diff --git a/.github/workflows/lifecycle.yml b/.github/workflows/lifecycle.yml
index 6b92bea0..8fcafd50 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lifecycle.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lifecycle.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ jobs:
   lifecycle:
     name: Lifecycle (${{ inputs.mode || 'cli' }} / ${{ inputs.model || 'haiku' }})
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    environment: staging
     timeout-minutes: 60
 
     steps:
@@ -73,13 +74,17 @@ jobs:
           ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
           CODEFRAME_LIFECYCLE_MODEL: ${{ inputs.model || 'haiku' }}
         run: |
+          mkdir -p artifacts
           uv run pytest ${{ steps.tests.outputs.path }} \
             -m lifecycle \
             -v \
             --tb=long \
             --no-header \
             -p no:warnings \
-            --timeout=1800
+            --timeout=1800 \
+            --basetemp=artifacts/pytest \
+            2>&1 | tee artifacts/pytest.log
+          exit "${PIPESTATUS[0]}"
 
       - name: Upload test artifacts on failure
         if: failure()
@@ -87,5 +92,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: lifecycle-failure-${{ github.run_id }}
           path: |
-            /tmp/pytest-*/
+            artifacts/
           retention-days: 7
+          if-no-files-found: warn
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f2788bfe..968e1937 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ dev = [
     "pytest-asyncio>=0.23.0",
     "pytest-cov>=4.1.0",
     "pytest-json-report>=1.5.0",
+    "pytest-timeout>=2.3.0",
     "black>=24.1.0",
     "ruff>=0.2.0",
     "mypy>=1.8.0",
diff --git a/tests/lifecycle/conftest.py b/tests/lifecycle/conftest.py
index 8aadaed3..f5a361df 100644
--- a/tests/lifecycle/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/lifecycle/conftest.py
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ def initialized_workspace(target_project_dir, cf, sample_prd_path):
     A workspace with:
     - cf init complete
     - PRD added
-    - Tasks generated
-    Ready for `cf work batch run --all-ready --execute`.
+    - Tasks generated and promoted from BACKLOG → READY
+    Ready for `cf work batch run --all-ready`.
     """
     result = cf("init", str(target_project_dir), "--tech-stack", "Python with uv")
     assert result.returncode == 0, f"cf init failed:\n{result.stderr}"
@@ -110,4 +110,9 @@ def initialized_workspace(target_project_dir, cf, sample_prd_path):
     result = cf("tasks", "generate")
     assert result.returncode == 0, f"cf tasks generate failed:\n{result.stderr}"
 
+    # `cf tasks generate` creates BACKLOG tasks; promote to READY so the
+    # batch runner picks them up via --all-ready.
+    result = cf("tasks", "set", "status", "READY", "--all", "--from", "BACKLOG")
+    assert result.returncode == 0, f"cf tasks set status READY failed:\n{result.stderr}"
+
     return target_project_dir
diff --git a/tests/lifecycle/test_cli_lifecycle.py b/tests/lifecycle/test_cli_lifecycle.py
index 0e3047ec..55820ea5 100644
--- a/tests/lifecycle/test_cli_lifecycle.py
+++ b/tests/lifecycle/test_cli_lifecycle.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ def test_agent_builds_csv_stats_project(self, initialized_workspace, cf):
         result = cf(
             "work", "batch", "run",
             "--all-ready",
-            "--execute",
             "--engine", "react",
             "--retry", "1",
             timeout=1800,  # 30 min ceiling
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ def test_agent_task_status_after_execution(self, initialized_workspace, cf):
         """All tasks reach DONE or BLOCKED status — none stuck in IN_PROGRESS."""
         cf(
             "work", "batch", "run",
-            "--all-ready", "--execute", "--engine", "react",
+            "--all-ready", "--engine", "react",
             timeout=1800,
         )
 
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index b90fbbb3..ee7e0859 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -614,6 +614,7 @@ dev = [
     { name = "pytest-asyncio" },
     { name = "pytest-cov" },
     { name = "pytest-json-report" },
+    { name = "pytest-timeout" },
     { name = "ruff" },
 ]
 
@@ -652,6 +653,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "pytest-cov", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=4.1.0" },
     { name = "pytest-json-report", specifier = ">=1.5.0" },
     { name = "pytest-json-report", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=1.5.0" },
+    { name = "pytest-timeout", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=2.3.0" },
     { name = "python-dotenv", specifier = ">=1.0.0" },
     { name = "python-jose", extras = ["cryptography"], specifier = ">=3.4.0" },
     { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.0" },
@@ -2294,6 +2296,18 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/3e/43/7e7b2ec865caa92f67b8f0e9231a798d102724ca4c0e1f414316be1c1ef2/pytest_metadata-3.1.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:c8e0844db684ee1c798cfa38908d20d67d0463ecb6137c72e91f418558dd5f4b", size = 11428, upload-time = "2024-02-12T19:38:42.531Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pytest-timeout"
+version = "2.4.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "pytest" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/ac/82/4c9ecabab13363e72d880f2fb504c5f750433b2b6f16e99f4ec21ada284c/pytest_timeout-2.4.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:7e68e90b01f9eff71332b25001f85c75495fc4e3a836701876183c4bcfd0540a", size = 17973, upload-time = "2025-05-05T19:44:34.99Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/fa/b6/3127540ecdf1464a00e5a01ee60a1b09175f6913f0644ac748494d9c4b21/pytest_timeout-2.4.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:c42667e5cdadb151aeb5b26d114aff6bdf5a907f176a007a30b940d3d865b5c2", size = 14382, upload-time = "2025-05-05T19:44:33.502Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "python-dateutil"
 version = "2.9.0.post0"