diff --git a/.changes/planning/perf-8757-journey-apply-cached-module-4c1e9a7d.md b/.changes/planning/perf-8757-journey-apply-cached-module-4c1e9a7d.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..96cc88cc74c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/planning/perf-8757-journey-apply-cached-module-4c1e9a7d.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+bump: none
+---
+
+### Changed
+
+- surface-journey test: the shell's applies and handles between page phases run `round` as a module, which reuses its cached bytecode instead of recompiling `round.py` on each call, and the pause before the last Notes reply waits only for the next whole second.
diff --git a/plugins/planning/surface/surface-checks.sh b/plugins/planning/surface/surface-checks.sh
index 9c1b23f13c8..69381b88b9f 100755
--- a/plugins/planning/surface/surface-checks.sh
+++ b/plugins/planning/surface/surface-checks.sh
@@ -363,14 +363,16 @@ print(json.dumps({"live": len(live), "answered": sum(r[1] == "answered" for r in
     for n in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20; do
       sed "s/__PORT__/$jport/; s/__PHASE__/$n/" tests/ui_journey.js >"$tmp/uj$n.js"
     done
+    # The repeated writes run round as a module from this directory: Python then reuses its cached
+    # bytecode, where round.sh runs round.py as a script that recompiles all of it on every call.
     jhandle() {
       local s
       read -r -a s <<<"$(unhandled "$j")"
-      [[ "${#s[@]}" -eq 0 ]] || jtime handle bash "$here/round.sh" --dir "$j" handle --seq "${s[@]}" >/dev/null
+      [[ "${#s[@]}" -eq 0 ]] || jtime handle "$py" -m round --dir "$j" handle --seq "${s[@]}" >/dev/null
     }
     japply() { # name ops-json
       printf '%s' "$2" >"$j/ops/$1.json"
-      jtime apply bash "$here/round.sh" --dir "$j" apply --file "$j/ops/$1.json" >/dev/null || bad "journey: ops $1 refused"
+      jtime apply "$py" -m round --dir "$j" apply --file "$j/ops/$1.json" >/dev/null || bad "journey: ops $1 refused"
     }
     jrun() { run_code "$tmp/uj$1.js" "$tmp/uj$1.out"; }
     jrun 1
@@ -460,8 +462,12 @@ print(json.dumps({"live": len(live), "answered": sum(r[1] == "answered" for r in
       "constraints": "Builds stop at ten minutes and share one cache."}}]}'
     # A Notes reply after the restatement: the restate notice outranks it in phase 16.
     japply n2 '{"ops": [{"op": "note-reply", "needsAnswer": true, "text": "Anything else before the Brief?"}]}'
-    # An ordinary Claude note after it must not unpin the question.
-    jtime sleep sleep 1
+    # An ordinary Claude note after it must not unpin the question. Notes carry whole-second times,
+    # so waiting for the next second to start gives it a later time than n2, as a full second would.
+    local now=${EPOCHREALTIME:-} us wait=1 # bash 4 has no EPOCHREALTIME: keep the full second
+    us=${now#*.}
+    [[ "$us" =~ ^[0-9]{6}$ && "$us" != 000000 ]] && wait=$(printf '0.%06d' "$((1000000 - 10#$us))")
+    jtime sleep sleep "$wait"
     japply n3 '{"ops": [{"op": "note-reply", "text": "The restatement is posted."}]}'
     jrun 16
     # Phase 17 confirms the third restatement. The shell then posts a status and the finish op,
diff --git a/plugins/planning/surface/tests/ui_journey.js b/plugins/planning/surface/tests/ui_journey.js
index e616592f8be..07b7ff06b78 100644
--- a/plugins/planning/surface/tests/ui_journey.js
+++ b/plugins/planning/surface/tests/ui_journey.js
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ async page => { // the user journey in order on one page, no reload after phase
     const h2 = await lineIs(status.text) ? await head() : {};
     ok("a status set after the newest unhandled event is not dimmed", h2.line === "Checked the cache key" && h2.old === false && h2.work === "Claude is working on Q99, Q1", JSON.stringify(h2));
     status = null;
+    // h2 came from the 3 s poll; a visible tab's visibilitychange reads /api/state at once, so h3 need not wait for the next poll
+    await tab.evaluate(() => document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange")));
     await tab.waitForFunction(() => document.getElementById("claudeLine").hidden || document.getElementById("clText").textContent !== "Checked the cache key", null, {timeout: 8000}).catch(() => {});
     const h3 = await head();
     ok("clearing the status leaves the working line unchanged", h3.line !== "Checked the cache key" && h3.work === "Claude is working on Q99, Q1", JSON.stringify(h3));
@@ -713,10 +715,14 @@ async page => { // the user journey in order on one page, no reload after phase
     await page.request.get((await page.evaluate(() => location.origin)) + "/api/wait?after=0&timeout=1", {headers: {"X-Interview-Token": await token()}}); // delivers it: a wake is in flight
     await until(() => /^Claude is working on /.test(document.getElementById("workLine").textContent), 5000); // the page has seen the delivery, the state queued() reads
     ok("the first note posted", sent.ok(), sent.status());
-    await page.click("#title"); await page.keyboard.press("l"); await page.click("#flyClose", {timeout: 2000}).catch(() => {});
+    // l toggles Activity, left open since phase 10: close it only when this press opened it
+    await page.click("#title"); await page.keyboard.press("l"); if (await page.$eval("#fly", el => el.classList.contains("open"))) await page.click("#flyClose");
     await page.evaluate(() => document.querySelector('[data-panel="notes"]').click()); await settle(300);
+    // The next state frame re-renders the Notes panel, emptying the toast, so record every text it shows.
+    await page.evaluate(() => { const seen = window.__noteToasts = []; const mo = window.__noteToastObserver = new MutationObserver(() => { const t = (document.getElementById("noteToast") || {}).textContent; if (t && seen[seen.length - 1] !== t) seen.push(t); }); mo.observe(document.body, {subtree: true, childList: true, characterData: true}); });
     await page.fill("#noteText", "second note"); await page.click("[data-sendnote]");
-    ok("a save while a wake is in flight says queued, Claude is busy", await until(() => /Queued, Claude is busy/.test((document.getElementById("noteToast") || {}).textContent || ""), 4000), await text("#noteToast"));
+    ok("a save while a wake is in flight says queued, Claude is busy", await until(() => window.__noteToasts.some(t => /Queued, Claude is busy/.test(t)), 4000), JSON.stringify(await page.evaluate(() => window.__noteToasts)));
+    await page.evaluate(() => window.__noteToastObserver.disconnect()); // the page lives on through phase 20
     await page.click("#flyClose", {timeout: 2000}).catch(() => {});
   }
   if (PHASE === 17) { // after the wrap-up the user confirms the third restatement; the shell has written nothing since phase 16