diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 9355867..db713ef 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ haystack-enterprise deploy pipeline.py SERVICE
 Redirect with `--output`, never with `>`. The CLI's logger writes to stdout, so a shell redirect
 interleaves warning lines into the YAML or JSON and the result no longer parses.
 
-Exit codes worth knowing: 1 for validation, transform, and API errors; 130 when `run` is interrupted;
-and 0 when a `deploy` rollout is detached or times out. A zero exit from `deploy` does not mean the
-service is serving — confirm with `haystack-enterprise service-status SERVICE`.
+Exit codes worth knowing: 1 for validation, transform, and API errors, and for a `deploy` rollout that
+fails or does not finish within the wait limit; 130 when `run` is interrupted; and 0 when you detach from
+a `deploy` on purpose (Ctrl-C or `--skip-activation`). A rollout that timed out may still come up —
+confirm with `haystack-enterprise service-status SERVICE`.
 
 Set `CI=true` to replace spinners and progress bars with plain line output.
 
diff --git a/docs/guides/deploy-a-pipeline.md b/docs/guides/deploy-a-pipeline.md
index bd6e1a8..76ccfe6 100644
--- a/docs/guides/deploy-a-pipeline.md
+++ b/docs/guides/deploy-a-pipeline.md
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ A pipeline with conventionally named sockets (`query`, `answers`, `replies`, `do
 inference and asks nothing. Pin the mapping in `<pipeline>.io.yaml` (or `--io-config`) to skip the
 questions entirely; `--share` reviews the whole mapping instead (see below).
 
-If you interrupt the command (Ctrl-C) during rollout, the rollout continues on the platform. Check
-progress any time with:
+If you interrupt the command (Ctrl-C) during rollout, the rollout continues on the platform and the
+command exits 0, since you detached on purpose. Check progress any time with:
 
 ```shell
 haystack-enterprise service-status my-service
@@ -407,6 +407,19 @@ appends a new line per repaint, so a multi-minute rollout becomes thousands of l
 Set `CI=false` (or unset it) to force the animations back on. Independently of `CI`, `run` never
 animates when its stdout is redirected, so a piped JSON payload stays parseable.
 
+### What the job result means
+
+The exit code of `deploy` answers "is the new revision serving?", so a CI job that passes can be trusted:
+
+- **Exit 0**: the revision is serving (a serverless service activated it, or a managed rollout reached
+  `DEPLOYED` or `IDLE`), or you chose not to activate it with `--skip-activation`, which pushes the revision
+  and says so. Interrupting with Ctrl-C also exits 0.
+- **Exit 1**: the rollout failed, **or it did not finish within the wait limit** (10 minutes). In the second
+  case the rollout continues on the platform and the service may still come up; check with
+  `haystack-enterprise service-status my-service`, then re-run the job or fix the service.
+
+To push a revision without waiting for a rollout, use `--skip-activation` and activate it later.
+
 To pass CI secrets to the service, expose them to the step's environment and name them with a bare
 `--env`. A GitHub Actions example:
 
diff --git a/haystack_enterprise_sdk/cli.py b/haystack_enterprise_sdk/cli.py
index a1dc61a..964e511 100644
--- a/haystack_enterprise_sdk/cli.py
+++ b/haystack_enterprise_sdk/cli.py
@@ -1010,7 +1010,8 @@ def _on_status(status: object) -> None:
         )
     elif result.timed_out:
         typer.echo(
-            f"Activation of '{service_name}' is still in progress. Detached; the rollout continues. "
+            f"The rollout of '{service_name}' did not finish within the wait limit, so the new revision is "
+            f"not confirmed to be serving. The rollout continues on the platform. "
             f"Check with `haystack-enterprise service-status {service_name}`."
         )
     elif result.deployment.deployment_mode is DeploymentMode.SERVERLESS:
@@ -1030,6 +1031,10 @@ def _on_status(status: object) -> None:
         )
         _echo_endpoint(client, service_name, result, shared=bool(share))
 
+    # A job result answers "is the new revision serving?", so an unfinished rollout must not look like success.
+    if result.timed_out:
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
 
 @cli_app.command()
 def validate(
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cli_deploy.py b/tests/unit/test_cli_deploy.py
index ba2f415..3c43e9a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cli_deploy.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cli_deploy.py
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ def test_deploy_activates_by_default(self, client_cls: Mock) -> None:
     def test_deploy_activate_timed_out(self, client_cls: Mock) -> None:
         client_cls.return_value.deploy.return_value = _result(activated=True, timed_out=True)
         result = runner.invoke(cli_app, ["deploy", FIXTURE, "svc"])
-        assert result.exit_code == 0
-        assert "still in progress" in result.stdout
+        assert result.exit_code == 1
+        assert "did not finish within the wait limit" in result.stdout
 
     @patch("haystack_enterprise_sdk.cli.DeploymentClient")
     def test_deploy_failure_exits_1(self, client_cls: Mock) -> None:
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ def test_deploy_share_skipped_when_not_deployed(self, client_cls: Mock) -> None:
         # Rollout timed out: the service never reached DEPLOYED, so the prototype must not be attempted.
         client_cls.return_value.deploy.return_value = _result(activated=True, timed_out=True)
         result = runner.invoke(cli_app, ["deploy", FIXTURE, "svc", "--share"])
-        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert result.exit_code == 1
         assert "Skipped shared prototype" in result.stdout
         client_cls.return_value.create_shared_prototype.assert_not_called()
 
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ def test_no_endpoint_when_rollout_timed_out(self, client_cls: Mock) -> None:
         _stub_endpoint(client_cls)
         client_cls.return_value.deploy.return_value = _result(activated=True, timed_out=True)
         result = runner.invoke(cli_app, ["deploy", FIXTURE, "svc"])
-        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert result.exit_code == 1
         assert "chat/completions" not in result.stdout
 
     @patch("haystack_enterprise_sdk.cli.DeploymentClient")