diff --git a/src/char/i_char.py b/src/char/i_char.py
index b146f56..f67cd6e 100644
--- a/src/char/i_char.py
+++ b/src/char/i_char.py
@@ -329,10 +329,20 @@ class IChar:
                 break
             self._weapon_switch()
             keyboard.send(Config().char["battle_command"])
-            # Skill icon takes ~0.5s to update after the hotkey; checking too early
-            # fails every first pass and costs a full extra swap cycle per game.
-            wait(0.6, 0.8)
-            if skills.is_right_skill_selected(["BC", "BO"]):
+            # Skill icon takes anywhere from ~0.3s to ~0.9s to update after the
+            # hotkey. A single fixed-wait-then-check raced this and consistently
+            # logged a false "failed" (the very next loop pass would see the
+            # skill just fine, with no extra wait in between) — poll instead so
+            # we catch it the moment it renders, and only swap weapons again if
+            # it genuinely never shows up.
+            found = False
+            poll_start = time.time()
+            while time.time() - poll_start < 1.2:
+                if skills.is_right_skill_selected(["BC", "BO"]):
+                    found = True
+                    break
+                wait(0.1, 0.15)
+            if found:
                 switch_success = True
                 break
             else: