diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index d327271..1cdcf0b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -330,17 +330,25 @@ jobs:
             echo "environment status: $status; version: $current; health: $health"
 
             if [ "$status" = "Ready" ]; then
-              if [ "$current" = "$expected" ] && { [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; }; then
+              if [ "$current" != "$expected" ]; then
+                echo "Environment became Ready on version $current, not the expected $expected." >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              if [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; then
                 echo "Expected application version is Ready and healthy."
                 exit 0
               fi
-              echo "Environment became Ready without activating expected version $expected." >&2
-              exit 1
+              # The expected version IS active. Elastic Beanstalk reports Ready as
+              # soon as the rollout finishes, before enhanced health has converged,
+              # so deciding on the first Ready poll fails a good release on a health
+              # value that was always going to change. Keep polling; an environment
+              # that is genuinely unhealthy still fails when the window runs out.
+              echo "Expected version is active; waiting for health to leave $health."
             fi
             sleep 15
           done
 
-          echo "Expected application version did not become Ready within the deployment window." >&2
+          echo "Expected application version did not become Ready and healthy within the deployment window (last seen: status=$status version=$current health=$health)." >&2
           exit 1
 
       - name: Post-deploy smoke
@@ -612,16 +620,22 @@ jobs:
             )
             echo "environment status: $status; version: $current; health: $health"
             if [ "$status" = "Ready" ]; then
-              if [ "$current" = "$prev" ] && { [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; }; then
+              if [ "$current" != "$prev" ]; then
+                echo "Rollback reached Ready on version $current, not the previous $prev." >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              if [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; then
                 echo "Application version restore complete; previous code is Ready and healthy."
                 exit 0
               fi
-              echo "Rollback reached Ready in an unexpected version/health state." >&2
-              exit 1
+              # Same convergence gap as the release check above: the previous version
+              # is back, health has not settled yet, and reporting a failed rollback
+              # here hides the fact that the restore itself worked.
+              echo "Previous version is active; waiting for health to leave $health."
             fi
             sleep 15
           done
-          echo "Environment did not return to Ready within rollback window." >&2
+          echo "Environment did not return to Ready and healthy within the rollback window (last seen: status=$status version=$current health=$health)." >&2
           exit 1
 
   deploy-staging:
@@ -724,17 +738,25 @@ jobs:
             echo "environment status: $status; version: $current; health: $health"
 
             if [ "$status" = "Ready" ]; then
-              if [ "$current" = "$expected" ] && { [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; }; then
+              if [ "$current" != "$expected" ]; then
+                echo "Environment became Ready on version $current, not the expected $expected." >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              if [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; then
                 echo "Expected application version is Ready and healthy."
                 exit 0
               fi
-              echo "Environment became Ready without activating expected version $expected." >&2
-              exit 1
+              # The expected version IS active. Elastic Beanstalk reports Ready as
+              # soon as the rollout finishes, before enhanced health has converged,
+              # so deciding on the first Ready poll fails a good release on a health
+              # value that was always going to change. Keep polling; an environment
+              # that is genuinely unhealthy still fails when the window runs out.
+              echo "Expected version is active; waiting for health to leave $health."
             fi
             sleep 15
           done
 
-          echo "Expected application version did not become Ready within the deployment window." >&2
+          echo "Expected application version did not become Ready and healthy within the deployment window (last seen: status=$status version=$current health=$health)." >&2
           exit 1
 
       - name: Post-deploy smoke
@@ -822,15 +844,21 @@ jobs:
             )
             echo "environment status: $status; version: $current; health: $health"
             if [ "$status" = "Ready" ]; then
-              if [ "$current" = "$prev" ] && { [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; }; then
+              if [ "$current" != "$prev" ]; then
+                echo "Rollback reached Ready on version $current, not the previous $prev." >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              if [ "$health" = "Green" ] || [ "$health" = "Yellow" ]; then
                 echo "Application version restore complete; previous code is Ready and healthy."
                 exit 0
               fi
-              echo "Rollback reached Ready in an unexpected version/health state." >&2
-              exit 1
+              # Same convergence gap as the release check above: the previous version
+              # is back, health has not settled yet, and reporting a failed rollback
+              # here hides the fact that the restore itself worked.
+              echo "Previous version is active; waiting for health to leave $health."
             fi
             sleep 15
           done
 
-          echo "Environment did not return to Ready within rollback window." >&2
+          echo "Environment did not return to Ready and healthy within the rollback window (last seen: status=$status version=$current health=$health)." >&2
           exit 1