diff --git a/src/main/ipc/preflight.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/preflight.test.ts
index 5aee3a6f956..58e4090031f 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/preflight.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/preflight.test.ts
@@ -145,10 +145,12 @@ describe('preflight', () => {
       gitea: defaultGiteaStatus
     })
     expect(execFileAsyncMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(4, 'gh', ['auth', 'status'], {
-      encoding: 'utf-8'
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+      timeout: 5000
     })
     expect(execFileAsyncMock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(5, 'glab', ['auth', 'status'], {
-      encoding: 'utf-8'
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+      timeout: 5000
     })
   })
 
@@ -206,6 +208,47 @@ describe('preflight', () => {
     expect(status.glab).toEqual({ installed: true, authenticated: false })
   })
 
+  it('times out hung local preflight probes', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      execFileAsyncMock.mockImplementation((command, args) => {
+        if (command === 'git') {
+          return Promise.resolve({ stdout: 'git version 2.0.0\n' })
+        }
+        if (command === 'gh' && Array.isArray(args) && args[0] === '--version') {
+          return new Promise(() => {})
+        }
+        if (command === 'glab') {
+          return Promise.reject(new Error('command not found: glab'))
+        }
+        throw new Error(`unexpected command ${String(command)}`)
+      })
+
+      const statusPromise = runPreflightCheck()
+      let settled = false
+      void statusPromise.then(
+        () => {
+          settled = true
+        },
+        () => {
+          settled = true
+        }
+      )
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(5000)
+      await Promise.resolve()
+
+      expect(settled).toBe(true)
+      await expect(statusPromise).resolves.toMatchObject({
+        git: { installed: true },
+        gh: { installed: false },
+        glab: { installed: false }
+      })
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('prefers the selected WSL distro when checking gh for a WSL workspace', async () => {
     Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', {
       configurable: true,
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/preflight.ts b/src/main/ipc/preflight.ts
index 8821a65ff48..739d0b3f5d4 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/preflight.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/preflight.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { getGiteaAuthStatus } from '../gitea/client'
 import { _resetKnownHostsCache } from '../gitlab/gl-utils'
 import { getActiveMultiplexer } from './ssh'
 const execFileAsync = promisify(execFile)
+const PREFLIGHT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000
 
 type PreflightRuntimeContext = {
   wslDistro?: string | null
@@ -59,6 +60,42 @@ function shellQuote(value: string): string {
   return `'${value.replace(/'/g, "'\\''")}'`
 }
 
+type PreflightCommandResult = { stdout: string; stderr: string }
+
+// Why: a broken PATH shim or auth helper should not keep startup/settings
+// preflight IPC pending forever; WSL probes already use the same deadline.
+async function execLocalPreflightCommand(
+  command: string,
+  args: string[]
+): Promise<PreflightCommandResult> {
+  const commandPromise = execFileAsync(command, args, {
+    encoding: 'utf-8',
+    timeout: PREFLIGHT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_MS
+  }) as Promise<PreflightCommandResult>
+
+  let timeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+  try {
+    return await Promise.race([
+      commandPromise,
+      new Promise<never>((_resolve, reject) => {
+        timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+          const error = Object.assign(new Error(`Timed out running ${command}`), {
+            code: 'ETIMEDOUT'
+          })
+          reject(error)
+        }, PREFLIGHT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_MS)
+        if (typeof timeout.unref === 'function') {
+          timeout.unref()
+        }
+      })
+    ])
+  } finally {
+    if (timeout) {
+      clearTimeout(timeout)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 async function execCommandInWsl(
   target: WslPreflightTarget,
   command: string
@@ -66,7 +103,7 @@ async function execCommandInWsl(
   const distroArgs = target.distro ? ['-d', target.distro] : []
   return execFileAsync('wsl.exe', [...distroArgs, '--', 'bash', '-lc', command], {
     encoding: 'utf-8',
-    timeout: 5000
+    timeout: PREFLIGHT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_MS
   }) as Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>
 }
 
@@ -77,7 +114,7 @@ async function isCommandAvailable(
   try {
     await (wslTarget
       ? execCommandInWsl(wslTarget, `${shellQuote(command)} --version`)
-      : execFileAsync(command, ['--version']))
+      : execLocalPreflightCommand(command, ['--version']))
     return true
   } catch {
     return false
@@ -92,7 +129,7 @@ async function isCommandOnPath(command: string, wslTarget?: WslPreflightTarget):
   try {
     const { stdout } = wslTarget
       ? await execCommandInWsl(wslTarget, `command -v ${shellQuote(command)}`)
-      : await execFileAsync(finder, [command], { encoding: 'utf-8' })
+      : await execLocalPreflightCommand(finder, [command])
     return stdout
       .split(/\r?\n/)
       .map((line) => line.trim())
@@ -198,9 +235,7 @@ async function isGhAuthenticated(wslTarget?: WslPreflightTarget): Promise<boolea
   try {
     await (wslTarget
       ? execCommandInWsl(wslTarget, `${shellQuote('gh')} auth status`)
-      : execFileAsync('gh', ['auth', 'status'], {
-          encoding: 'utf-8'
-        }))
+      : execLocalPreflightCommand('gh', ['auth', 'status']))
     // Why: for plain-text `gh auth status`, exit 0 means gh did not detect any
     // authentication issues for the checked hosts/accounts.
     return true
@@ -221,7 +256,7 @@ async function isGlabAuthenticated(wslTarget?: WslPreflightTarget): Promise<bool
   try {
     await (wslTarget
       ? execCommandInWsl(wslTarget, `${shellQuote('glab')} auth status`)
-      : execFileAsync('glab', ['auth', 'status'], { encoding: 'utf-8' }))
+      : execLocalPreflightCommand('glab', ['auth', 'status']))
     return true
   } catch (error) {
     const stdout = (error as { stdout?: string }).stdout ?? ''