diff --git a/src/features/recent-projects/main/adapters/output/sources/CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter.ts b/src/features/recent-projects/main/adapters/output/sources/CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter.ts
index 4070bd91..dea0542d 100644
--- a/src/features/recent-projects/main/adapters/output/sources/CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter.ts
+++ b/src/features/recent-projects/main/adapters/output/sources/CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@ import type { ServiceContext } from '@main/services';
 const CODEX_THREAD_LIMIT = 40;
 const CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 4_500;
 const CODEX_ARCHIVED_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 2_500;
-const CODEX_SOURCE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_200;
+const CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 1_500;
+const CODEX_TOTAL_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS =
+  CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS;
+const CODEX_SOURCE_TIMEOUT_MS = CODEX_TOTAL_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + 500;
 
 function isInteractiveSource(source: unknown): boolean {
   return source === 'vscode' || source === 'cli';
@@ -83,7 +86,7 @@ export class CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter implements RecentProjectsSourcePor
       limit: CODEX_THREAD_LIMIT,
       liveRequestTimeoutMs: CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
       archivedRequestTimeoutMs: CODEX_ARCHIVED_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
-      totalTimeoutMs: CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      totalTimeoutMs: CODEX_TOTAL_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
     });
 
     this.deps.logger.info('codex recent-projects thread lists loaded', {
diff --git a/src/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/codex/CodexAppServerClient.ts b/src/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/codex/CodexAppServerClient.ts
index 2a43a960..b58b870f 100644
--- a/src/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/codex/CodexAppServerClient.ts
+++ b/src/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/codex/CodexAppServerClient.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { JsonRpcStdioClient } from './JsonRpcStdioClient';
 
 const DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 3_000;
 const DEFAULT_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000;
+const MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 1_500;
 const SUPPRESSED_NOTIFICATION_METHODS = [
   'thread/started',
   'thread/status/changed',
@@ -63,7 +64,10 @@ export class CodexAppServerClient {
     const liveRequestTimeoutMs = options.liveRequestTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS;
     const archivedRequestTimeoutMs = options.archivedRequestTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS;
     const sessionRequestTimeoutMs = Math.max(liveRequestTimeoutMs, archivedRequestTimeoutMs);
-    const totalTimeoutMs = options.totalTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    const totalTimeoutMs = Math.max(
+      options.totalTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      sessionRequestTimeoutMs + MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS
+    );
 
     return this.rpcClient.withSession(
       {
diff --git a/test/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/CodexAppServerClient.test.ts b/test/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/CodexAppServerClient.test.ts
index bb92552d..76b39c08 100644
--- a/test/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/CodexAppServerClient.test.ts
+++ b/test/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/CodexAppServerClient.test.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ describe('CodexAppServerClient', () => {
       expect.objectContaining({
         binaryPath: '/usr/local/bin/codex',
         requestTimeoutMs: 4500,
-        totalTimeoutMs: 4500,
+        totalTimeoutMs: 6000,
       }),
       expect.any(Function)
     );
@@ -107,4 +107,37 @@ describe('CodexAppServerClient', () => {
       error: 'JSON-RPC request timed out: thread/list',
     });
   });
+
+  it('raises the session timeout budget above the longest request timeout', async () => {
+    const session = createSession(
+      vi.fn().mockImplementation((method: string, params?: { archived?: boolean }) => {
+        if (method === 'initialize') {
+          return Promise.resolve({});
+        }
+
+        if (method === 'thread/list') {
+          return Promise.resolve({ data: [] });
+        }
+
+        return Promise.reject(new Error(`Unexpected method: ${method}`));
+      })
+    );
+
+    const withSession = vi.fn().mockImplementation((_options, handler) => handler(session));
+    const client = new CodexAppServerClient({ withSession } as unknown as JsonRpcStdioClient);
+
+    await client.listRecentThreads('/usr/local/bin/codex', {
+      limit: 40,
+      liveRequestTimeoutMs: 4500,
+      archivedRequestTimeoutMs: 2500,
+      totalTimeoutMs: 4500,
+    });
+
+    expect(withSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        totalTimeoutMs: 6000,
+      }),
+      expect.any(Function)
+    );
+  });
 });