diff --git a/.env.dfe.example b/.env.dfe.example
index 11c53082..38f83a3b 100644
--- a/.env.dfe.example
+++ b/.env.dfe.example
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ DFE_AUTH_MODE=
 # serves JWKS at this path -- see dfe-engine docs/LOCAL-DEV.md.
 DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL=http://localhost:8003/.well-known/jwks.json
 DFE_ENGINE_ISSUER=https://dfe.local/api
+# Milliseconds any request to the engine may take before it is abandoned.
+# DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS=5000
 
 # Optional: auto-provision a ClickHouse connection on team creation
 # (array of {name, host, username, password}; omit to skip).
diff --git a/docs/architecture/oidc-authentication.md b/docs/architecture/oidc-authentication.md
index 10026fc4..252861e6 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/oidc-authentication.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/oidc-authentication.md
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ invite step in DFE mode.
 | `DFE_AUTH_MODE`          | unset                | `oidc-proxy`, `header-dev`, or unset for stock upstream. Any other value stops the API        |
 | `DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL`    | -                    | engine JWKS URL, and `oidc-proxy` mode will not start without it                              |
 | `DFE_ENGINE_ISSUER`      | unset                | enforced as the `iss` claim when set                                                          |
+| `DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS`  | `5000`               | how long any request to the engine may take before it is abandoned                            |
 | `DFE_AUTH_HEADER_EMAIL`  | `x-forwarded-email`  | `header-dev` only, which will not start with `NODE_ENV=production`                            |
 | `DFE_AUTH_HEADER_GROUPS` | `x-forwarded-groups` | `header-dev` only                                                                             |
 | `DFE_AUTH_DEFAULT_TEAM`  | unset                | the engine service identity's team, and the `header-dev` team when no group header is present |
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/config.test.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/config.test.ts
index 321f5585..b89f9e6a 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@
 const KEYS: readonly string[] = [
   'DFE_AUTH_MODE',
   'DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL',
+  'DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS',
   'NODE_ENV',
 ];
 type Env = {
   DFE_AUTH_MODE?: string;
   DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL?: string;
+  DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS?: string;
   NODE_ENV?: string;
 };
 
@@ -107,3 +109,25 @@ describe('header-dev in production', () => {
     ).not.toThrow();
   });
 });
+
+describe('DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS', () => {
+  test.each([
+    [undefined, 5000],
+    ['', 5000],
+    ['250', 250],
+    ['15000', 15000],
+  ])('%j reads as %d ms', (value, ms) => {
+    expect(
+      loadConfigWith({ DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS: value })?.DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    ).toBe(ms);
+  });
+
+  test.each(['0', '-5', '1.5', 'soon', '5s', ' '])(
+    'refuses to start on %j',
+    value => {
+      expect(() => loadConfigWith({ DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS: value })).toThrow(
+        /DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS/,
+      );
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/engine-session.test.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/engine-session.test.ts
index d876992f..48241f17 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/engine-session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/engine-session.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ jest.mock('@/dfe/controllers/org-connection', () => ({
   engineOrigin: jest.fn(() => 'http://engine.test:8000'),
 }));
 
+import { DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS } from '@/dfe/config';
 import {
   clearEngineSessionCache,
   resolveEngineSession,
@@ -84,6 +85,15 @@ describe('the decision', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  test('bounds the engine call by the configured timeout', async () => {
+    const timeout = jest.spyOn(AbortSignal, 'timeout');
+    grants(['sre']);
+
+    await resolveEngineSession('tok-a', FAR);
+
+    expect(timeout).toHaveBeenCalledWith(DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS);
+  });
+
   test('names the team after the ClickHouse identity the engine hands the caller', async () => {
     grants(['acme-analysts'], ORG);
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/org-connection.test.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/org-connection.test.ts
index 3f90202a..71618f77 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/org-connection.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/org-connection.test.ts
@@ -37,8 +37,13 @@ jest.mock('@/controllers/sources', () => ({
 
 jest.mock('@/dfe/config', () => ({
   DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL: 'http://engine.test:8000/.well-known/jwks.json',
+  get DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS() {
+    return mockEngineTimeoutMs;
+  },
 }));
 
+let mockEngineTimeoutMs = 5000;
+
 jest.mock('@/tasks/provisionDashboards', () => ({
   syncDashboards: jest.fn(),
 }));
@@ -263,6 +268,18 @@ describe('ensureOrgConnection - the team identity', () => {
     expect(mockCreateConn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  test('bounds the engine read by the configured timeout', async () => {
+    mockEngineTimeoutMs = 4321;
+    const timeout = jest.spyOn(AbortSignal, 'timeout');
+    mockConns.mockResolvedValue([]);
+    (global.fetch as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({ ok: false, status: 403 });
+
+    await ensureOrgConnection('tok', 'team-1', ORG);
+
+    expect(timeout).toHaveBeenCalledWith(4321);
+    mockEngineTimeoutMs = 5000;
+  });
+
   test.each([500, 502, 503])(
     'an engine %i is unavailable, not a refusal',
     async status => {
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/query-export.test.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/query-export.test.ts
index b02e1336..4a8c6d3d 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/query-export.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/__tests__/query-export.test.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ import request from 'supertest';
 import { getConnectionById } from '@/controllers/connection';
 import { getSource } from '@/controllers/sources';
 import { makeDocument } from '@/dfe/__tests__/doubles';
+import { DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS } from '@/dfe/config';
 import { extractToken } from '@/dfe/middleware/jwt-verify';
 import router, { MAX_EXPORT_SQL_BODY_CHARS } from '@/dfe/routers/query-export';
 import { getNonNullUserWithTeam } from '@/middleware/auth';
@@ -134,6 +135,15 @@ describe('POST /dfe/create-rule status mapping', () => {
     expect(res.body.detail).toBe('rule:write required');
   });
 
+  it('bounds the engine call by the configured timeout', async () => {
+    const timeout = jest.spyOn(AbortSignal, 'timeout');
+    engineReplies(200, { id: 'rule-1' });
+
+    await createRule().send(RULE_BODY);
+
+    expect(timeout).toHaveBeenCalledWith(DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS);
+  });
+
   it('forwards the created rule on success', async () => {
     engineReplies(200, { id: 'rule-1', display_name: 'noisy logins' });
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/config.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/config.ts
index 8f1f2bb8..680b587b 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/config.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/config.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,26 @@ export const DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL = env.DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL as
 
 export const DFE_ENGINE_ISSUER = env.DFE_ENGINE_ISSUER as string | undefined;
 
+// How long a request to the engine may take before it is abandoned, so a slow
+// or unreachable control plane fails the request instead of hanging the client.
+// Every DFE call to the engine reads this one value.
+const DEFAULT_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+
+function engineTimeoutMs(raw: string | undefined): number {
+  if (raw === undefined || raw === '') {
+    return DEFAULT_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS;
+  }
+  const ms = Number(raw);
+  if (!Number.isInteger(ms) || ms <= 0) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS=${JSON.stringify(raw)} is not a whole number of milliseconds above zero.`,
+    );
+  }
+  return ms;
+}
+
+export const DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS = engineTimeoutMs(env.DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS);
+
 export const isDfeEnabled =
   DFE_AUTH_MODE === 'oidc-proxy' || DFE_AUTH_MODE === 'header-dev';
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/engine-session.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/engine-session.ts
index b2b5a840..e3613b49 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/engine-session.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/engine-session.ts
@@ -15,11 +15,10 @@ import { createHash } from 'node:crypto';
 
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
+import { DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS } from '@/dfe/config';
 import { engineOrigin } from '@/dfe/controllers/org-connection';
 import logger from '@/utils/logger';
 
-const ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
-
 // A revoked group, a changed role or a deleted account reaches HyperDX within this window.
 const CACHE_TTL_MS = 30_000;
 
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ async function identityFromConnection(
 ): Promise<string | EngineAnswer> {
   const resp = await fetch(`${origin}/api/v1/hyperdx/connection`, {
     headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
-    signal: AbortSignal.timeout(ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
+    signal: AbortSignal.timeout(DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
   });
   if (resp.status === 401) {
     return refused(401, 'engine_refused');
@@ -122,7 +121,7 @@ async function askEngine(token: string): Promise<EngineAnswer> {
   try {
     const resp = await fetch(`${origin}/api/v1/auth/me`, {
       headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
+      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
     });
     if (resp.status === 401 || resp.status === 403) {
       return refused(resp.status === 401 ? 401 : 403, 'engine_refused');
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/org-connection.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/org-connection.ts
index 030d03c0..1dc16591 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/org-connection.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/controllers/org-connection.ts
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ const OrgConnectionSchema = z.object({
 
 type OrgConnection = z.infer<typeof OrgConnectionSchema>;
 
-const ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
-
 // The engine API shares an origin with its JWKS endpoint, so we derive the base
 // URL from DFE_ENGINE_JWKS_URL rather than carrying a second env var.
 // Exported as the single definition of the engine origin so DFE routers reuse it
@@ -97,7 +95,7 @@ async function fetchOrgConnection(
   try {
     const resp = await fetch(`${origin}/api/v1/hyperdx/connection`, {
       headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
+      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(dfeConfig.DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
     });
     if (resp.status === 401 || resp.status === 403) {
       logger.warn(
diff --git a/packages/api/src/dfe/routers/query-export.ts b/packages/api/src/dfe/routers/query-export.ts
index fb5e1848..854bb998 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/dfe/routers/query-export.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/dfe/routers/query-export.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { validateRequest } from 'zod-express-middleware';
 
 import { getConnectionById } from '@/controllers/connection';
 import { getSource } from '@/controllers/sources';
+import { DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS } from '@/dfe/config';
 import { engineOrigin } from '@/dfe/controllers/org-connection';
 import { requireNonSimpleRequest } from '@/dfe/middleware/cross-site';
 import { extractToken } from '@/dfe/middleware/jwt-verify';
@@ -48,10 +49,6 @@ const createRuleBodySchema = z.object({
   source: z.string().optional(),
 });
 
-// Bound the wait on the engine so a slow/unreachable control plane fails the
-// request instead of hanging the client. Matches org-connection's ceiling.
-const ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
-
 // renderChartConfig's expression regexes run in time quadratic in their input
 // and the API accepts 32 MB bodies, so the export body is capped at a size whose
 // worst case holds the event loop, and every team with it, under half a second.
@@ -230,7 +227,7 @@ router.post(
           hunt_name,
           source,
         }),
-        signal: AbortSignal.timeout(ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
+        signal: AbortSignal.timeout(DFE_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_MS),
       });
 
       // Forward the engine's status and JSON body verbatim so RBAC failures