diff --git a/backend/resources/climit.edn b/backend/resources/climit.edn
index 01f4b57d51..660d2abca6 100644
--- a/backend/resources/climit.edn
+++ b/backend/resources/climit.edn
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 ;; Optional: timeout in milliseconds, omitted means the thread waits for a
 ;; permit forever, and a saturated limiter parks it for good. Values below:
 ;; 60s for operations that can be slow (file updates, images, fonts, thumbnails,
-;; snapshots, imports) and 30s for the rest.
+;; snapshots, imports, branches, pull requests) and 30s for the rest.
 ;; Note: a queue bounds how many waiters pile up, a timeout bounds how long one
 ;; waiter waits. Every entry sets a timeout; the by-profile ones also set a
 ;; queue, which is where a pile-up hurts.
@@ -113,22 +113,29 @@
  ;;    `files_pull_request.clj::update-pull-request-snapshot`), which is
  ;;    the anchor's shape again.
  ;;
- ;; The write-side operations carry a queue and a timeout so that a
- ;; refusal follows a bounded wait rather than arriving instantly. The
- ;; queue sits on the per-profile entry, following the anchor, and on the
- ;; global entry where the command declares no per-profile queue. The
- ;; per-profile entry of one permit keeps a single designer to one
- ;; operation at a time. The two read-side entries are generous by design
- ;; and carry no queue and no timeout, so a panel open waits for its turn
- ;; instead of being refused: six three-document comparisons hold
- ;; eighteen realized documents, fewer than the twenty one-document saves
- ;; `:update-file/global` already admits.
+ ;; The write-side operations carry a queue so that a refusal follows a
+ ;; bounded wait rather than arriving instantly. The queue sits on the
+ ;; per-profile entry, following the anchor, and on the global entry
+ ;; where the command declares no per-profile queue. The per-profile
+ ;; entry of one permit keeps a single designer to one operation at a
+ ;; time. The two read-side entries are generous by design and carry no
+ ;; queue, so a panel open waits for its turn instead of being refused:
+ ;; six three-document comparisons hold eighteen realized documents,
+ ;; fewer than the twenty one-document saves `:update-file/global`
+ ;; already admits.
+ ;;
+ ;; Every entry below, global and per-profile, read and write, takes the
+ ;; 60 s timeout of the slow operations above. The size gates in
+ ;; `backend/src/app/rpc/commands/files_branch.clj` refuse any file large
+ ;; enough for an operation to exceed 30 s, with the measured limit
+ ;; halved, so a 60 s wait covers one in-flight operation at that
+ ;; ceiling with as much again in margin.
 
  ;; create-file-branch realizes main and writes one snapshot, the shape
  ;; of `:create-file-snapshot` above, so it takes the anchor's numbers
  ;; unchanged. Provisional.
  :create-file-branch/global
- {:permits 3}
+ {:permits 3 :timeout 60000}
 
  :create-file-branch/by-profile
  {:permits 1 :queue 2 :timeout 60000}
@@ -137,7 +144,7 @@
  ;; whole-file write into main, so one instance-wide operation holds the
  ;; anchor's whole three-permit budget on its own. Provisional.
  :merge-file-branch/global
- {:permits 1}
+ {:permits 1 :timeout 60000}
 
  :merge-file-branch/by-profile
  {:permits 1 :queue 2 :timeout 60000}
@@ -146,7 +153,7 @@
  ;; snapshot write and a squash diff on top, so it takes the merge's
  ;; count. Provisional.
  :update-branch-from-main/global
- {:permits 1}
+ {:permits 1 :timeout 60000}
 
  :update-branch-from-main/by-profile
  {:permits 1 :queue 2 :timeout 60000}
@@ -156,7 +163,7 @@
  ;; so it admits two where the merge admits one and the anchor admits
  ;; three. Provisional.
  :materialize-file-branch/global
- {:permits 2}
+ {:permits 2 :timeout 60000}
 
  :materialize-file-branch/by-profile
  {:permits 1 :queue 2 :timeout 60000}
@@ -168,18 +175,18 @@
  ;; one-document saves `:update-file/global` above already admits.
  ;; Provisional.
  :get-file-branches/global
- {:permits 6}
+ {:permits 6 :timeout 60000}
 
  ;; The compare dialog's query holds main, the derived branch, and the
  ;; base at once, the same three documents the listing holds, so it takes
  ;; the same count. Provisional.
  :get-branch-diff/global
- {:permits 6}
+ {:permits 6 :timeout 60000}
 
  ;; Creating a pull request realizes the branch and pins one review
  ;; snapshot, the anchor's shape. Provisional.
  :create-pull-request/global
- {:permits 3}
+ {:permits 3 :timeout 60000}
 
  :create-pull-request/by-profile
  {:permits 1 :queue 2 :timeout 60000}
diff --git a/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_file_branch_oplog_test.clj b/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_file_branch_oplog_test.clj
index c5a1126f59..d7996a0086 100644
--- a/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_file_branch_oplog_test.clj
+++ b/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_file_branch_oplog_test.clj
@@ -657,8 +657,10 @@
                                         :is-shared false})
           file-id   (:id file)
           ;; the racer is a second designer: the per-profile climit
-          ;; serializes one designer's creates against themselves
-          _         (th/create-file-role* {:file-id file-id
+          ;; serializes one designer's creates against themselves. File
+          ;; access requires membership of the file's team, so the racer
+          ;; joins that team as an editor.
+          _         (th/create-team-role* {:team-id (:default-team-id profile1)
                                            :profile-id (:id profile2)
                                            :role :editor})
           real-lock db/xact-lock!