diff --git a/packages/cli/src/capture/captureCompositionFrame.ts b/packages/cli/src/capture/captureCompositionFrame.ts
index 065bb610bc..495fd9186f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/capture/captureCompositionFrame.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/capture/captureCompositionFrame.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ export interface OpenSettledCompositionPageOptions {
   // Runs after the page exists but before page.goto, so console/pageerror/
   // request listeners can attach without missing load-time events.
   beforeNavigate?: (page: Page) => void | Promise<void>;
+  onLoaded?: () => void;
   // Started before the project was bundled; used only if it was launched with the same arguments.
   prelaunched?: PrelaunchedBrowser;
 }
@@ -331,6 +332,7 @@ export async function openSettledCompositionPage(
     await options.beforeNavigate?.(page);
     await gotoWhenSent(page, url, pageNavigationTimeoutMs(options.navigationTimeoutMs));
     await assertWebGpuAdapterAvailable(page, requiresWebGpu, softwareWebGpu);
+    options.onLoaded?.();
     const renderReadyTimedOut = !(await waitForCompositionSettle(page, options));
     return { browser: chromeBrowser, page, renderReadyTimedOut };
   } catch (err) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts
index a7cbf31343..dbf82183c3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts
@@ -1631,6 +1631,38 @@ describe("check pipeline", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("a deadline that fires in the overlap pass names that pass in its finding", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      let aborted!: AbortSignal;
+      const driver = fakeDriver({
+        collectOverlapGrid: vi.fn(
+          () =>
+            new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
+              aborted.addEventListener("abort", () => reject(aborted.reason)),
+            ),
+        ),
+      });
+      const { deps } = dependencies(driver);
+      deps.runBrowserCheck = async (_project, options, motion, deadline) => {
+        aborted = deadline!.signal;
+        deadline!.start();
+        return runAuditGrid(driver, options, motion, undefined, deadline!.enter);
+      };
+      const pending = runCheckPipeline(PROJECT, DEFAULT_CHECK_OPTIONS, deps);
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(120_000);
+      const report = await pending;
+      const failure = report.runtime.findings.find(
+        (finding) => finding.code === "check_runtime_failure",
+      );
+      expect(failure?.message).toMatch(/^Check did not finish within its deadline/);
+      expect(failure?.message).toContain("while running the overlap pass.");
+      expect(failure?.message).toContain("checking samples 0.0, running the overlap pass 120.0.");
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("--strict flips a warnings-only result from exit 0 to exit 1", async () => {
     const warningDriver = () =>
       fakeDriver({
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkBrowser.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkBrowser.ts
index 6751963ab1..74f88083cc 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkBrowser.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkBrowser.ts
@@ -239,11 +239,13 @@ export async function runBrowserCheck(
 ): Promise<CheckBrowserResult> {
   const { bundleWithLocalizedFonts } = await import("./bundleWithLocalizedFonts.js");
   const html = await bundleWithLocalizedFonts(project.dir);
+  deadline?.enter("copies");
   const { findings: drafts, failedPaths } = await preResolveHostileMediaProxies(
     project.dir,
     html,
     options.autoProxy,
   );
+  deadline?.enter("launch");
   const server = await serveStaticProjectHtml(
     project.dir,
     html,
@@ -279,6 +281,7 @@ export async function runBrowserCheck(
         wireRuntimeListeners(page, drafts, clock);
         await deadline?.preparePage(page);
       },
+      onLoaded: () => deadline?.enter("settle"),
     });
     chromeBrowser = session.browser;
     const page = session.page;
@@ -303,7 +306,7 @@ export async function runBrowserCheck(
     drafts.push(...blur);
     const sampleLog = sampleWindow(drafts);
     const driver = createPageDriver(page, clock, sampleLog);
-    const result = await runGrid(driver, options, motion, helpers);
+    const result = await runGrid(driver, options, motion, helpers, deadline?.enter);
     helperSession?.stop();
     const helper = await helperOpen?.catch(() => undefined);
     const merged = helper ? mergeHelperDrafts(sampleLog, helper.sampleLog) : drafts;
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.test.ts
index b14a07894d..feec624181 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.test.ts
@@ -93,3 +93,32 @@ it("closing before browser readiness prevents a later clock from starting", asyn
   expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(0);
   expect(deadline.signal.aborted).toBe(false);
 });
+
+it("an expired check names the phase it was in and the seconds each phase took", async () => {
+  vi.useFakeTimers();
+  const deadline = new CheckDeadline();
+  const outcome = deadline
+    .run(() => rejectOnAbort(deadline.signal))
+    .catch((error: unknown) => error);
+  try {
+    deadline.enter("copies");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(247_000);
+    deadline.enter("launch");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(2_000);
+    deadline.start();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(3_000);
+    deadline.enter("settle");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60_000);
+    deadline.enter("samples");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(50_000);
+    deadline.enter("overlap");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(7_000);
+    expect(((await outcome) as Error).message).toBe(
+      "Check did not finish within its deadline (120 s from when Chrome was ready), while running the overlap pass. " +
+        "Seconds per phase: making video copies 247.0 (before the deadline), starting Chrome 2.0 (before the deadline), " +
+        "loading the page 3.0, waiting for the page to be ready 60.0, checking samples 50.0, running the overlap pass 7.0.",
+    );
+  } finally {
+    await deadline.close();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.ts
index 7ba94cae70..097ff553d1 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkDeadline.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,27 @@ const CHECK_DEADLINE_MS = 120_000;
 const SCRIPT_START = "[hyperframes:script:start] ";
 const SCRIPT_FINISH = "[hyperframes:script:finish] ";
 
+const PHASE_LABELS = {
+  copies: "making video copies",
+  launch: "starting Chrome",
+  load: "loading the page",
+  settle: "waiting for the page to be ready",
+  samples: "checking samples",
+  overlap: "running the overlap pass",
+  crops: "capturing finding crops",
+} as const;
+export type CheckPhase = keyof typeof PHASE_LABELS;
+const BEFORE_DEADLINE: ReadonlySet<CheckPhase> = new Set(["copies", "launch"]);
+
 export class CheckDeadlineError extends Error {
-  constructor(readonly sourceFile?: string) {
+  constructor(
+    readonly sourceFile?: string,
+    phases = "",
+  ) {
     super(
-      sourceFile === undefined
-        ? "Check did not finish within its deadline."
-        : `${sourceFile}: its script did not finish within the check deadline.`,
+      (sourceFile === undefined
+        ? "Check did not finish within its deadline"
+        : `${sourceFile}: its script did not finish within the check deadline`) + (phases || "."),
     );
   }
 }
@@ -29,6 +44,8 @@ export class CheckDeadline {
   private readonly expiry: Promise<never>;
   private rejectExpiry!: (error: CheckDeadlineError) => void;
   private phase: "waiting" | "started" | "closed" = "waiting";
+  private work: { phase: CheckPhase; since: number } | undefined;
+  private readonly spent = new Map<CheckPhase, number>();
 
   constructor() {
     this.expiry = new Promise((_, reject) => {
@@ -36,11 +53,34 @@ export class CheckDeadline {
     });
   }
 
+  enter = (phase: CheckPhase): void => {
+    if (this.expired) return;
+    const now = Date.now();
+    if (this.work) this.spend(this.work.phase, now - this.work.since);
+    this.work = { phase, since: now };
+    this.spend(phase, 0);
+  };
+
+  private spend(phase: CheckPhase, ms: number): void {
+    this.spent.set(phase, (this.spent.get(phase) ?? 0) + ms);
+  }
+
+  private describe(): string {
+    if (!this.work) return "";
+    const open = Date.now() - this.work.since;
+    const parts = [...this.spent].map(([phase, ms]) => {
+      const seconds = ((phase === this.work?.phase ? ms + open : ms) / 1000).toFixed(1);
+      return `${PHASE_LABELS[phase]} ${seconds}${BEFORE_DEADLINE.has(phase) ? " (before the deadline)" : ""}`;
+    });
+    return ` (${CHECK_DEADLINE_MS / 1000} s from when Chrome was ready), while ${PHASE_LABELS[this.work.phase]}. Seconds per phase: ${parts.join(", ")}.`;
+  }
+
   start = (): void => {
     if (this.phase !== "waiting") return;
     this.phase = "started";
+    this.enter("load");
     this.timer = setTimeout(() => {
-      this.expired = new CheckDeadlineError(this.scripts.at(-1));
+      this.expired = new CheckDeadlineError(this.scripts.at(-1), this.describe());
       this.rejectExpiry(this.expired);
       this.abort.abort(this.expired);
     }, CHECK_DEADLINE_MS);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts
index ecc1a9612b..b03eff4051 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { BrowserCleanupError } from "../browser/launch.js";
-import { CheckDeadline, CheckDeadlineError } from "./checkDeadline.js";
+import { CheckDeadline, CheckDeadlineError, type CheckPhase } from "./checkDeadline.js";
 import {
   checkSnapshotDirectory,
   beginCheckSnapshots,
@@ -514,6 +514,7 @@ async function collectGridSamples(
   grid: SampleGrid,
   motion: MotionPlan,
   helpers: Promise<CheckAuditDriver[]>,
+  enter: (phase: CheckPhase) => void,
 ): Promise<GridSamples> {
   const geometryEnabled = grid.captionSamples.length > 0 || grid.frameSamples.length > 0;
   const sets: SampleSets = {
@@ -559,6 +560,7 @@ async function collectGridSamples(
   driver.markSamples?.("end");
   const collected = emptyGridSamples();
   for (const samples of perTime) appendGridSamples(collected, samples);
+  enter("overlap");
   await collectMotionOverlapSamples(
     driver,
     grid,
@@ -566,6 +568,7 @@ async function collectGridSamples(
     options.range,
     craftEnabled(driver, options),
   );
+  enter("samples");
   return collected;
 }
 
@@ -1431,7 +1434,9 @@ export async function runAuditGrid(
   options: CheckOptions,
   motion: MotionSpecResolution,
   helpers: Promise<CheckAuditDriver[]> = Promise.resolve([]),
+  enter: (phase: CheckPhase) => void = () => {},
 ): Promise<CheckBrowserResult> {
+  enter("samples");
   await driver.initialize(options.contrast);
   const grid = await buildSampleGrid(driver, options);
   const plan = await planMotionSampling(
@@ -1440,7 +1445,7 @@ export async function runAuditGrid(
     grid.duration,
   );
   const seekLoopStart = Date.now();
-  const collected = await collectGridSamples(driver, options, grid, plan, helpers);
+  const collected = await collectGridSamples(driver, options, grid, plan, helpers, enter);
   const seekLoopMs = Date.now() - seekLoopStart;
 
   let motionIssues = plan.preflightIssues;
@@ -1693,6 +1698,7 @@ async function withFindingCrops(
   const cropRequests = selectFindingCropRequests(report);
   if (cropRequests.length === 0) return report;
   try {
+    deadline.enter("crops");
     const findingFiles = await deadline.run(() =>
       dependencies.captureFindingCrops(project, options, cropRequests, deadline),
     );
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts
index ff7ec80717..1e3851dd18 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type { ProjectDir } from "./project.js";
 import type { BrowserGpuMode } from "../browser/gpuPolicy.js";
 import type { HdrAutoPromotion } from "@hyperframes/engine";
 import type { PrelaunchedBrowser } from "../capture/captureCompositionFrame.js";
+import type { CheckPhase } from "./checkDeadline.js";
 
 export interface CheckOptions {
   samples: number;
@@ -325,6 +326,7 @@ export type RunAuditGrid = (
   options: CheckOptions,
   motion: MotionSpecResolution,
   helpers?: Promise<CheckAuditDriver[]>,
+  enter?: (phase: CheckPhase) => void,
 ) => Promise<CheckBrowserResult>;
 
 export interface CheckSection<T extends CheckFinding = CheckFinding> {