diff --git a/packages/workshop-backend/__tests__/web-fetch.test.ts b/packages/workshop-backend/__tests__/web-fetch.test.ts
index 275ef6a58..983b8ca53 100644
--- a/packages/workshop-backend/__tests__/web-fetch.test.ts
+++ b/packages/workshop-backend/__tests__/web-fetch.test.ts
@@ -261,6 +261,32 @@ describe("webFetch document conversion", () => {
     // only cares that the call didn't go through toMarkdown.
     expect(typeof result.body).toBe("string");
   });
+
+  it("times out a response whose body stalls after the headers arrive", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      // Headers arrive at once; the body yields one chunk and then never completes, as the
+      // runtime would present a stalled origin. Only an abort ends the read.
+      globalThis.fetch = vi.fn(async (_url: string, init: RequestInit) =>
+        new Response(new ReadableStream<Uint8Array>({
+          start(controller) {
+            controller.enqueue(new TextEncoder().encode("partial"));
+            init.signal?.addEventListener("abort", () =>
+              controller.error(Object.assign(new Error("aborted"), { name: "AbortError" })));
+          },
+        }), { headers: { "content-type": "text/plain" } }),
+      ) as unknown as typeof globalThis.fetch;
+
+      // Assert before advancing: the rejection lands inside advanceTimersByTimeAsync().
+      const settled = expect(
+        webFetch(makeEnv(), { url: "https://example.com/slow", raw: true }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow(/timed out/);
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60_000);
+      await settled;
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 describe("formatWebFetchResult", () => {
diff --git a/packages/workshop-backend/src/web-fetch.ts b/packages/workshop-backend/src/web-fetch.ts
index be4bd7e6d..a2ec23c28 100644
--- a/packages/workshop-backend/src/web-fetch.ts
+++ b/packages/workshop-backend/src/web-fetch.ts
@@ -272,6 +272,12 @@ export async function webFetch(
   const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => abortController.abort(), FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS);
 
   let response: Response;
+  let finalUrl: URL;
+  let contentType: string;
+  let bytes: Uint8Array;
+  let truncated: boolean;
+  // The timeout covers the body too: a response whose headers arrive promptly but whose body
+  // then stalls would otherwise hold the tool call open indefinitely.
   try {
     response = await fetch(parsed.toString(), {
       method: "GET",
@@ -282,6 +288,27 @@ export async function webFetch(
       },
       signal: abortController.signal,
     });
+
+    // `response.url` is set by the runtime to the final URL after any redirects. Fall back
+    // to the original URL if it happens to be empty.
+    finalUrl = response.url ? new URL(response.url) : parsed;
+    contentType = response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "";
+
+    // Respect the Content-Signal header (https://contentsignals.org/). If the site
+    // explicitly sets `ai-input=no`, we must not feed its content to the AI agent.
+    if (contentSignalDenies(response, "ai-input")) {
+      try {
+        await response.body?.cancel();
+      } catch {
+        // Ignore.
+      }
+      throw new Error(
+        `The site at ${finalUrl} sets Content-Signal: ai-input=no, indicating that ` +
+          `it does not permit its content to be used as AI input.`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    ({ bytes, truncated } = await readBodyCapped(response, maxBytes));
   } catch (err) {
     if (
       err instanceof Error &&
@@ -294,27 +321,6 @@ export async function webFetch(
     clearTimeout(timeoutId);
   }
 
-  // `response.url` is set by the runtime to the final URL after any redirects. Fall back
-  // to the original URL if it happens to be empty.
-  const finalUrl = response.url ? new URL(response.url) : parsed;
-  const contentType = response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "";
-
-  // Respect the Content-Signal header (https://contentsignals.org/). If the site
-  // explicitly sets `ai-input=no`, we must not feed its content to the AI agent.
-  if (contentSignalDenies(response, "ai-input")) {
-    try {
-      await response.body?.cancel();
-    } catch {
-      // Ignore.
-    }
-    throw new Error(
-      `The site at ${finalUrl} sets Content-Signal: ai-input=no, indicating that ` +
-        `it does not permit its content to be used as AI input.`,
-    );
-  }
-
-  const { bytes, truncated } = await readBodyCapped(response, maxBytes);
-
   let body: string;
   if (input.raw) {
     body = decodeUtf8(bytes);