diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index 2d19911b5..2df302a38 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -713,6 +713,17 @@ class DeriverSettings(HonchoSettings):
     ] = 1.0
     STALE_SESSION_TIMEOUT_MINUTES: Annotated[int, Field(default=5, gt=0, le=1440)] = 5
 
+    # Hard upper bound on a single work-unit pass through process_work_unit.
+    # If the inner LLM call hangs (e.g. CF Gateway streaming a Gemini response
+    # that never terminates), asyncio.wait_for raises TimeoutError, the
+    # `async with self.semaphore` block exits, and the slot is released so
+    # other workers can claim other work units. Without this bound the worker
+    # pool deadlocks: all N slots held by hung tasks, semaphore permanently
+    # locked, polling loop never reaches cleanup_stale_work_units.
+    WORK_UNIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS: Annotated[
+        int, Field(default=600, gt=0, le=7200)
+    ] = 600
+
     # Retention window (seconds) for keeping errored items in the queue
     QUEUE_ERROR_RETENTION_SECONDS: Annotated[
         int, Field(default=30 * 24 * 3600, gt=0)
diff --git a/src/deriver/queue_manager.py b/src/deriver/queue_manager.py
index ee13743be..5d0851632 100644
--- a/src/deriver/queue_manager.py
+++ b/src/deriver/queue_manager.py
@@ -384,14 +384,26 @@ async def polling_loop(self) -> None:
                     self.queue_empty_flag.clear()
                     continue
 
-                # Check if we have capacity before querying
+                # Always reap stale AQS rows, even when the pool is full.
+                # Previously this was gated behind `if self.semaphore.locked()`
+                # below — which deadlocks the system when all workers are
+                # wedged on a hung LLM call: cleanup never runs, AQS rows go
+                # unbounded, no new claims possible. Cleanup is cheap; do it
+                # unconditionally on every poll tick.
+                try:
+                    await self.cleanup_stale_work_units()
+                except Exception as cleanup_exc:
+                    logger.exception(
+                        "Stale work unit cleanup failed: %s", cleanup_exc
+                    )
+
+                # Check if we have capacity before querying for new work
                 if self.semaphore.locked():
                     # logger.debug("All workers busy, waiting")
                     await asyncio.sleep(settings.DERIVER.POLLING_SLEEP_INTERVAL_SECONDS)
                     continue
 
                 try:
-                    await self.cleanup_stale_work_units()
                     await self.refresh_queue_health_metrics()
                     claimed_work_units = await self.get_and_claim_work_units()
                     if claimed_work_units:
@@ -843,12 +855,21 @@ async def process_work_unit(self, work_unit_key: str, worker_id: str) -> None:
                                     for item in items_to_process
                                     if item.message_id is not None
                                 ]
-                                await process_representation_batch(
-                                    messages_context,
-                                    message_level_configuration,
-                                    observers=observers,
-                                    observed=work_unit.observed,
-                                    queue_item_message_ids=queue_item_message_ids,
+                                # Bounded by DERIVER.WORK_UNIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS so a hung
+                                # LLM call (CF Gateway streaming a Gemini response that
+                                # never terminates) raises TimeoutError instead of holding
+                                # the semaphore forever. Without this the worker pool
+                                # deadlocks: every slot held by a hung call, no new claims
+                                # possible. See cleanup_stale_work_units gating fix above.
+                                await asyncio.wait_for(
+                                    process_representation_batch(
+                                        messages_context,
+                                        message_level_configuration,
+                                        observers=observers,
+                                        observed=work_unit.observed,
+                                        queue_item_message_ids=queue_item_message_ids,
+                                    ),
+                                    timeout=settings.DERIVER.WORK_UNIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
                                 )
                                 await self.mark_queue_items_as_processed(
                                     items_to_process, work_unit_key
@@ -873,7 +894,14 @@ async def process_work_unit(self, work_unit_key: str, worker_id: str) -> None:
                                 break
 
                             try:
-                                await process_item(queue_item)
+                                # Same WORK_UNIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS bound as the
+                                # representation path — covers summary/dream/webhook
+                                # task types so a hung specialist call cannot hold
+                                # the semaphore indefinitely.
+                                await asyncio.wait_for(
+                                    process_item(queue_item),
+                                    timeout=settings.DERIVER.WORK_UNIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+                                )
                                 await self.mark_queue_items_as_processed(
                                     [queue_item], work_unit_key
                                 )