diff --git a/src/errors.ts b/src/errors.ts
index 0c5c4553..d34c8434 100644
--- a/src/errors.ts
+++ b/src/errors.ts
@@ -51,8 +51,12 @@ export class AuthRequiredError extends CliError {
 }
 
 export class TimeoutError extends CliError {
-  constructor(label: string, seconds: number) {
-    super('TIMEOUT', `${label} timed out after ${seconds}s`, 'Try again, or increase timeout with OPENCLI_BROWSER_COMMAND_TIMEOUT env var');
+  constructor(label: string, seconds: number, hint?: string) {
+    super(
+      'TIMEOUT',
+      `${label} timed out after ${seconds}s`,
+      hint ?? 'Try again, or increase timeout with OPENCLI_BROWSER_COMMAND_TIMEOUT env var',
+    );
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/execution.test.ts b/src/execution.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5385a117
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/execution.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { executeCommand } from './execution.js';
+import { TimeoutError } from './errors.js';
+import { cli, Strategy } from './registry.js';
+import { withTimeoutMs } from './runtime.js';
+
+describe('executeCommand — non-browser timeout', () => {
+  it('applies timeoutSeconds to non-browser commands', async () => {
+    const cmd = cli({
+      site: 'test-execution',
+      name: 'non-browser-timeout',
+      description: 'test non-browser timeout',
+      browser: false,
+      strategy: Strategy.PUBLIC,
+      timeoutSeconds: 0.01,
+      func: () => new Promise(() => {}),
+    });
+
+    // Sentinel timeout at 200ms — if the inner 10ms timeout fires first,
+    // the error will be a TimeoutError with the command label, not 'sentinel'.
+    const error = await withTimeoutMs(executeCommand(cmd, {}), 200, 'sentinel timeout')
+      .catch((err) => err);
+
+    expect(error).toBeInstanceOf(TimeoutError);
+    expect(error).toMatchObject({
+      code: 'TIMEOUT',
+      message: 'test-execution/non-browser-timeout timed out after 0.01s',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('skips timeout when timeoutSeconds is 0', async () => {
+    const cmd = cli({
+      site: 'test-execution',
+      name: 'non-browser-zero-timeout',
+      description: 'test zero timeout bypasses wrapping',
+      browser: false,
+      strategy: Strategy.PUBLIC,
+      timeoutSeconds: 0,
+      func: () => new Promise(() => {}),
+    });
+
+    // With timeout guard skipped, the sentinel fires instead.
+    await expect(
+      withTimeoutMs(executeCommand(cmd, {}), 50, 'sentinel timeout'),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('sentinel timeout');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/execution.ts b/src/execution.ts
index fe72a365..e6f4e404 100644
--- a/src/execution.ts
+++ b/src/execution.ts
@@ -194,7 +194,17 @@ export async function executeCommand(
         });
       }, { workspace: `site:${cmd.site}` });
     } else {
-      result = await runCommand(cmd, null, kwargs, debug);
+      // Non-browser commands: apply timeout only when explicitly configured.
+      const timeout = cmd.timeoutSeconds;
+      if (timeout !== undefined && timeout > 0) {
+        result = await runWithTimeout(runCommand(cmd, null, kwargs, debug), {
+          timeout,
+          label: fullName(cmd),
+          hint: `Increase the adapter's timeoutSeconds setting (currently ${timeout}s)`,
+        });
+      } else {
+        result = await runCommand(cmd, null, kwargs, debug);
+      }
     }
   } catch (err) {
     hookCtx.error = err;
diff --git a/src/runtime.ts b/src/runtime.ts
index 1ae3f923..3a99e912 100644
--- a/src/runtime.ts
+++ b/src/runtime.ts
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ export const DEFAULT_BROWSER_EXPLORE_TIMEOUT = parseEnvTimeout('OPENCLI_BROWSER_
  */
 export async function runWithTimeout<T>(
   promise: Promise<T>,
-  opts: { timeout: number; label?: string },
+  opts: { timeout: number; label?: string; hint?: string },
 ): Promise<T> {
   const label = opts.label ?? 'Operation';
   return withTimeoutMs(promise, opts.timeout * 1000,
-    () => new TimeoutError(label, opts.timeout));
+    () => new TimeoutError(label, opts.timeout, opts.hint));
 }
 
 /**