diff --git a/scripts/verify_allocated_compose.sh b/scripts/verify_allocated_compose.sh
index 82ca1c5b..1ccbfd33 100755
--- a/scripts/verify_allocated_compose.sh
+++ b/scripts/verify_allocated_compose.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -euo pipefail
+set -Eeuo pipefail
 
 # Independent allocated-flow fixture for multiplayer-next.md §8.48. This
 # intentionally does not call compose.phase6-smoke.yml or reuse its ports.
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ for attempt in $(seq 1 180); do
   if "${compose[@]}" logs game-server 2>/dev/null | grep -q ' server_started '; then
     break
   fi
-  if ! "${compose[@]}" ps --status running --services | grep -qx game-server; then
+  # Ask whether it EXITED, not whether it is absent from the running list.
+  # Those differ: a container that has been created but has not started yet is
+  # missing from --status running too, so the previous check called a
+  # still-starting server dead on the first poll. It failed intermittently
+  # against a game server whose own logs showed a clean `server_started`.
+  if "${compose[@]}" ps -a --status exited --services 2>/dev/null | grep -qx game-server; then
     "${compose[@]}" logs game-server >&2
     echo "allocated Compose game server exited before becoming ready" >&2
     exit 1