diff --git a/docs/networking/snapshot-store.md b/docs/networking/snapshot-store.md
index 8281427a..9669a765 100644
--- a/docs/networking/snapshot-store.md
+++ b/docs/networking/snapshot-store.md
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ the case the store exists to serve.
 A `btrfs send` stream carries no notion of _which agent_ it belongs to,
 and the subvolume name inside it's chosen by the sender. The
 protocol is one `agent <name>` header line, then the raw stream.
+The receiver waits 30 s for the header, and systemd stops a transfer
+that runs past 6 h in total. The sender gives connect and header write 15 s
+each; it puts no limit on the stream itself.
 
 The rule that matters:
 
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/snapshot_push.rs b/hive-c0re/src/snapshot_push.rs
index 3098c6d3..de53f7ec 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/snapshot_push.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/snapshot_push.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 //! exists to serve.
 
 use std::os::fd::OwnedFd;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anyhow::{Context as _, Result, bail};
 use hive_priv_sock::PrivRequest;
@@ -32,6 +33,15 @@ use crate::priv_client;
 /// `services.hyperhive.swarm.snapshotStore`.
 const STORE_ENV: &str = "HYPERHIVE_SNAPSHOT_STORE";
 
+/// Deadline for the TCP connect to the store. An unreachable mesh address
+/// otherwise waits out the kernel's own connect timeout while holding the
+/// admin-socket handler.
+const CONNECT_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(15);
+
+/// Deadline for writing and flushing the one header line into a connected
+/// socket. Shorter than the receiver's own header deadline.
+const HEADER_WRITE_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(15);
+
 /// Send `snapshot` of `agent` to the swarm's snapshot store, optionally
 /// as an incremental against `parent`.
 ///
@@ -43,21 +53,7 @@ pub async fn push_agent_snapshot(agent: &str, snapshot: &str, parent: Option<&st
     let configured = std::env::var(STORE_ENV).ok();
     let addr = require_store_addr(configured.as_deref())?;
 
-    let mut sock = TcpStream::connect(addr)
-        .await
-        .with_context(|| format!("connect to the swarm snapshot store at {addr}"))?;
-
-    // The header names which agent this stream belongs to: a btrfs
-    // stream carries the sender's own subvolume name, not the hive's
-    // notion of the agent, so the receiver cannot infer it. One line,
-    // because the receiver reads it with `read` and must not buffer
-    // past the newline into the byte stream.
-    sock.write_all(format!("agent {agent}\n").as_bytes())
-        .await
-        .context("send header to the swarm snapshot store")?;
-    sock.flush()
-        .await
-        .context("flush header to the swarm snapshot store")?;
+    let sock = open_stream(addr, agent).await?;
 
     // Hand the connected socket over. `call_with_fd` takes ownership and
     // closes our copy as soon as the kernel has it, so the receiver sees
@@ -92,6 +88,38 @@ pub async fn push_agent_snapshot(agent: &str, snapshot: &str, parent: Option<&st
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Connect to the store and write the protocol header.
+///
+/// The header names which agent this stream belongs to: a btrfs stream
+/// carries the sender's own subvolume name, not the hive's notion of the
+/// agent, so the receiver cannot infer it. One line, because the receiver
+/// reads it with `read` and must not buffer past the newline into the byte
+/// stream. Only the connect and the header are bounded; the stream body that
+/// follows is `btrfs send` writing straight into the socket and may take as
+/// long as the snapshot is large.
+async fn open_stream(addr: &str, agent: &str) -> Result<TcpStream> {
+    let mut sock = tokio::time::timeout(CONNECT_TIMEOUT, TcpStream::connect(addr))
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| {
+            format!(
+                "connect to the swarm snapshot store at {addr} timed out after {CONNECT_TIMEOUT:?}"
+            )
+        })?
+        .with_context(|| format!("connect to the swarm snapshot store at {addr}"))?;
+
+    tokio::time::timeout(HEADER_WRITE_TIMEOUT, async {
+        sock.write_all(format!("agent {agent}\n").as_bytes())
+            .await?;
+        sock.flush().await
+    })
+    .await
+    .with_context(|| {
+        format!("send header to the swarm snapshot store timed out after {HEADER_WRITE_TIMEOUT:?}")
+    })?
+    .context("send header to the swarm snapshot store")?;
+    Ok(sock)
+}
+
 /// Turn a tokio socket into a descriptor safe to hand to `btrfs send`.
 ///
 /// tokio sockets are `O_NONBLOCK`, and `into_std` does not clear it. The
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-snapshot-store.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-snapshot-store.nix
index f8906890..cc631300 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-snapshot-store.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-snapshot-store.nix
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ let
   # address must be the bare IP, so strip it.
   meshAddress = lib.head (lib.splitString "/" wgCfg.address);
 
+  # How long a connected peer may stay silent before sending the header
+  # line. The sender writes it immediately after connecting, so this only
+  # ever expires for a peer that is not a hive.
+  headerTimeoutSeconds = 30;
+
   # The receiver. Socket-activated with Accept=yes, so stdin IS the
   # accepted connection and systemd hands us the peer address in
   # $REMOTE_ADDR --- which, on this interface, is a cryptographically
@@ -57,8 +62,15 @@ let
     # Read exactly the header line, leaving the byte stream untouched
     # for btrfs receive. `read` stops at the newline and does not
     # buffer ahead, which is why the header is a line and not a
-    # fixed-width record.
-    if ! read -r keyword agent; then
+    # fixed-width record. `-t` bounds the wait: a peer that connects
+    # and stays silent would otherwise hold this root instance forever.
+    # `read` exits above 128 on timeout and 1 on EOF.
+    rc=0
+    read -r -t ${toString headerTimeoutSeconds} keyword agent || rc=$?
+    if [ "$rc" -gt 128 ]; then
+      echo "swarm-snapshot-store: peer ''${REMOTE_ADDR:-?} sent no header within ${toString headerTimeoutSeconds}s" >&2
+      exit 1
+    elif [ "$rc" -ne 0 ]; then
       echo "swarm-snapshot-store: peer ''${REMOTE_ADDR:-?} closed before sending a header" >&2
       exit 1
     fi
@@ -236,6 +248,13 @@ in
         StandardInput = "socket";
         StandardError = "journal";
         User = "root";
+        # Upper bound on one whole transfer, header to the last byte of
+        # `btrfs receive`. Snapshots are whole agent state roots and run to
+        # multiple gigabytes (hive-priv `send_agent_snapshot_to_fd`); no
+        # tighter bound is documented, so this is sized for ~100 GB at
+        # 5 MB/s (about 5.6 h), not measured. A stalled receive is killed
+        # here instead of holding a root instance indefinitely.
+        RuntimeMaxSec = "6h";
         PrivateTmp = true;
         ProtectHome = true;
         ProtectSystem = "strict";