diff --git a/src/test/consensus/SteppingCsf_test.cpp b/src/test/consensus/SteppingCsf_test.cpp
index 7789cde292..2135583481 100644
--- a/src/test/consensus/SteppingCsf_test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/consensus/SteppingCsf_test.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class SteppingCsf_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
         std::uint64_t clampHits = 0;
         std::int64_t requestedMs = 0;
         std::int64_t consumedMs = 0;
+        // Highest virtual time one beat consumed. A pinned 2000 is that
+        // observed maximum, not a fixed per-beat budget.
         std::int64_t maxConsumedBeatMs = 0;
         std::int64_t schedulerMs = 0;
         std::uint64_t heartbeatEvents = 0;
@@ -553,7 +555,7 @@ class SteppingCsf_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
         out.minValidated = net.minValidatedSeq();
         for (std::uint32_t i = 0; i < 5; ++i)
             out.maxValidated = std::max(out.maxValidated, net.validSeq(i));
-        out.forkCheckedSeqs = out.maxValidated >= 2 ? out.maxValidated - 1 : 0;
+        out.forkCheckedSeqs = net.forkCheckedSeqs();
         out.clampHits = stats.clampHits;
         out.requestedMs = asMs(stats.requestedVirtualAdvance);
         out.consumedMs = asMs(stats.consumedVirtualAdvance);
diff --git a/src/test/consensus/SteppingDeterminism_test.cpp b/src/test/consensus/SteppingDeterminism_test.cpp
index 086d6c79ae..1d181e64ad 100644
--- a/src/test/consensus/SteppingDeterminism_test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/consensus/SteppingDeterminism_test.cpp
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ class SteppingDeterminism_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
         out.minValidated = net.minValidatedSeq();
         for (std::uint32_t i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
             out.maxValidated = std::max(out.maxValidated, net.validSeq(i));
-        out.forkCheckedSeqs = out.maxValidated >= 2 ? out.maxValidated - 1 : 0;
+        out.forkCheckedSeqs = net.forkCheckedSeqs();
         out.clampHits = stats.clampHits;
         out.requestedMs = asMs(stats.requestedVirtualAdvance);
         out.consumedMs = asMs(stats.consumedVirtualAdvance);
diff --git a/src/test/consensus/SteppingTrust_test.cpp b/src/test/consensus/SteppingTrust_test.cpp
index dfb678fcf3..310777bcca 100644
--- a/src/test/consensus/SteppingTrust_test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/consensus/SteppingTrust_test.cpp
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ class SteppingTrust_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
         out.minValidated = net.minValidatedSeq();
         for (std::uint32_t i = 0; i < kForkPeers; ++i)
             out.maxValidated = std::max(out.maxValidated, net.validSeq(i));
-        out.forkCheckedSeqs = out.maxValidated >= 2 ? out.maxValidated - 1 : 0;
+        out.forkCheckedSeqs = net.forkCheckedSeqs();
         out.clampHits = stats.clampHits;
         out.requestedMs = asMs(stats.requestedVirtualAdvance);
         out.consumedMs = asMs(stats.consumedVirtualAdvance);
diff --git a/src/test/jtx/HarnessScheduler.h b/src/test/jtx/HarnessScheduler.h
index 4db5ff1f79..4e83855176 100644
--- a/src/test/jtx/HarnessScheduler.h
+++ b/src/test/jtx/HarnessScheduler.h
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ public:
     // advances time in the same units it will later drive.
     using time_point = std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point;
     using duration = std::chrono::steady_clock::duration;
+    // Fingerprints fold duration::count() as-is. This clock is nanoseconds;
+    // a coarser period would move every pinned fingerprint.
+    static_assert(
+        std::ratio_equal_v<duration::period, std::nano>,
+        "trace fingerprints assume a nanosecond steady_clock");
 
     // Priority class among events at the SAME virtual instant (lower runs
     // first). Spaced by 10 so intermediate tiers can be slotted in without
@@ -93,8 +98,9 @@ public:
     };
 
     // PROVENANCE, not ordering: what CREATED an event. Orthogonal to Tier (its
-    // same-instant priority). Used in fence-violation diagnostics today and in
-    // beat traces later; never consulted for scheduling decisions.
+    // same-instant priority). The queue orders by (when, tier, nodeId, seq),
+    // so Kind is not a sort key. Profiled pacing does consult it: event cost
+    // scales by the kind weight.
     enum class Kind {
         other = 0,
         heartbeat,  // a driver's per-node heartbeat trigger
@@ -231,8 +237,19 @@ public:
         [[nodiscard]] duration
         eventCost(std::uint32_t nodeId, Kind kind) const
         {
-            return unitCost * static_cast<std::int64_t>(k) *
-                static_cast<std::int64_t>(eventWeight(nodeId, kind));
+            auto const scale = static_cast<std::uint64_t>(k) *
+                static_cast<std::uint64_t>(eventWeight(nodeId, kind));
+            if (unitCost.count() < 0)
+                Throw<std::overflow_error>(
+                    "HarnessScheduler::ProfiledPacer event cost overflow");
+            auto const unit = static_cast<std::uint64_t>(unitCost.count());
+            if (unit != 0 &&
+                scale > static_cast<std::uint64_t>(
+                            std::numeric_limits<duration::rep>::max()) /
+                        unit)
+                Throw<std::overflow_error>(
+                    "HarnessScheduler::ProfiledPacer event cost overflow");
+            return unitCost * static_cast<duration::rep>(scale);
         }
 
         [[nodiscard]] duration
diff --git a/src/test/jtx/SteppingNetwork.h b/src/test/jtx/SteppingNetwork.h
index 63a5996b61..2c85f79d86 100644
--- a/src/test/jtx/SteppingNetwork.h
+++ b/src/test/jtx/SteppingNetwork.h
@@ -1567,6 +1567,19 @@ public:
         return true;
     }
 
+    // How many sequences validatedForkFree walks: 2 through the highest live
+    // validated sequence, inclusive. That is max-1 when max >= 2. Not a count
+    // of pairwise hash comparisons.
+    [[nodiscard]] std::uint32_t
+    forkCheckedSeqs()
+    {
+        std::uint32_t hi = 0;
+        for (std::uint32_t i = 0; i < net_.size(); ++i)
+            if (net_.isLive(i))
+                hi = std::max(hi, validSeq(i));
+        return hi >= 2 ? hi - 1 : 0;
+    }
+
     [[nodiscard]] std::shared_ptr<Ledger const>
     ledger(std::uint32_t node, std::uint32_t seq)
     {