diff --git a/nanobot/agent/tools/web.py b/nanobot/agent/tools/web.py
index b8aeab47b..a6d7be983 100644
--- a/nanobot/agent/tools/web.py
+++ b/nanobot/agent/tools/web.py
@@ -207,7 +207,10 @@ class WebSearchTool(Tool):
             from ddgs import DDGS
 
             ddgs = DDGS(timeout=10)
-            raw = await asyncio.to_thread(ddgs.text, query, max_results=n)
+            raw = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                asyncio.to_thread(ddgs.text, query, max_results=n),
+                timeout=self.config.timeout,
+            )
             if not raw:
                 return f"No results for: {query}"
             items = [
diff --git a/nanobot/config/schema.py b/nanobot/config/schema.py
index 0b5d6a817..47e35070c 100644
--- a/nanobot/config/schema.py
+++ b/nanobot/config/schema.py
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ class WebSearchConfig(Base):
     api_key: str = ""
     base_url: str = ""  # SearXNG base URL
     max_results: int = 5
+    timeout: int = 30  # Wall-clock timeout (seconds) for search operations
 
 
 class WebToolsConfig(Base):