diff --git a/apps/deckcraft/src/control_server.rs b/apps/deckcraft/src/control_server.rs
index f50de025..6dbf0740 100644
--- a/apps/deckcraft/src/control_server.rs
+++ b/apps/deckcraft/src/control_server.rs
@@ -1,39 +1,146 @@
 //! Loopback JSON-lines control server: one request per line, one reply per line.
 //! This is the transport the MCP server (`deckcraft-cli mcp --connect`) wraps.
+//!
+//! Every resource a client can hold is bounded ([`Limits`]): simultaneous connections, request
+//! line length, queued requests, and how long a socket may sit idle or blocked on a write.
 
-use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, ErrorKind, Read, Write};
 use std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
-use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender, channel};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
+use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, SyncSender, TrySendError, sync_channel};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use deckcraft_ui_egui::ControlRequest;
 use serde_json::{Value, json};
 
+/// Resource bounds for the control server.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug)]
+pub struct Limits {
+    /// Connections served at once; more are told `busy` and closed.
+    pub max_clients: usize,
+    /// Longest request line in bytes (newline excluded); a longer one closes the connection.
+    pub max_line: usize,
+    /// Requests waiting for the UI at once; more are answered `busy`.
+    pub queue: usize,
+    /// How long a connection may go without sending a byte before it is closed.
+    pub idle_timeout: Duration,
+    /// How long a reply write may block before the connection is closed.
+    pub write_timeout: Duration,
+    /// How long a request waits for the UI's answer.
+    pub reply_timeout: Duration,
+}
+
+impl Default for Limits {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            max_clients: 16,
+            max_line: 16 * 1024 * 1024,
+            queue: 64,
+            idle_timeout: Duration::from_secs(600),
+            write_timeout: Duration::from_secs(30),
+            reply_timeout: Duration::from_secs(60),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn start(port: u16, ctx: egui::Context) -> Receiver<ControlRequest> {
-    let (tx, rx) = channel::<ControlRequest>();
-    let listener = match TcpListener::bind(("127.0.0.1", port)) {
-        Ok(l) => l,
+    match TcpListener::bind(("127.0.0.1", port)) {
+        Ok(l) => {
+            log::info!("control server listening on 127.0.0.1:{port}");
+            serve_listener(l, Limits::default(), ctx)
+        }
         Err(e) => {
             log::error!("control server failed to bind 127.0.0.1:{port}: {e}");
-            return rx;
+            sync_channel::<ControlRequest>(0).1
         }
-    };
-    log::info!("control server listening on 127.0.0.1:{port}");
+    }
+}
+
+/// Accept connections on `listener` under `limits`; requests arrive on the returned receiver.
+fn serve_listener(listener: TcpListener, limits: Limits, ctx: egui::Context) -> Receiver<ControlRequest> {
+    let (tx, rx) = sync_channel::<ControlRequest>(limits.queue.max(1));
+    let active = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
     std::thread::spawn(move || {
-        for stream in listener.incoming().flatten() {
+        for mut stream in listener.incoming().flatten() {
+            let _ = stream.set_write_timeout(Some(limits.write_timeout));
+            if active.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst) >= limits.max_clients {
+                active.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+                let _ = writeln!(stream, "{}", json!({"ok": false, "error": "busy: too many control connections"}));
+                continue;
+            }
+            let slot = Slot(Arc::clone(&active));
             let tx = tx.clone();
             let ctx = ctx.clone();
-            std::thread::spawn(move || serve(stream, tx, ctx));
+            let spawned = std::thread::Builder::new().name("control-client".into()).spawn(move || {
+                let _slot = slot;
+                serve(stream, &tx, &ctx, limits);
+            });
+            if spawned.is_err() {
+                log::warn!("control server could not start a client thread");
+            }
         }
     });
     rx
 }
 
-fn serve(stream: TcpStream, tx: Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: egui::Context) {
+/// Holds one connection slot; gives it back when the client thread ends, however it ends.
+struct Slot(Arc<AtomicUsize>);
+
+impl Drop for Slot {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.0.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    }
+}
+
+enum Line {
+    Text(Vec<u8>),
+    TooLong,
+    Closed,
+}
+
+/// Read one `\n`-terminated line of at most `max` bytes without buffering more than `max + 1`.
+fn read_line(r: &mut impl BufRead, max: usize) -> Line {
+    let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    let limit = u64::try_from(max).unwrap_or(u64::MAX).saturating_add(1);
+    match r.by_ref().take(limit).read_until(b'\n', &mut buf) {
+        Ok(0) | Err(_) => Line::Closed,
+        Ok(_) => {
+            if buf.last() == Some(&b'\n') {
+                buf.pop();
+                Line::Text(buf)
+            } else if buf.len() > max {
+                Line::TooLong
+            } else {
+                // EOF inside a line: serve what arrived, the next read reports Closed.
+                Line::Text(buf)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn serve(stream: TcpStream, tx: &SyncSender<ControlRequest>, ctx: &egui::Context, limits: Limits) {
+    if stream.set_read_timeout(Some(limits.idle_timeout)).is_err() || stream.set_write_timeout(Some(limits.write_timeout)).is_err() {
+        return;
+    }
     let Ok(read) = stream.try_clone() else { return };
     let mut out = stream;
-    for line in BufReader::new(read).lines() {
-        let Ok(line) = line else { break };
+    let mut reader = BufReader::new(read);
+    loop {
+        let line = match read_line(&mut reader, limits.max_line) {
+            Line::Text(t) => t,
+            Line::TooLong => {
+                let _ = writeln!(out, "{}", json!({"ok": false, "error": format!("request line longer than {} bytes", limits.max_line)}));
+                break;
+            }
+            Line::Closed => break,
+        };
+        let Ok(line) = String::from_utf8(line) else {
+            if writeln!(out, "{}", json!({"ok": false, "error": "bad JSON: not UTF-8"})).is_err() {
+                break;
+            }
+            continue;
+        };
         if line.trim().is_empty() {
             continue;
         }
@@ -43,11 +150,14 @@ fn serve(stream: TcpStream, tx: Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: egui::Context) {
                 let method = msg.get("method").and_then(Value::as_str).unwrap_or("").to_string();
                 let params = msg.get("params").cloned().unwrap_or(json!({}));
                 let (req, rrx) = ControlRequest::new(method, params);
-                if tx.send(req).is_err() {
-                    break;
-                }
-                ctx.request_repaint();
-                let mut r = rrx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(60)).unwrap_or_else(|_| json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"}));
+                let mut r = match tx.try_send(req) {
+                    Ok(()) => {
+                        ctx.request_repaint();
+                        rrx.recv_timeout(limits.reply_timeout).unwrap_or_else(|_| json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"}))
+                    }
+                    Err(TrySendError::Full(_)) => json!({"ok": false, "error": "busy: too many queued requests"}),
+                    Err(TrySendError::Disconnected(_)) => break,
+                };
                 if let Some(o) = r.as_object_mut() {
                     o.insert("id".into(), id);
                 }
@@ -55,8 +165,134 @@ fn serve(stream: TcpStream, tx: Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: egui::Context) {
             }
             Err(e) => json!({"ok": false, "error": format!("bad JSON: {e}")}),
         };
-        if writeln!(out, "{reply}").is_err() {
+        if let Err(e) = writeln!(out, "{reply}") {
+            if matches!(e.kind(), ErrorKind::WouldBlock | ErrorKind::TimedOut) {
+                log::debug!("control client stopped reading replies; closing");
+            }
             break;
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::net::SocketAddr;
+    use std::time::Instant;
+
+    fn small() -> Limits {
+        Limits {
+            max_clients: 2,
+            max_line: 64,
+            queue: 1,
+            idle_timeout: Duration::from_millis(300),
+            write_timeout: Duration::from_millis(300),
+            reply_timeout: Duration::from_millis(300),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn server(limits: Limits) -> (SocketAddr, Receiver<ControlRequest>) {
+        let l = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").unwrap();
+        let addr = l.local_addr().unwrap();
+        (addr, serve_listener(l, limits, egui::Context::default()))
+    }
+
+    fn client(addr: SocketAddr) -> (BufReader<TcpStream>, TcpStream) {
+        let s = TcpStream::connect(addr).unwrap();
+        s.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(5))).unwrap();
+        (BufReader::new(s.try_clone().unwrap()), s)
+    }
+
+    fn reply(r: &mut BufReader<TcpStream>) -> Option<Value> {
+        let mut s = String::new();
+        match r.read_line(&mut s) {
+            Ok(0) | Err(_) => None,
+            Ok(_) => serde_json::from_str(&s).ok(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Answer every request with its method name until the server goes away.
+    fn ui(rx: Receiver<ControlRequest>) {
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            for req in rx {
+                let _ = req.reply.send(json!({"ok": true, "result": req.method}));
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn request_round_trip() {
+        let (addr, rx) = server(small());
+        ui(rx);
+        let (mut r, mut w) = client(addr);
+        writeln!(w, r#"{{"id":7,"method":"ui.inspect"}}"#).unwrap();
+        let v = reply(&mut r).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(v["id"], 7);
+        assert_eq!(v["result"], "ui.inspect");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn oversized_line_closes_connection() {
+        let (addr, rx) = server(small());
+        ui(rx);
+        let (mut r, mut w) = client(addr);
+        w.write_all(&[b'x'; 200]).unwrap();
+        let v = reply(&mut r).unwrap();
+        assert!(v["error"].as_str().unwrap().contains("longer than 64"));
+        assert!(reply(&mut r).is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn idle_connection_is_closed() {
+        let (addr, rx) = server(small());
+        ui(rx);
+        let (mut r, mut w) = client(addr);
+        w.write_all(b"{\"id\":1,").unwrap(); // unterminated, then silence
+        let t = Instant::now();
+        assert!(reply(&mut r).is_none());
+        assert!(t.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(4));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn connection_limit_refuses_then_frees_slot() {
+        let (addr, rx) = server(small());
+        ui(rx);
+        let a = client(addr);
+        let (mut br, mut bw) = client(addr);
+        // Make sure both are being served before the third arrives.
+        writeln!(bw, r#"{{"id":1,"method":"m"}}"#).unwrap();
+        assert!(reply(&mut br).is_some());
+        let (mut cr, _cw) = client(addr);
+        let v = reply(&mut cr).unwrap();
+        assert!(v["error"].as_str().unwrap().starts_with("busy"));
+        drop(a);
+        // The freed slot is reusable once the server notices the disconnect.
+        let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(4);
+        loop {
+            let (mut dr, mut dw) = client(addr);
+            writeln!(dw, r#"{{"id":2,"method":"m"}}"#).unwrap();
+            if reply(&mut dr).is_some_and(|v| v["ok"] == true) {
+                break;
+            }
+            assert!(Instant::now() < deadline, "slot never freed");
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn blocked_ui_times_out_and_full_queue_is_busy() {
+        let (addr, rx) = server(small());
+        // No UI: the first request fills the one-slot queue and times out; the second finds it full.
+        let (mut ar, mut aw) = client(addr);
+        let (mut br, mut bw) = client(addr);
+        writeln!(aw, r#"{{"id":1,"method":"m"}}"#).unwrap();
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+        writeln!(bw, r#"{{"id":2,"method":"m"}}"#).unwrap();
+        let b = reply(&mut br).unwrap();
+        assert!(b["error"].as_str().unwrap().starts_with("busy"));
+        assert_eq!(b["id"], 2);
+        let a = reply(&mut ar).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(a["error"], "timeout");
+        drop(rx);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/control-protocol.md b/docs/control-protocol.md
index 07741fde..41f890c0 100644
--- a/docs/control-protocol.md
+++ b/docs/control-protocol.md
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 Start the app with `--control <port>`. The server listens on `127.0.0.1` only and speaks JSON
 lines: one request object per line, one reply per line.
 
+The server bounds what a client can hold: 16 connections at once (more get `{"ok":false,"error":"busy: …"}`
+and are closed), 16 MiB per request line (longer closes the connection), 64 queued requests (more are
+answered `busy`), 10 minutes idle and 30 seconds per blocked reply write before the socket is closed, and
+60 seconds waiting for the UI (`"error":"timeout"`).
+
 ```json
 {"id": 1, "method": "engine.execute", "params": {"command": "shape.insert", "params": {"preset": "roundRect", "rect": [100, 100, 240, 120], "text": "Hello"}}}
 {"id": 1, "ok": true, "result": {"id": 258}}