diff --git a/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.test.ts
index 76de8d30f5a..f50775a492c 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.test.ts
@@ -108,4 +108,41 @@ describe('registerSshBrowseHandler', () => {
     expect(channel.stderr.listenerCount('data')).toBe(0)
     expect(channel.stderr.listenerCount('error')).toBe(0)
   })
+
+  it('times out browse channels that never close', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      const channel = createMockChannel()
+      const exec = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(channel)
+      const getConnectionManager = () => ({
+        getConnection: () => ({ exec })
+      })
+      registerSshBrowseHandler(getConnectionManager as never)
+
+      const resultPromise = handler(null, { targetId: 'ssh-1', dirPath: '/mnt/stalled' })
+      let settled = false
+      void resultPromise.then(
+        () => {
+          settled = true
+        },
+        () => {
+          settled = true
+        }
+      )
+
+      await Promise.resolve()
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15_000)
+
+      expect(settled).toBe(true)
+      await expect(resultPromise).rejects.toThrow('Remote directory listing timed out')
+      expect(channel.listenerCount('data')).toBe(0)
+      expect(channel.listenerCount('exit')).toBe(0)
+      expect(channel.listenerCount('close')).toBe(0)
+      expect(channel.listenerCount('error')).toBe(0)
+      expect(channel.stderr.listenerCount('data')).toBe(0)
+      expect(channel.stderr.listenerCount('error')).toBe(0)
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.ts b/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.ts
index d75732f76e0..83afbd9de01 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/ssh-browse.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ export type RemoteDirEntry = {
   isDirectory: boolean
 }
 
+const SSH_BROWSE_TIMEOUT_MS = 15_000
+
 // Why: the relay's fs.readDir enforces workspace root ACLs, which aren't
 // registered until a repo is added. This handler uses a raw SSH exec channel
 // to list directories, allowing the user to browse the remote filesystem
@@ -45,8 +47,13 @@ export function registerSshBrowseHandler(
         let stderr = ''
         let exitCode: number | null = null
         let settled = false
+        let timeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
 
         const cleanup = (): void => {
+          if (timeout) {
+            clearTimeout(timeout)
+            timeout = null
+          }
           channel.off('data', onStdoutData)
           channel.stderr.off('data', onStderrData)
           channel.off('exit', onExit)
@@ -62,6 +69,25 @@ export function registerSshBrowseHandler(
           cleanup()
           reject(error)
         }
+        const closeChannel = (): void => {
+          const closable = channel as { close?: () => void; destroy?: () => void }
+          try {
+            if (typeof closable.close === 'function') {
+              closable.close()
+            } else if (typeof closable.destroy === 'function') {
+              closable.destroy()
+            }
+          } catch {
+            /* best effort */
+          }
+        }
+        const onTimeout = (): void => {
+          // Why: remote browsing runs before a relay workspace root exists, so
+          // it cannot rely on relay request deadlines. Bound this raw exec
+          // channel directly to keep Add Remote Project from hanging forever.
+          rejectOnce(new Error('Remote directory listing timed out'))
+          closeChannel()
+        }
         const resolveOnce = (result: { entries: RemoteDirEntry[]; resolvedPath: string }): void => {
           if (settled) {
             return
@@ -147,6 +173,10 @@ export function registerSshBrowseHandler(
         // scoped listener, a disappearing remote can become process-fatal.
         channel.on('error', onError)
         channel.stderr.on('error', onError)
+        timeout = setTimeout(onTimeout, SSH_BROWSE_TIMEOUT_MS)
+        if (typeof timeout.unref === 'function') {
+          timeout.unref()
+        }
       })
     }
   )