diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ab36cd39c..4dac91fc6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,15 @@ matching `## [X.Y.Z]` section (plus install instructions). Do not maintain
 parallel copies under `docs/` or `scripts/notes/`. At cut time: rename
 `## [Unreleased]` to `## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD`, then run the release script.
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Changed
+
+- wait_agents default timeout stays a 30-second Enter hatch. The clamp is 30
+  minutes (was 5) so an explicit `timeout_ms` can cover a long typecheck or
+  full check. Timeout and abort still do not cancel workers. The wait does
+  not auto-extend while a child shell is in flight.
+
 ## [0.3.18] - 2026-09-08
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.test.ts b/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.test.ts
index 03ed6d9a0..634daae9a 100644
--- a/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.test.ts
+++ b/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.test.ts
@@ -130,6 +130,11 @@ describe("skywalkerPackage", () => {
     expect(p).toContain("timeout_ms");
     expect(p).toContain("answer them first");
     expect(p).toContain("Enter can land");
+    expect(p).toContain("do not tight-loop wait_agents");
+    expect(p).toContain("explicit large timeout_ms");
+    expect(p).toContain("does not auto-extend");
+    expect(p).not.toContain("timeout_ms: 1000");
+    expect(p).not.toContain("timeout_ms: MAX");
   });
 
   test("systemPrompt anti-cascade keeps digs out of fleets", () => {
diff --git a/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.ts b/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.ts
index 60284e49e..1a51cc8fd 100644
--- a/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.ts
+++ b/src/agent/directors/skywalker/package.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ You do not do the specialists' jobs by default. For tiny bounded product edits,
 
 Do not run long-blocking jobs on the parent (evals, full test suites, long installs, long-running implementation). Dispatch intern (mechanical shell), tester (suite / repro), or builder (substantial code). Path tools (write_file/edit_file/delete_file) are the DIY surface; shell file-writes stay denied.
 
-Idle-orchestrator: fire one or more spawn_agent calls in a turn — each returns immediately with an agent_id and does not hold the parent. Then **reply to the operator** with who is running and what happens next before you block. Prefer ending that turn (or calling wait_agents with a short timeout_ms) so Enter can land; do not immediately fuse into a long wait_agents right after spawn. wait_agents later on the targets you need (or omit targets to wait on this session's own uncollected spawns — never a sibling's). list_agents shows that same fleet without blocking. Use mode="all" when you need every target to finish; interrupt_agent unblocks wait_agents immediately. A timeout means still running — do not tight-loop wait_agents hoping for a different answer. Enter mid-run delivers at the next parent tool.boundary — a long parent run_shell or awaiting wait_agents holds those steers. A bare spawn_agent does not.
+Idle-orchestrator: fire one or more spawn_agent calls in a turn — each returns immediately with an agent_id and does not hold the parent. Then **reply to the operator** with who is running and what happens next before you block. Prefer ending that turn, or calling wait_agents with a short timeout_ms, so Enter can land; do not immediately fuse into a long wait_agents right after spawn. If the child job is long, pass an explicit large timeout_ms (up to the clamp) or end the turn (idle-with-fleet). wait_agents later on the targets you need (or omit targets to wait on this session's own uncollected spawns — never a sibling's). list_agents shows that same fleet without blocking. Use mode="all" when you need every target to finish; interrupt_agent unblocks wait_agents immediately. A timeout means still running — do not tight-loop wait_agents hoping for a different answer. timeout_ms is the max block for this call and is always honored; the wait does not auto-extend on child shells. A timeout is still not a kill and is not a cue to retry immediately. Enter mid-run delivers at the next parent tool.boundary — a long parent run_shell or awaiting wait_agents holds those steers. A bare spawn_agent does not.
 
 # Operator updates (mandatory while fleet is live)
 
diff --git a/src/subagent/agent-fleet.test.ts b/src/subagent/agent-fleet.test.ts
index 01ae267d4..0457dc6f1 100644
--- a/src/subagent/agent-fleet.test.ts
+++ b/src/subagent/agent-fleet.test.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,18 @@ import { mkdtemp, readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 
+import type { ReactorEmittedEvent } from "@intx/inference";
+
 import {
   createFleetMailbox,
   createSpawnAgentTool,
   createWaitAgentsTool,
   createListAgentsTool,
   MAX_FLEET_RECORDS,
+  DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  clampWaitTimeoutMs,
+  waitAgentsToolDefinition,
   type AgentFleetDeps,
 } from "./agent-fleet.js";
 import { createAdmissionQueue, unlimitedAdmissionQueue } from "./admission.js";
@@ -287,6 +293,29 @@ describe("spawn_agent + wait_agents", () => {
     expect(secondResults[0]!.report).toBe("finished");
   });
 
+  test("explicit short timeout_ms is honored even if a child has run_shell in flight", async () => {
+    const gate = deferred<RunSubAgentResult>();
+    const deps = makeDeps(async () => gate.promise);
+    const spawn = createSpawnAgentTool(deps);
+    const wait = createWaitAgentsTool({ sessions: deps.sessions, fleetRecords: deps.fleetRecords });
+
+    const spawned = await callTool(spawn, {
+      description: "slow job",
+      prompt: "do it",
+      intent: "explore",
+    });
+    const id = spawned.agent_id as string;
+    stampToolStart(deps.sessions, id, "run_shell", "call-shell");
+
+    const first = await callTool(wait, { targets: [id], timeout_ms: 50 });
+    expect(first.timed_out).toBe(true);
+    const firstResults = first.results as { agent_id: string; status: string }[];
+    expect(firstResults[0]!.status).toBe("running");
+    expect(deps.sessions.get(id)?.status).toBe("running");
+
+    gate.resolve({ report: "finished" });
+  });
+
   test("wait_agents with no targets waits on all uncollected agents in this fleet", async () => {
     const gates = [deferred<RunSubAgentResult>(), deferred<RunSubAgentResult>()];
     let callIndex = 0;
@@ -640,6 +669,50 @@ describe("wait mailbox session tombstone and pin", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("wait timeout helpers", () => {
+  test("default is a 30-second hatch and clamp is 30 minutes", () => {
+    expect(DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS).toBe(30_000);
+    expect(MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS).toBe(1_800_000);
+  });
+
+  test("clampWaitTimeoutMs floors at 0 and caps at MAX", () => {
+    expect(clampWaitTimeoutMs(DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS)).toBe(DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    expect(clampWaitTimeoutMs(MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS + 1)).toBe(MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    expect(clampWaitTimeoutMs(-10)).toBe(0);
+    expect(clampWaitTimeoutMs(0)).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  test("wait_agents description interpolates the hatch default and 30-minute clamp", () => {
+    expect(waitAgentsToolDefinition.description).toContain(String(DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS));
+    expect(waitAgentsToolDefinition.description).toContain(String(MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS));
+    expect(waitAgentsToolDefinition.description).toContain("tight zero-progress loop");
+    expect(waitAgentsToolDefinition.description).not.toContain("extends");
+    const timeoutSchema = (
+      waitAgentsToolDefinition.inputSchema as {
+        properties?: { timeout_ms?: { description?: string } };
+      }
+    ).properties?.timeout_ms;
+    expect(timeoutSchema?.description).toContain(String(DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS));
+    expect(timeoutSchema?.description).toContain(String(MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS));
+    expect(timeoutSchema?.description).toContain("Max time to block");
+    expect(timeoutSchema?.description).not.toContain("extends");
+  });
+});
+
+function stampToolStart(
+  sessions: ReturnType<typeof createSubAgentSessionStore>,
+  id: string,
+  name: string,
+  callId: string,
+  seq = 1,
+): void {
+  sessions.appendEvent(id, {
+    type: "tool.start",
+    seq,
+    data: { call: { id: callId, name, arguments: {} } },
+  } as unknown as ReactorEmittedEvent);
+}
+
 describe("spawn_agent parentage", () => {
   test("records the caller session as parentSessionId", async () => {
     const gate = deferred<RunSubAgentResult>();
diff --git a/src/subagent/agent-fleet.ts b/src/subagent/agent-fleet.ts
index d2f8b821c..6697e2fda 100644
--- a/src/subagent/agent-fleet.ts
+++ b/src/subagent/agent-fleet.ts
@@ -451,7 +451,11 @@ const WaitAgentsArgs = type({
 });
 
 export const DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
-export const MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 300_000;
+export const MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 1_800_000;
+
+export function clampWaitTimeoutMs(requested: number): number {
+  return Math.min(Math.max(requested, 0), MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS);
+}
 
 export const waitAgentsToolDefinition: ToolDefinition = {
   name: "wait_agents",
@@ -1323,7 +1327,7 @@ export function createWaitAgentsTool(deps: WaitAgentsDeps): AgentTool {
         return fleetResult(call.id, `Error: wait_agents arguments invalid: ${parsed.summary}`);
       }
       const requestedTimeout = parsed.timeout_ms ?? DEFAULT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS;
-      const timeoutMs = Math.min(Math.max(requestedTimeout, 0), MAX_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS);
+      const timeoutMs = clampWaitTimeoutMs(requestedTimeout);
       const mode = parsed.mode ?? "any";
 
       const targets =