diff --git a/docs/context_engine.md b/docs/context_engine.md
index 3a88338..53557d5 100644
--- a/docs/context_engine.md
+++ b/docs/context_engine.md
@@ -85,6 +85,19 @@ Before a provider request, Exoshell checks enabled context against the configure
 
 Pruning is deterministic and non-mutating. Low-priority unpinned entries are selected for removal first. Pinned entries and critical-priority entries are preserved as long as possible.
 
+## Provider Waiting and Timeouts
+
+Provider requests are bounded by:
+
+```toml
+[provider]
+request_timeout_seconds = 120
+```
+
+The default is 120 seconds. Exoshell prints a waiting message before sending a provider request so slow local model inference is visible. If the timeout is exceeded, Exoshell records the timeout in the transcript and returns to the REPL.
+
+Keyboard interrupt behavior is still terminal-level: interrupting the process stops the active request, and normal transcript writing happens when the REPL exits cleanly.
+
 ## Transcripts
 
 Context lifecycle events are recorded as metadata:
diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 2f1ce1c..66e5aa2 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::context::{
@@ -57,10 +58,19 @@ impl App {
             stream: false,
         };
 
-        let response = match self.provider.chat(request).await {
-            Ok(ChatResponse::Complete(response)) => response,
-            Ok(ChatResponse::Stream(chunks)) => chunks.concat(),
-            Err(error) => {
+        let timeout = Duration::from_secs(self.config.provider.request_timeout_seconds);
+        let response = match tokio::time::timeout(timeout, self.provider.chat(request)).await {
+            Err(_) => {
+                let message = format!(
+                    "provider request timed out after {} seconds",
+                    self.config.provider.request_timeout_seconds
+                );
+                self.transcript.record_error(&message);
+                return Err(AppError::Provider(ProviderError::Network(message)));
+            }
+            Ok(Ok(ChatResponse::Complete(response))) => response,
+            Ok(Ok(ChatResponse::Stream(chunks))) => chunks.concat(),
+            Ok(Err(error)) => {
                 self.transcript.record_error(&error.to_string());
                 return Err(error.into());
             }
@@ -612,6 +622,20 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(seen.lock().expect("seen lock").is_empty());
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn provider_request_times_out() {
+        let mut config = test_config();
+        config.provider.request_timeout_seconds = 0;
+        let mut app = App::new(config, Box::new(SlowProvider));
+
+        let error = app
+            .send("hello".into())
+            .await
+            .expect_err("request should time out");
+
+        assert!(error.to_string().contains("timed out"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn stdin_context_uses_default_provider_path() {
         let mut app = App::new(test_config(), Box::new(NoopProvider));
@@ -647,6 +671,16 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    struct SlowProvider;
+
+    #[async_trait::async_trait]
+    impl Provider for SlowProvider {
+        async fn chat(&self, _request: ChatRequest) -> Result<ChatResponse, ProviderError> {
+            tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)).await;
+            Ok(ChatResponse::Complete("late".into()))
+        }
+    }
+
     fn test_config() -> Config {
         Config {
             provider: ProviderConfig {
diff --git a/src/repl.rs b/src/repl.rs
index 2124e71..5c4013d 100644
--- a/src/repl.rs
+++ b/src/repl.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ impl Repl {
                 continue;
             }
 
+            println!("waiting for provider response...");
             match self.app.send(input).await {
                 Ok(response) => println!("\n{}\n", render_assistant_output(&response)),
                 Err(error) => eprintln!("request failed: {error}"),