diff --git a/chromeshell/chromeshell.go b/chromeshell/chromeshell.go
index 624f5f2..ae398f2 100644
--- a/chromeshell/chromeshell.go
+++ b/chromeshell/chromeshell.go
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ package chromeshell
 
 import (
 	"archive/zip"
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
-	"sync"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -21,7 +21,23 @@ const (
 	revision = 1520797742
 )
 
-var ensureMu sync.Mutex
+var ensureLock = func() chan struct{} {
+	lock := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	lock <- struct{}{}
+	return lock
+}()
+
+// acquireEnsureLock waits for the single download slot. A channel is used
+// instead of a sync.Mutex so a caller whose ctx expires stops waiting on a
+// download it cannot cancel. The returned release must always be called.
+func acquireEnsureLock(ctx context.Context) (func(), error) {
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+	case <-ensureLock:
+		return func() { ensureLock <- struct{}{} }, nil
+	}
+}
 
 // Supported reports whether chrome-headless-shell auto-download is available
 // for the current platform.
@@ -58,18 +74,27 @@ func BinPath() string {
 // returns the executable path. It is a no-op download when the binary already
 // exists. Callers should only invoke this when Supported() is true.
 func Ensure() (string, error) {
+	return EnsureContext(context.Background())
+}
+
+// EnsureContext is like Ensure, but stops waiting for the shared download lock
+// and cancels the browser download when ctx is done.
+func EnsureContext(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	if !Supported() {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("chrome-headless-shell auto-download is only supported on linux/amd64")
 	}
 
-	ensureMu.Lock()
-	defer ensureMu.Unlock()
+	release, err := acquireEnsureLock(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer release()
 
 	if p := findBin(Dir()); p != "" {
 		return p, nil
 	}
 
-	if err := downloadAndExtract(Host(), Dir()); err != nil {
+	if err := downloadAndExtract(ctx, Host(), Dir()); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
@@ -112,7 +137,7 @@ func defaultBrowserDir() string {
 	return filepath.Join(home, ".cache", "rod", "browser")
 }
 
-func downloadAndExtract(url, destDir string) error {
+func downloadAndExtract(ctx context.Context, url, destDir string) error {
 	tmpParent := filepath.Dir(destDir)
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(tmpParent, 0o755); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -125,7 +150,7 @@ func downloadAndExtract(url, destDir string) error {
 	defer func() { _ = os.RemoveAll(tmpDir) }()
 
 	zipPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "chrome-headless-shell.zip")
-	if err := downloadFile(url, zipPath); err != nil {
+	if err := downloadFile(ctx, url, zipPath); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -147,8 +172,12 @@ func downloadAndExtract(url, destDir string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func downloadFile(url, dest string) error {
-	resp, err := http.Get(url) //nolint:noctx // one-shot browser binary fetch
+func downloadFile(ctx context.Context, url, dest string) error {
+	request, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, url, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(request)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/chromeshell/chromeshell_test.go b/chromeshell/chromeshell_test.go
index c3fe6e9..0132216 100644
--- a/chromeshell/chromeshell_test.go
+++ b/chromeshell/chromeshell_test.go
@@ -2,10 +2,15 @@ package chromeshell
 
 import (
 	"archive/zip"
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func writeTestZip(path string, entries map[string]string) error {
@@ -94,3 +99,59 @@ func TestEnsureUnsupported(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected unsupported error")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDownloadFileContextCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	requestDone := make(chan struct{})
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		defer close(requestDone)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte("partial"))
+		w.(http.Flusher).Flush()
+		<-r.Context().Done()
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(server.Close)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	started := time.Now()
+	err := downloadFile(ctx, server.URL, filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "browser.zip"))
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected context deadline exceeded, got %v", err)
+	}
+	if elapsed := time.Since(started); elapsed > time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("download cancellation took %s", elapsed)
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-requestDone:
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("server request did not observe cancellation")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAcquireEnsureLockGivesUpOnContext(t *testing.T) {
+	release, err := acquireEnsureLock(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 50*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	started := time.Now()
+	if _, err := acquireEnsureLock(ctx); !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected context deadline exceeded while lock is held, got %v", err)
+	}
+	if elapsed := time.Since(started); elapsed > time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("waiting for the lock took %s", elapsed)
+	}
+
+	release()
+
+	next, err := acquireEnsureLock(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lock not reusable after release: %v", err)
+	}
+	next()
+}