diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 14563b28..e1b6b3e4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -80,9 +80,12 @@ file](docs/tend.example.yaml) and a repo-local `/running-tend` skill.
 | **notifications** | Every 15 minutes           | Polls GitHub notifications, responds to unhandled mentions, marks handled threads as read.                                                                  |
 | **review-runs**   | Daily                      | Reviews recent CI runs for behavioral problems and proposes skill/config improvements.                                                                      |
 
-Scheduled workflows also support manual dispatch for testing. All are
-enabled by default except **ci-fix**, which requires `watched_workflows`
-to be configured. Any can be disabled:
+Scheduled workflows also support manual dispatch for testing. GitHub runs
+`schedule` triggers on a best-effort basis and drops ticks under load, so
+the intervals above are the requested cadence rather than a guarantee —
+observed gaps between runs are routinely longer. All are enabled by
+default except **ci-fix**, which requires `watched_workflows` to be
+configured. Any can be disabled:
 
 ```yaml
 workflows:
diff --git a/docs/tend.example.yaml b/docs/tend.example.yaml
index c7a0b987..31e2513e 100644
--- a/docs/tend.example.yaml
+++ b/docs/tend.example.yaml
@@ -211,6 +211,9 @@ bot_name: my-project-bot
 # - `prompt` (string) — override the default skill invocation
 #
 # Scheduled workflows also accept `cron` to override their default schedule.
+# GitHub runs `schedule` triggers on a best-effort basis and drops ticks under
+# load, so a cron is the requested cadence rather than a guarantee — observed
+# gaps between runs are routinely longer than the interval.
 #
 # workflows:
 #   notifications:
diff --git a/plugins/install-tend/skills/install-tend/references/tend.example.yaml b/plugins/install-tend/skills/install-tend/references/tend.example.yaml
index c7a0b987..31e2513e 100644
--- a/plugins/install-tend/skills/install-tend/references/tend.example.yaml
+++ b/plugins/install-tend/skills/install-tend/references/tend.example.yaml
@@ -211,6 +211,9 @@ bot_name: my-project-bot
 # - `prompt` (string) — override the default skill invocation
 #
 # Scheduled workflows also accept `cron` to override their default schedule.
+# GitHub runs `schedule` triggers on a best-effort basis and drops ticks under
+# load, so a cron is the requested cadence rather than a guarantee — observed
+# gaps between runs are routinely longer than the interval.
 #
 # workflows:
 #   notifications: