diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/gates.yml b/.gitea/workflows/gates.yml
index c09464d..ab9cd6e 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/gates.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/gates.yml
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ jobs:
     # 1536Mi dind limit, and it runs no docker command — so it overlaps the
     # heavy runner's zig and image work instead of queueing behind it.
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-light
+    # The slowest green run took 4 minutes. A stalled Node download leaves setup-node
+    # holding an open socket after its retry succeeds, so the step never exits:
+    # without a limit the job held the runner for over an hour.
+    timeout-minutes: 8
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4.4.0