREEN_TABLE, _BABEL):
+            cls.assertTrue(p.exists(), f"missing {p}")
+
+    def _run(self, script: str):
+        program = _HARNESS % {
+            "babel": json.dumps(str(_BABEL)),
+            "screen_table": json.dumps(str(_SCREEN_TABLE)),
+            "app": json.dumps(str(_APP)),
+            "script": json.dumps(script),
+        }
+        proc = subprocess.run(
+            [self.NODE_BIN, "--input-type=commonjs"],
+            input=program,
+            text=True,
+            capture_output=True,
+        )
+        if proc.returncode != 0:
+            self.fail(f"node harness failed:\nSTDOUT:{proc.stdout}\nSTDERR:{proc.stderr}")
+        return json.loads(proc.stdout)
+
+    # --- the timing CONTRACT: constants exported, correctly ordered -----------
+    def test_constants_exported_and_ordered(self):
+        c = self._run("h.constants()")
+        self.assertIn("recoveryMs", c)
+        self.assertIn("recoveryFirstMs", c)
+        self.assertIn("backstopMs", c)
+        # The first-beat window is generous (minutes), strictly larger than the later-beat one,
+        # and still strictly inside the hard backstop. This is the whole shape of the #348 fix.
+        self.assertLess(c["recoveryMs"], c["recoveryFirstMs"])
+        self.assertLess(c["recoveryFirstMs"], c["backstopMs"])
+        # Concretely: later = 90s, first = 4 min, backstop = 12 min.
+        self.assertEqual(c["recoveryMs"], 90 * 1000)
+        self.assertEqual(c["recoveryFirstMs"], 4 * 60 * 1000)
+        self.assertEqual(c["backstopMs"], 12 * 60 * 1000)
+
+    # --- the pure selector: both branches (this is exactly what armPending calls) ---
+    def test_recovery_window_selector_both_branches(self):
+        out = self._run("({ first: h.recoveryWindowMs(true), later: h.recoveryWindowMs(false) })")
+        self.assertEqual(out["first"], 4 * 60 * 1000)
+        self.assertEqual(out["later"], 90 * 1000)
+
+    # --- #348 CORE: the FIRST beat is NOT falsely declared stuck at 90s -------
+    def test_first_beat_survives_past_the_old_90s_threshold(self):
+        out = self._run(
+            "h.arm('open the scene');"
+            # 91s in — the OLD fixed window would already be 'stuck'. The first beat must NOT be.
+            "h.advance(91 * 1000);"
+            "var p1 = h.pending();"
+            "({ stuck_at_91s: !!(p1 && p1.stuck), firstBeat: !!(p1 && p1.firstBeat), active: !!(p1 && !p1.stuck) })"
+        )
+        self.assertFalse(out["stuck_at_91s"], "first beat falsely went stuck at 91s (the #348 bug)")
+        self.assertTrue(out["active"], "first beat should still be narrating (pending, not stuck) at 91s")
+        self.assertTrue(out["firstBeat"], "first-beat pending should carry firstBeat:true so the copy is honest")
+
+    # --- the slow-but-valid opening DOES eventually recover (real stall safety net) ---
+    def test_first_beat_does_recover_after_the_long_window(self):
+        out = self._run(
+            "h.arm('open the scene');"
+            "h.advance(91 * 1000);"
+            "var early = h.pending();"
+            # cross the 4-min first-beat deadline (total ~251s)
+            "h.advance(160 * 1000);"
+            "var late = h.pending();"
+            "({ early_stuck: !!(early && early.stuck), late_stuck: !!(late && late.stuck) })"
+        )
+        self.assertFalse(out["early_stuck"])
+        self.assertTrue(out["late_stuck"], "a genuinely-stalled opening must STILL recover after its long window")
+
+    # --- the 12-min hard backstop is preserved (clears even a wedged turn) ----
+    def test_backstop_clears_pending_entirely(self):
+        out = self._run(
+            "h.arm('open the scene');"
+            # Past the 12-min backstop — pending should be force-cleared to null.
+            "h.advance((12 * 60 + 5) * 1000);"
+            "({ pending_is_null: h.pending() === null })"
+        )
+        self.assertTrue(out["pending_is_null"], "the 12-min backstop must still force-clear a wedged turn")
+
+    # --- #344 contract: clearPending wipes pending + disarms the timers -------
+    def test_clear_pending_resets_state_and_disarms_timers(self):
+        out = self._run(
+            "h.arm('do thing');"
+            "var armed = h.pending();"
+            "h.clear();"
+            "var cleared = h.pending();"
+            # advancing past every window after a manual clear must NOT resurrect a stuck flag —
+            # this is what lets the #344 'Try again' re-arm cleanly via a fresh armPending.
+            "h.advance((13 * 60) * 1000);"
+            "var afterAdvance = h.pending();"
+            "({ armed_present: !!armed, cleared_null: cleared === null, no_resurrect: afterAdvance === null })"
+        )
+        self.assertTrue(out["armed_present"])
+        self.assertTrue(out["cleared_null"])
+        self.assertTrue(out["no_resurrect"], "cleared timers must not fire after clearPending (clean #344 retry re-arm)")