diff --git a/backend/internal/notify/manager.go b/backend/internal/notify/manager.go
index cd951c27b4..42ea5a652c 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notify/manager.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notify/manager.go
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aoagents/agent-orchestrator/backend/internal/ports"
 )
 
+const defaultPublishTimeout = 2 * time.Second
+
 // Store is the write-side notification persistence boundary.
 type Store interface {
 	CreateNotification(ctx context.Context, rec domain.NotificationRecord) (domain.NotificationRecord, bool, error)
@@ -29,23 +31,34 @@ type Intent = ports.NotificationIntent
 // Manager validates lifecycle intents, enriches them into stored rows, persists
 // unread notifications, and publishes newly inserted rows to live subscribers.
 type Manager struct {
-	store     Store
-	publisher Publisher
-	clock     func() time.Time
-	newID     func() string
+	store          Store
+	publisher      Publisher
+	publishTimeout time.Duration
+	clock          func() time.Time
+	newID          func() string
 }
 
 // Deps configures a Manager.
 type Deps struct {
-	Store     Store
-	Publisher Publisher
-	Clock     func() time.Time
-	NewID     func() string
+	Store          Store
+	Publisher      Publisher
+	PublishTimeout time.Duration
+	Clock          func() time.Time
+	NewID          func() string
 }
 
 // New constructs a write-side notification manager.
 func New(d Deps) *Manager {
-	m := &Manager{store: d.Store, publisher: d.Publisher, clock: d.Clock, newID: d.NewID}
+	m := &Manager{
+		store:          d.Store,
+		publisher:      d.Publisher,
+		publishTimeout: d.PublishTimeout,
+		clock:          d.Clock,
+		newID:          d.NewID,
+	}
+	if m.publishTimeout <= 0 {
+		m.publishTimeout = defaultPublishTimeout
+	}
 	if m.clock == nil {
 		m.clock = time.Now
 	}
@@ -76,8 +89,28 @@ func (m *Manager) Notify(ctx context.Context, intent Intent) error {
 	if !inserted || m.publisher == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := m.publisher.Publish(ctx, created); err != nil {
+	if err := m.publish(ctx, created); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("notify publish: %w", err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (m *Manager) publish(ctx context.Context, rec domain.NotificationRecord) error {
+	if m.publishTimeout <= 0 {
+		return m.publisher.Publish(ctx, rec)
+	}
+	pubCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.publishTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	errCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		errCh <- m.publisher.Publish(pubCtx, rec)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-errCh:
+		return err
+	case <-pubCtx.Done():
+		return pubCtx.Err()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/notify/manager_test.go b/backend/internal/notify/manager_test.go
index 4751682be0..a9ff4063f1 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notify/manager_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notify/manager_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,27 @@ func (f *fakeStore) CreateNotification(_ context.Context, rec domain.Notificatio
 	return rec, true, nil
 }
 
+type fakePublisher struct {
+	published []domain.NotificationRecord
+	delay     time.Duration
+	err       error
+}
+
+func (f *fakePublisher) Publish(ctx context.Context, rec domain.NotificationRecord) error {
+	if f.delay > 0 {
+		select {
+		case <-time.After(f.delay):
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return ctx.Err()
+		}
+	}
+	if f.err != nil {
+		return f.err
+	}
+	f.published = append(f.published, rec)
+	return nil
+}
+
 func TestManagerNotifyPersistsThenPublishes(t *testing.T) {
 	st := &fakeStore{}
 	hub := NewHub()
@@ -53,6 +74,50 @@ func TestManagerNotifyPersistsThenPublishes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestManagerNotifyReturnsPublisherErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	st := &fakeStore{}
+	pub := &fakePublisher{err: errors.New("publisher unavailable")}
+	mgr := New(Deps{
+		Store:     st,
+		Publisher: pub,
+		Clock:     func() time.Time { return time.Now() },
+		NewID:     func() string { return "ntf_1" },
+	})
+
+	err := mgr.Notify(context.Background(), Intent{Type: domain.NotificationNeedsInput, SessionID: "mer-1", ProjectID: "mer", SessionDisplayName: "checkout-flow"})
+	if err == nil || !errors.Is(err, pub.err) {
+		t.Fatalf("Notify err = %v, want publisher error", err)
+	}
+	if len(st.rows) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("stored rows = %d, want 1", len(st.rows))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManagerNotifyBoundsSlowPublisher(t *testing.T) {
+	st := &fakeStore{}
+	pub := &fakePublisher{delay: 200 * time.Millisecond}
+	mgr := New(Deps{
+		Store:          st,
+		Publisher:      pub,
+		PublishTimeout: 20 * time.Millisecond,
+		Clock:          func() time.Time { return time.Now() },
+		NewID:          func() string { return "ntf_1" },
+	})
+
+	started := time.Now()
+	err := mgr.Notify(context.Background(), Intent{Type: domain.NotificationNeedsInput, SessionID: "mer-1", ProjectID: "mer", SessionDisplayName: "checkout-flow"})
+	elapsed := time.Since(started)
+	if !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("Notify err = %v, want deadline exceeded", err)
+	}
+	if elapsed >= 150*time.Millisecond {
+		t.Fatalf("Notify blocked for %s, want bounded publisher wait", elapsed)
+	}
+	if len(st.rows) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("stored rows = %d, want 1", len(st.rows))
+	}
+}
+
 func TestManagerNotifyDuplicateDoesNotPublish(t *testing.T) {
 	st := &fakeStore{duplicate: true}
 	hub := NewHub()