diff --git a/lib/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit.dart b/lib/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit.dart
index fe363b0f..5bbb5018 100644
--- a/lib/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit.dart
@@ -45,11 +45,22 @@ class KycCubit extends Cubit<KycState> {
 
   Future<void> checkKyc({String? context}) async {
     _kycContext = context ?? _kycContext;
+    // The merge-processing waiting screen must survive a slow refresh: the
+    // backend may still be re-parenting the merge when the user taps refresh,
+    // and surfacing the watchdog timeout as KycFailure would route them to the
+    // error screen — the exact failure mode the waiting page exists to avoid.
+    // Captured before _runCheckKyc, which immediately replaces the state with
+    // KycLoading.
+    final wasMergeProcessing = state is KycMergeProcessing;
     final generation = ++_runGeneration;
     try {
       await _runCheckKyc(generation).timeout(_checkKycTimeout);
     } on TimeoutException {
       if (isClosed || generation != _runGeneration) return;
+      if (wasMergeProcessing) {
+        emit(const KycMergeProcessing());
+        return;
+      }
       emit(const KycFailure('KYC backend did not respond in time'));
     } catch (e) {
       if (isClosed || generation != _runGeneration) return;
diff --git a/test/goldens/screens/home/goldens/macos/home_page_loaded.png b/test/goldens/screens/home/goldens/macos/home_page_loaded.png
index 4dd0c568..84de9124 100644
Binary files a/test/goldens/screens/home/goldens/macos/home_page_loaded.png and b/test/goldens/screens/home/goldens/macos/home_page_loaded.png differ
diff --git a/test/goldens/screens/kyc/goldens/macos/kyc_merge_processing_page_default.png b/test/goldens/screens/kyc/goldens/macos/kyc_merge_processing_page_default.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1da6cee3
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/goldens/screens/kyc/goldens/macos/kyc_merge_processing_page_default.png differ
diff --git a/test/goldens/screens/kyc/kyc_merge_processing_golden_test.dart b/test/goldens/screens/kyc/kyc_merge_processing_golden_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d164c8a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/goldens/screens/kyc/kyc_merge_processing_golden_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import 'package:bloc_test/bloc_test.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_bloc/flutter_bloc.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:mocktail/mocktail.dart';
+import 'package:realunit_wallet/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit.dart';
+import 'package:realunit_wallet/screens/kyc/subpages/kyc_merge_processing_page.dart';
+
+import '../../../helper/helper.dart';
+
+class _MockKycCubit extends MockCubit<KycState> implements KycCubit {}
+
+void main() {
+  late _MockKycCubit kycCubit;
+
+  setUp(() {
+    kycCubit = _MockKycCubit();
+    when(() => kycCubit.state).thenReturn(const KycInitial());
+  });
+
+  group('$KycMergeProcessingPage', () {
+    goldenTest(
+      'default state',
+      fileName: 'kyc_merge_processing_page_default',
+      constraints: phoneConstraints,
+      // The page shows a CupertinoActivityIndicator (an endless animation), so
+      // pumpAndSettle would never settle — pump a single frame instead.
+      pumpBeforeTest: pumpOnce,
+      builder: () => wrapForGolden(
+        BlocProvider<KycCubit>.value(
+          value: kycCubit,
+          child: const KycMergeProcessingPage(),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit_test.dart b/test/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit_test.dart
index 6752dcf6..9aabea0a 100644
--- a/test/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit_test.dart
+++ b/test/screens/kyc/cubits/kyc/kyc_cubit_test.dart
@@ -919,6 +919,50 @@ void main() {
         });
       },
     );
+
+    // A slow refresh from the merge-processing waiting screen must NOT route the
+    // user to the error screen: when the watchdog fires and the previous state
+    // was KycMergeProcessing, the cubit returns to KycMergeProcessing instead of
+    // emitting KycFailure. Contrast with the watchdog test above (non-merge
+    // state -> KycFailure), which still holds.
+    test(
+      'stays on KycMergeProcessing instead of KycFailure when a refresh exceeds the timeout',
+      () {
+        fakeAsync((async) {
+          // Phase 1: backend reports MergeProcessing -> cubit reaches the waiting state.
+          when(() => kycService.getKycStatus()).thenAnswer(
+            (_) async => _kycStatus(
+              level: KycLevel.level20,
+              processStatus: KycProcessStatus.mergeProcessing,
+            ),
+          );
+          when(() => kycService.getUser()).thenAnswer((_) async => _user());
+
+          final cubit = buildCubit();
+          final states = <KycState>[];
+          final sub = cubit.stream.listen(states.add);
+
+          cubit.markLegalDisclaimerAccepted();
+          unawaited(cubit.checkKyc());
+          async.flushMicrotasks();
+
+          // Phase 2: refresh while the backend hangs past the 30s watchdog.
+          when(() => kycService.getKycStatus()).thenAnswer((_) => Completer<KycLevelDto>().future);
+          unawaited(cubit.checkKyc());
+          async.elapse(const Duration(seconds: 31));
+
+          expect(states, [
+            const KycLoading(),
+            const KycMergeProcessing(),
+            const KycLoading(),
+            const KycMergeProcessing(),
+          ]);
+
+          sub.cancel();
+          cubit.close();
+        });
+      },
+    );
   });
 
   group('$KycCubit context forwarding', () {