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 b8fd002e..fa0af4a9 100644
--- a/src/features/recent-projects/main/adapters/output/sources/CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter.ts
+++ b/src/features/recent-projects/main/adapters/output/sources/CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter.ts
@@ -13,14 +13,15 @@ import type { RecentProjectIdentityResolver } from '@features/recent-projects/ma
 import type { ServiceContext } from '@main/services';
 
 const CODEX_THREAD_LIMIT = 40;
+const CODEX_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS = 6_000;
 const CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 4_500;
 const CODEX_ARCHIVED_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 2_500;
 const CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 1_500;
 const CODEX_TOTAL_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS =
-  CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_ARCHIVED_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS;
+  CODEX_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS;
 const CODEX_SOURCE_TIMEOUT_MS = CODEX_TOTAL_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + 500;
 const CODEX_LIVE_ONLY_FALLBACK_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS =
-  CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS + 1_500;
+  CODEX_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS + CODEX_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS;
 
 function isInteractiveSource(source: unknown): boolean {
   return source === 'vscode' || source === 'cli';
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ export class CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter implements RecentProjectsSourcePor
       limit: CODEX_THREAD_LIMIT,
       liveRequestTimeoutMs: CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
       archivedRequestTimeoutMs: CODEX_ARCHIVED_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      initializeTimeoutMs: CODEX_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS,
       totalTimeoutMs: CODEX_TOTAL_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
     });
 
@@ -137,6 +139,7 @@ export class CodexRecentProjectsSourceAdapter implements RecentProjectsSourcePor
         const liveFallback = await this.deps.appServerClient.listRecentLiveThreads(binaryPath, {
           limit: CODEX_THREAD_LIMIT,
           requestTimeoutMs: CODEX_LIVE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
+          initializeTimeoutMs: CODEX_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS,
           totalTimeoutMs: CODEX_LIVE_ONLY_FALLBACK_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS,
         });
 
diff --git a/src/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/codex/CodexAppServerClient.ts b/src/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/codex/CodexAppServerClient.ts
index 10013c01..56985538 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 { JsonRpcSession, JsonRpcStdioClient } from './JsonRpcStdioClient';
 
 const DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 3_000;
 const DEFAULT_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000;
+const DEFAULT_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS = 6_000;
 const MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 1_500;
 const SUPPRESSED_NOTIFICATION_METHODS = [
   'thread/started',
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ export interface CodexRecentThreadsResult {
 interface ThreadListSessionOptions {
   binaryPath: string;
   requestTimeoutMs: number;
+  initializeTimeoutMs: number;
   totalTimeoutMs: number;
   label: string;
 }
@@ -64,19 +66,25 @@ export class CodexAppServerClient {
     options: {
       limit: number;
       requestTimeoutMs?: number;
+      initializeTimeoutMs?: number;
       totalTimeoutMs?: number;
     }
   ): Promise<CodexThreadSegmentResult> {
     const requestTimeoutMs = options.requestTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    const initializeTimeoutMs = Math.max(
+      options.initializeTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      requestTimeoutMs
+    );
     const totalTimeoutMs = Math.max(
       options.totalTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS,
-      requestTimeoutMs + MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS
+      initializeTimeoutMs + requestTimeoutMs + MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS
     );
 
     return this.#withThreadListSession(
       {
         binaryPath,
         requestTimeoutMs,
+        initializeTimeoutMs,
         totalTimeoutMs,
         label: 'codex app-server thread/list live',
       },
@@ -104,21 +112,27 @@ export class CodexAppServerClient {
       limit: number;
       liveRequestTimeoutMs?: number;
       archivedRequestTimeoutMs?: number;
+      initializeTimeoutMs?: number;
       totalTimeoutMs?: number;
     }
   ): Promise<CodexRecentThreadsResult> {
     const liveRequestTimeoutMs = options.liveRequestTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS;
     const archivedRequestTimeoutMs = options.archivedRequestTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS;
     const sessionRequestTimeoutMs = Math.max(liveRequestTimeoutMs, archivedRequestTimeoutMs);
+    const initializeTimeoutMs = Math.max(
+      options.initializeTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      sessionRequestTimeoutMs
+    );
     const totalTimeoutMs = Math.max(
       options.totalTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_TOTAL_TIMEOUT_MS,
-      liveRequestTimeoutMs + archivedRequestTimeoutMs + MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS
+      initializeTimeoutMs + sessionRequestTimeoutMs + MIN_SESSION_OVERHEAD_TIMEOUT_MS
     );
 
     return this.#withThreadListSession(
       {
         binaryPath,
         requestTimeoutMs: sessionRequestTimeoutMs,
+        initializeTimeoutMs,
         totalTimeoutMs,
         label: 'codex app-server thread/list',
       },
@@ -193,7 +207,7 @@ export class CodexAppServerClient {
               optOutNotificationMethods: SUPPRESSED_NOTIFICATION_METHODS,
             },
           },
-          options.requestTimeoutMs
+          options.initializeTimeoutMs
         );
 
         await session.notify('initialized');
diff --git a/test/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/CodexAppServerClient.test.ts b/test/features/recent-projects/main/infrastructure/CodexAppServerClient.test.ts
index 549c8845..3dbc8b74 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: 8500,
+        totalTimeoutMs: 12000,
       }),
       expect.any(Function)
     );
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ describe('CodexAppServerClient', () => {
 
     expect(withSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
-        totalTimeoutMs: 8500,
+        totalTimeoutMs: 12000,
       }),
       expect.any(Function)
     );
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ describe('CodexAppServerClient', () => {
       expect.objectContaining({
         binaryPath: '/usr/local/bin/codex',
         requestTimeoutMs: 4500,
-        totalTimeoutMs: 6000,
+        totalTimeoutMs: 12000,
         label: 'codex app-server thread/list live',
       }),
       expect.any(Function)
@@ -180,4 +180,32 @@ describe('CodexAppServerClient', () => {
       threads: [{ id: 'live-1', cwd: '/Users/test/live-project', source: 'cli' }],
     });
   });
+
+  it('uses the longer initialize timeout for app-server startup', async () => {
+    const request = vi.fn().mockImplementation((method: string, _params?: unknown, timeoutMs?: number) => {
+      if (method === 'initialize') {
+        expect(timeoutMs).toBe(6000);
+        return Promise.resolve({});
+      }
+
+      if (method === 'thread/list') {
+        return Promise.resolve({ data: [] });
+      }
+
+      return Promise.reject(new Error(`Unexpected method: ${method}`));
+    });
+
+    const session = createSession(request);
+    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(request).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });