diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
index 5444a394..982d05b0 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/web_ui.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ use crate::login::LoginState;
 use crate::login_session::{LoginSession, drop_if_finished};
 use crate::turn::TurnFiles;
 
+/// Deadline for broker-backed fetches on web-UI request paths. The
+/// page's critical fields (status, turn state, usage) are all
+/// in-memory; a busy or stalled hive-c0re must degrade the
+/// socket-backed extras (inbox rows, loose ends, reminder stats)
+/// instead of hanging the whole response — an unbounded await here is
+/// what let `/api/state` stall long enough to bork the terminal.
+const SOCKET_FETCH_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(3);
+
 /// Live login state for the web UI. The harness updates this in place as it
 /// transitions between `NeedsLogin` and `Online`; the UI reads on each
 /// render.
@@ -512,18 +520,22 @@ struct SessionView {
 /// the `mcp__hyperhive__get_loose_ends` tool sees from inside the
 /// container.
 async fn api_loose_ends(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Response {
-    let loose_ends: Vec<hive_sh4re::LooseEnd> = match client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
-        &state.socket,
-        &hive_sh4re::Request::GetLooseEnds { agent: None },
+    let loose_ends: Vec<hive_sh4re::LooseEnd> = match tokio::time::timeout(
+        SOCKET_FETCH_TIMEOUT,
+        client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
+            &state.socket,
+            &hive_sh4re::Request::GetLooseEnds { agent: None },
+        ),
     )
     .await
     {
-        Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::LooseEnds { loose_ends }) => loose_ends,
-        Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Err { message }) => {
+        Ok(Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::LooseEnds { loose_ends })) => loose_ends,
+        Ok(Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Err { message })) => {
             return error_response(&format!("get_loose_ends: {message}"));
         }
-        Ok(other) => return error_response(&format!("unexpected response: {other:?}")),
-        Err(e) => return error_response(&format!("transport: {e:#}")),
+        Ok(Ok(other)) => return error_response(&format!("unexpected response: {other:?}")),
+        Ok(Err(e)) => return error_response(&format!("transport: {e:#}")),
+        Err(_) => return error_response("get_loose_ends: timed out — hive-c0re busy, retry"),
     };
     axum::Json(serde_json::json!({ "loose_ends": loose_ends })).into_response()
 }
@@ -813,13 +825,18 @@ struct ExtraLink {
 /// failure — the inbox section is decorative, not authoritative.
 async fn recent_inbox(socket: &std::path::Path) -> Vec<hive_sh4re::InboxRow> {
     const LIMIT: u64 = 30;
-    match client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
-        socket,
-        &hive_sh4re::Request::Recent { limit: LIMIT },
+    // Deadline-bounded: `/api/state` must render even when hive-c0re is
+    // busy — an empty inbox section beats a hung snapshot.
+    match tokio::time::timeout(
+        SOCKET_FETCH_TIMEOUT,
+        client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
+            socket,
+            &hive_sh4re::Request::Recent { limit: LIMIT },
+        ),
     )
     .await
     {
-        Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Recent { rows }) => rows,
+        Ok(Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Recent { rows })) => rows,
         _ => Vec::new(),
     }
 }
@@ -831,16 +848,19 @@ async fn fetch_reminder_stats(
     socket: &std::path::Path,
     window_secs: u64,
 ) -> Option<hive_sh4re::ReminderStats> {
-    match client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
-        socket,
-        &hive_sh4re::Request::ReminderRollup {
-            since_secs: window_secs,
-            agent: None,
-        },
+    match tokio::time::timeout(
+        SOCKET_FETCH_TIMEOUT,
+        client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
+            socket,
+            &hive_sh4re::Request::ReminderRollup {
+                since_secs: window_secs,
+                agent: None,
+            },
+        ),
     )
     .await
     {
-        Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::ReminderRollup(stats)) => Some(stats),
+        Ok(Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::ReminderRollup(stats))) => Some(stats),
         _ => None,
     }
 }
@@ -859,16 +879,20 @@ async fn post_send(State(state): State<AppState>, Form(form): Form<SendForm>) ->
     if body.is_empty() {
         return error_response("send: `body` required");
     }
-    let result = match client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
-        &state.socket,
-        &hive_sh4re::Request::OperatorMsg { body },
+    let result = match tokio::time::timeout(
+        SOCKET_FETCH_TIMEOUT,
+        client::request::<_, hive_sh4re::Response>(
+            &state.socket,
+            &hive_sh4re::Request::OperatorMsg { body },
+        ),
     )
     .await
     {
-        Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Ok) => Ok(()),
-        Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Err { message }) => Err(message),
-        Ok(other) => Err(format!("unexpected response: {other:?}")),
-        Err(e) => Err(format!("transport: {e:#}")),
+        Ok(Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Ok)) => Ok(()),
+        Ok(Ok(hive_sh4re::Response::Err { message })) => Err(message),
+        Ok(Ok(other)) => Err(format!("unexpected response: {other:?}")),
+        Ok(Err(e)) => Err(format!("transport: {e:#}")),
+        Err(_) => Err("timed out — hive-c0re busy, retry".to_owned()),
     };
     match result {
         // 200 instead of 303 → the client doesn't refetch /api/state.