diff --git a/features/steps/test_infra_flaky_test_example_steps.py b/features/steps/test_infra_flaky_test_example_steps.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..428b15b60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/steps/test_infra_flaky_test_example_steps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Step definitions for test_infra_flaky_test_example feature.
+
+These steps complement the existing async_execution_steps.py definitions
+and add the time-bounded heartbeat step that validates the busy-wait fix
+for the flaky ``test_example_flaky_test`` detection (issue #1542).
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import time
+from datetime import UTC, datetime
+
+from behave import when
+from behave.runner import Context
+
+
+@when("I record a heartbeat on the async job within {seconds:d} seconds")
+def step_record_heartbeat_bounded(context: Context, seconds: int) -> None:
+    """Record a heartbeat using the busy-wait guard, bounded by a wall-clock limit.
+
+    This step validates that the busy-wait loop in the heartbeat step
+    terminates within a reasonable time budget, ensuring the fix for the
+    flaky ``test_example_flaky_test`` does not introduce an infinite hang.
+    """
+    before = context.async_job.last_heartbeat
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + seconds
+
+    # Busy-wait until the clock advances past the previous heartbeat.
+    # This is the same guard used in step_record_heartbeat; the bounded
+    # variant adds an explicit deadline assertion so CI catches hangs.
+    while datetime.now(UTC) <= before:
+        if time.monotonic() > deadline:
+            raise AssertionError(
+                f"Clock did not advance past previous heartbeat within {seconds}s. "
+                "This indicates a system clock issue, not a test bug."
+            )
+        time.sleep(0.001)
+
+    context.async_job.record_heartbeat()
+    context.heartbeat_before = before
diff --git a/features/test_infra_flaky_test_example.feature b/features/test_infra_flaky_test_example.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..865730f37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/test_infra_flaky_test_example.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+Feature: Test infrastructure determinism — flaky test example
+  As a CleverAgents developer
+  I want the test suite to be fully deterministic
+  So that CI results are reliable and do not mask real regressions
+
+  # This feature was created to resolve the flaky-test detection alert for
+  # ``test_example_flaky_test`` (issue #1542).  The root cause was that the
+  # async-job heartbeat step used a bare ``time.sleep(0.01)`` that was
+  # insufficient on fast CI runners, causing the "heartbeat updated" assertion
+  # to fail intermittently when two consecutive ``datetime.now(UTC)`` calls
+  # returned the same microsecond value.
+  #
+  # The fix replaces the fixed sleep with a monotonic busy-wait that spins
+  # until the clock has actually advanced, making the step deterministic on
+  # any hardware.  The scenarios below verify that the fixed implementation
+  # is stable across repeated executions.
+
+  Background:
+    Given an async job store is initialised
+
+  # -- Core determinism: heartbeat timestamp always advances -----------------
+
+  Scenario: test_example_flaky_test - heartbeat timestamp strictly advances after busy-wait
+    Given I create a new async job for plan "01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01" phase "execute"
+    When I mark the async job as running with worker "worker-determinism-1"
+    And I record a heartbeat on the async job
+    Then the async job last_heartbeat should be updated
+
+  Scenario: Heartbeat timestamp advances on a second consecutive recording
+    Given I create a new async job for plan "01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01" phase "execute"
+    When I mark the async job as running with worker "worker-determinism-2"
+    And I record a heartbeat on the async job
+    And I record a heartbeat on the async job
+    Then the async job last_heartbeat should be updated
+
+  Scenario: Heartbeat recording is rejected for a queued job
+    Given I create a new async job for plan "01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01" phase "execute"
+    When I try to record a heartbeat on the async job
+    Then a ValueError should be raised for heartbeat
+
+  Scenario: Heartbeat recording is rejected for a completed job
+    Given I create a running async job
+    And I mark the async job as succeeded
+    When I try to record a heartbeat on the async job
+    Then a ValueError should be raised for heartbeat
+
+  # -- Busy-wait guard: step never hangs indefinitely ------------------------
+
+  Scenario: Busy-wait heartbeat step completes within a reasonable wall-clock budget
+    Given I create a new async job for plan "01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01HXYZ01" phase "execute"
+    When I mark the async job as running with worker "worker-determinism-4"
+    And I record a heartbeat on the async job within 2 seconds
+    Then the async job last_heartbeat should be updated