diff --git a/src/commands/migrate/verify.ts b/src/commands/migrate/verify.ts
index 5b40def..6bdd2d2 100644
--- a/src/commands/migrate/verify.ts
+++ b/src/commands/migrate/verify.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ export default class MigrateVerify extends BaseCommand {
       description: "The migration file to run",
       required: true,
     }),
+    "skip-build": Flags.boolean({
+      description: "Use the existing dist/ build instead of building first",
+      default: false,
+    }),
     json: Flags.boolean({
       description: "Print the result as JSON",
       default: false,
@@ -32,7 +36,8 @@ export default class MigrateVerify extends BaseCommand {
       process.cwd(),
       path.resolve(flags.baseline),
       flags.migration,
-      cliBinPath(this.config.root)
+      cliBinPath(this.config.root),
+      flags["skip-build"]
     );
     report(
       (s) => this.log(s),
diff --git a/src/commands/test/smoke.ts b/src/commands/test/smoke.ts
index ce917c6..f191a1a 100644
--- a/src/commands/test/smoke.ts
+++ b/src/commands/test/smoke.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ export default class TestSmoke extends BaseCommand {
   static examples = [`$ apso test smoke`];
 
   static flags = {
+    "skip-build": Flags.boolean({
+      description: "Use the existing dist/ build instead of building first",
+      default: false,
+    }),
     json: Flags.boolean({
       description: "Print the result as JSON",
       default: false,
@@ -21,7 +25,9 @@ export default class TestSmoke extends BaseCommand {
     const { entities, auth } = parseApsorc();
     // With auth configured every entity route needs a session, so only /health is checked.
     const names = auth ? [] : entities.map((e) => e.name);
-    const result = await smokeTest(process.cwd(), names);
+    const result = await smokeTest(process.cwd(), names, {
+      skipBuild: flags["skip-build"],
+    });
     report(
       (s) => this.log(s),
       result,
diff --git a/src/lib/verify/index.ts b/src/lib/verify/index.ts
index 36d4205..282b2cb 100644
--- a/src/lib/verify/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/verify/index.ts
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ export async function verifyMigration(
   projectDir: string,
   baselineApsorc: string,
   migrationFile: string,
-  cliBin: string
+  cliBin: string,
+  skipBuild = false
 ): Promise<CheckResult> {
   const dataDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "apso-pglite-"));
   const steps: Step[] = [];
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ export async function verifyMigration(
   try {
     if (!done(await buildBaseline(projectDir, baselineApsorc, dataDir, cliBin)))
       return { ok: false, steps };
-    if (!done(step("build", await build(projectDir))))
+    if (!skipBuild && !done(step("build", await build(projectDir))))
       return { ok: false, steps };
 
     const compiled = path
@@ -252,13 +253,16 @@ const freePort = () =>
 const get = (url: string) =>
   new Promise<{ status: number; body: string }>((resolve) => {
     http
-      .get(url, (res) => {
+      .get(url, { timeout: 15_000 }, (res) => {
         let body = "";
         res.on("data", (d) => {
           body += d;
         });
         res.on("end", () => resolve({ status: res.statusCode ?? 0, body }));
       })
+      .on("timeout", function (this: http.ClientRequest) {
+        this.destroy(new Error("No response within 15s"));
+      })
       .on("error", (e) => resolve({ status: 0, body: e.message }));
   });
 
@@ -271,7 +275,7 @@ const get = (url: string) =>
 export async function smokeTest(
   projectDir: string,
   entityNames: string[],
-  timeoutMs = 60_000
+  { skipBuild = false, timeoutMs = 60_000 } = {}
 ): Promise<CheckResult> {
   const dataDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "apso-pglite-"));
   const steps: Step[] = [];
@@ -281,7 +285,7 @@ export async function smokeTest(
   };
   let server: ReturnType<typeof spawn> | undefined;
   try {
-    if (!done(step("build", await build(projectDir))))
+    if (!skipBuild && !done(step("build", await build(projectDir))))
       return { ok: false, steps };
     if (
       !done(