diff --git a/apps/photocraft/src/control_server.rs b/apps/photocraft/src/control_server.rs
index 8656cafd00..33923d9fac 100644
--- a/apps/photocraft/src/control_server.rs
+++ b/apps/photocraft/src/control_server.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::io::{BufReader, Write};
 use std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender, channel};
-use std::time::Duration;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use photocraft_automation::budgets::write_reply;
 use photocraft_automation::security::{
@@ -83,12 +83,14 @@ fn serve(stream: TcpStream, token: &str, tx: Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: egui::
                 let id = msg.get("id").cloned().unwrap_or(Value::Null);
                 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);
+                let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(60);
+                let (mut req, rrx) = ControlRequest::new(method, params);
+                req.deadline = Some(deadline);
                 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 = rrx.recv_timeout(deadline.saturating_duration_since(Instant::now())).unwrap_or_else(|_| json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"}));
                 if let Some(o) = r.as_object_mut() {
                     o.insert("id".into(), id);
                 }
@@ -124,6 +126,7 @@ mod tests {
         let handler = std::thread::spawn(move || {
             let first = rx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(5)).unwrap();
             assert_eq!(first.method, "test.large");
+            assert!(first.deadline.is_some_and(|deadline| deadline > std::time::Instant::now()), "native requests carry their reply deadline");
             first.reply.send(json!({"ok": true, "result": "x".repeat(MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES)})).unwrap();
             let second = rx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(5)).unwrap();
             assert_eq!(second.method, "test.small");
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
index 800f05a112..667a1e3d33 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
@@ -45,12 +45,14 @@ pub struct ControlRequest {
     pub method: String,
     pub params: Value,
     pub reply: Sender<ControlResponse>,
+    /// Requests still queued at this instant are rejected; already dispatched work continues.
+    pub deadline: Option<std::time::Instant>,
 }
 
 impl ControlRequest {
     pub fn new(method: impl Into<String>, params: Value) -> (Self, std::sync::mpsc::Receiver<ControlResponse>) {
         let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
-        (Self { method: method.into(), params, reply: tx }, rx)
+        (Self { method: method.into(), params, reply: tx, deadline: None }, rx)
     }
 }
 
@@ -816,6 +818,45 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn expired_queued_edit_does_not_run_and_a_live_retry_runs_once() {
+        use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+        let mut app = PhotocraftApp::new(photocraft_engine::Session::new(), crate::Services::default());
+        app.run("file.new", json!({"width": 8, "height": 8})).unwrap();
+        let before = app.session.active().unwrap();
+        let layers = before.doc.layers.len();
+        let steps = before.history.past_len();
+        let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+        app = app.with_control(rx);
+        let (mut expired, expired_reply) = ControlRequest::new("engine.execute", json!({"command": "layer.new.layer"}));
+        expired.deadline = Some(Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1));
+        tx.send(expired).unwrap();
+        let (mut retry, retry_reply) = ControlRequest::new("engine.execute", json!({"command": "layer.new.layer"}));
+        retry.deadline = Some(Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(60));
+        tx.send(retry).unwrap();
+        app.drain_control(&egui::Context::default());
+        assert_eq!(expired_reply.try_recv().unwrap(), json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"}));
+        assert_eq!(retry_reply.try_recv().unwrap()["ok"], true);
+        let after = app.session.active().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(after.doc.layers.len(), layers + 1, "only the live retry adds a layer");
+        assert_eq!(after.history.past_len(), steps + 1, "the expired edit adds no undo step");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn deadline_free_requests_run_even_after_the_receiver_is_dropped() {
+        let mut app = PhotocraftApp::new(photocraft_engine::Session::new(), crate::Services::default());
+        app.run("file.new", json!({"width": 8, "height": 8})).unwrap();
+        let layers = app.session.active().unwrap().doc.layers.len();
+        let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+        app = app.with_control(rx);
+        let (req, reply) = ControlRequest::new("engine.execute", json!({"command": "layer.new.layer"}));
+        assert!(req.deadline.is_none());
+        drop(reply);
+        tx.send(req).unwrap();
+        app.drain_control(&egui::Context::default());
+        assert_eq!(app.session.active().unwrap().doc.layers.len(), layers + 1);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn right_pointer_opens_agent_visible_selection_menu() {
         let mut app = PhotocraftApp::new(photocraft_engine::Session::new(), crate::Services::default());
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/jobs_ui_tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/jobs_ui_tests.rs
index 946a538293..e02df99ceb 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/jobs_ui_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/jobs_ui_tests.rs
@@ -170,6 +170,31 @@ fn control_requests_wait_for_jobs_unless_asked_not_to() {
     assert_eq!(v["ok"], false);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn accepted_control_job_applies_after_its_dispatch_deadline() {
+    let mut h = app_harness();
+    let ctx = h.ctx.clone();
+    let steps = h.state().session.active().unwrap().history.past_len();
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(1);
+    let (mut req, reply) = crate::ControlRequest::new("engine.execute", json!({"command": "filter.blur.gaussianBlur", "params": {"radius": 2}}));
+    req.deadline = Some(deadline);
+    let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+    h.state_mut().control_rx = Some(rx);
+    tx.send(req).unwrap();
+    h.state_mut().drain_control(&ctx);
+    let job = h.state().jobs.waiters.first().expect("the accepted request waits for its job").0;
+    assert_eq!(h.state().session.active().unwrap().history.past_len(), steps, "the job has not been applied yet");
+    assert!(reply.try_recv().is_err());
+    // No frames poll the worker until the transport's deadline has elapsed.
+    std::thread::sleep(deadline.saturating_duration_since(Instant::now()));
+    assert!(Instant::now() >= deadline);
+    drop(reply);
+    let result = job_reply(&mut h, job);
+    assert_eq!(result["ok"], true, "{result}");
+    assert!(result["result"]["filter"].is_object(), "{result}");
+    assert_eq!(h.state().session.active().unwrap().history.past_len(), steps + 1);
+}
+
 /// The control reply for `job`, once the app's frame loop has applied it.
 fn job_reply(h: &mut Harness<'static, PhotocraftApp>, job: JobId) -> Value {
     let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
index 037858b448..369ab389f6 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
@@ -942,6 +942,10 @@ impl PhotocraftApp {
         let Some(rx) = self.control_rx.take() else { return };
         while let Ok(req) = rx.try_recv() {
             let reply = req.reply.clone();
+            if req.deadline.is_some_and(|deadline| std::time::Instant::now() >= deadline) {
+                let _ = reply.send(serde_json::json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"}));
+                continue;
+            }
             match control::handle(self, ctx, &req) {
                 control::Outcome::Done(v) => {
                     let _ = reply.send(v);
diff --git a/docs/control-protocol.md b/docs/control-protocol.md
index cf0d302816..18ca342d34 100644
--- a/docs/control-protocol.md
+++ b/docs/control-protocol.md
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ Each reply is one JSON line with the same `id`:
 {"id": 2, "ok": false, "error": "unknown tool `foo`"}
 ```
 
+The desktop server waits up to 60 seconds for a reply. A request still queued at that deadline is rejected before dispatch; a timeout does not cancel work that has already started.
+
 The transport is `apps/photocraft/src/control_server.rs`, and the handlers are in `crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs`. The MCP server (`photocraft-cli mcp --bridge 127.0.0.1:<port>`, crate `photocraft-automation`) wraps this same protocol. See [MCP bridge](#mcp-bridge) below.
 
 ## Methods