diff --git a/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.spec.ts b/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f20ee2bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import { MongoServer } from './mongoserver';
+import type { MongoClient } from 'mongodb';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+
+describe('MongoServer._ensureMatchingMetadataColl', function () {
+  let server: MongoServer;
+
+  beforeEach(function () {
+    server = new MongoServer();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function () {
+    sinon.restore();
+  });
+
+  function makeClient(responses: Array<Record<string, unknown>>): {
+    client: MongoClient;
+    commandStub: sinon.SinonStub;
+  } {
+    let callCount = 0;
+    const commandStub = sinon
+      .stub()
+      .callsFake(() => responses[Math.min(callCount++, responses.length - 1)]);
+    const client = {
+      db: sinon.stub().returns({ command: commandStub }),
+    } as unknown as MongoClient;
+    return { client, commandStub };
+  }
+
+  it('skips metadata check immediately when hello already reports arbiterOnly', async function () {
+    server.isArbiter = true;
+    const { client, commandStub } = makeClient([{ arbiterOnly: true }]);
+
+    await (server as any)._ensureMatchingMetadataColl(client, 'insert-new');
+
+    // Only the initial hello call; no retries needed.
+    expect(commandStub).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+  });
+
+  it('retries hello until arbiterOnly is confirmed when arbiter has not yet converged', async function () {
+    server.isArbiter = true;
+    // First hello returns nothing; second (inside eventually) returns arbiterOnly.
+    const { client, commandStub } = makeClient([{}, { arbiterOnly: true }]);
+
+    await (server as any)._ensureMatchingMetadataColl(client, 'insert-new');
+
+    // Two hello calls: the initial one and one successful retry.
+    expect(commandStub.callCount).to.equal(2);
+  });
+
+  it('throws after timeout when isArbiter is true but server never reports arbiterOnly', async function () {
+    server.isArbiter = true;
+    const { client } = makeClient([{}]); // never returns arbiterOnly: true
+
+    let err: Error | undefined;
+    try {
+      await (server as any)._ensureMatchingMetadataColl(client, 'insert-new', {
+        intervalMs: 10,
+        timeoutMs: 50,
+      });
+    } catch (e) {
+      err = e as Error;
+    }
+
+    expect(err?.message).to.include(
+      'Arbiter flag mismatch -- server should be arbiter but hello indicates it is not',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('skips metadata check when hello reports arbiterOnly but isArbiter is not yet set', async function () {
+    // Simulates the deserialize() ordering: isArbiter is assigned after _populateBuildInfo runs.
+    server.isArbiter = false;
+    const { client, commandStub } = makeClient([{ arbiterOnly: true }]);
+
+    await (server as any)._ensureMatchingMetadataColl(client, 'restore-check');
+
+    expect(commandStub).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.ts b/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.ts
index ec88dd13..8cf5b9d1 100644
--- a/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.ts
+++ b/packages/mongodb-runner/src/mongoserver.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   jsonClone,
   makeConnectionString,
   sleep,
+  eventually,
 } from './util';
 
 /**
@@ -421,17 +422,33 @@ export class MongoServer extends EventEmitter<MongoServerEvents> {
   private async _ensureMatchingMetadataColl(
     client: MongoClient,
     mode: 'insert-new' | 'restore-check',
+    retryOptions?: { intervalMs?: number; timeoutMs?: number },
   ): Promise<void> {
-    const hello = await client.db('admin').command({ hello: 1 });
-    const { arbiterOnly } = hello;
-    if (arbiterOnly === this.isArbiter) {
-      debug('skipping metadata check for arbiter');
+    let hello = await client.db('admin').command({ hello: 1 });
+    if (this.isArbiter) {
+      // RS convergence: hello.arbiterOnly may lag behind the RS config while the
+      // member transitions to ARBITER state. Retry until confirmed or timeout.
+      if (!hello.arbiterOnly) {
+        await eventually(
+          async () => {
+            hello = await client.db('admin').command({ hello: 1 });
+            if (!hello.arbiterOnly) {
+              throw new Error(
+                'Arbiter flag mismatch -- server should be arbiter but hello indicates it is not',
+              );
+            }
+          },
+          retryOptions ?? { intervalMs: 500, timeoutMs: 30_000 },
+        );
+      }
+      debug('skipping metadata check for confirmed arbiter');
       return;
     }
-    if (this.isArbiter) {
-      throw new Error(
-        'Arbiter flag mismatch -- server should be arbiter but hello indicates it is not',
-      );
+    if (hello.arbiterOnly) {
+      // isArbiter may not be set yet (e.g. during deserialize where it is
+      // assigned after _populateBuildInfo); skip metadata check.
+      debug('skipping metadata check for arbiter');
+      return;
     }
 
     const isMongoS = hello.msg === 'isdbgrid';