diff --git a/.changeset/mysql-test-timeout.md b/.changeset/mysql-test-timeout.md
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+---
+'@backstage/backend-test-utils': patch
+---
+
+Increased MySQL connection and pool timeouts to reduce flaky `connect ETIMEDOUT` failures in CI. The test MySQL container now also uses `mysql_native_password` for cheaper connection handshakes and disables binary logging.