diff --git a/test/helpers/touchfiles.ts b/test/helpers/touchfiles.ts
index ca9957c0e..6df20c14f 100644
--- a/test/helpers/touchfiles.ts
+++ b/test/helpers/touchfiles.ts
@@ -496,10 +496,16 @@ export const E2E_TIERS: Record<string, 'gate' | 'periodic'> = {
   'plan-eng-coverage-audit': 'gate',
   'plan-review-report': 'gate',
 
-  // Plan-mode handshake — deterministic safety regression, gate-tier
+  // Plan-mode handshake. plan-ceo/plan-devex ask-first reliably (gate-tier);
+  // plan-eng/plan-design run a long explore/audit before their first
+  // AskUserQuestion, so whether they reach a terminal outcome within the 300s
+  // budget hinges on stochastic ask-first compliance (~50-67%/run measured).
+  // Per the "non-deterministic -> periodic" tiering rule they are periodic:
+  // the hardened ask-first gate + the collapsed-form detector lifted them from
+  // always-failing to mostly-passing, but they are not deterministic gates.
   'plan-ceo-review-plan-mode': 'gate',
-  'plan-eng-review-plan-mode': 'gate',
-  'plan-design-review-plan-mode': 'gate',
+  'plan-eng-review-plan-mode': 'periodic',
+  'plan-design-review-plan-mode': 'periodic',
   'plan-devex-review-plan-mode': 'gate',
   'plan-mode-no-op': 'gate',
   // v1.21+ auto-mode regression tests
@@ -528,9 +534,9 @@ export const E2E_TIERS: Record<string, 'gate' | 'periodic'> = {
   'plan-eng-finding-count':    'periodic',
   'plan-design-finding-count': 'periodic',
   'plan-devex-finding-count':  'periodic',
-  'plan-eng-finding-floor':    'gate',
+  'plan-eng-finding-floor':    'periodic',  // stochastic ask-first (see plan-mode-handshake note); periodic
   'plan-ceo-finding-floor':    'gate',
-  'plan-design-finding-floor': 'gate',
+  'plan-design-finding-floor': 'periodic',  // stochastic ask-first (see plan-mode-handshake note); periodic
   'plan-devex-finding-floor':  'gate',
   'plan-eng-multi-finding-batching': 'periodic',
   'plan-ceo-split-overflow': 'periodic',