diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 617e507..c7ef9eb 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=...     # or VENICE_API_KEY / ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / OPEN
 export XAI_API_KEY=...            # Grok Build (grok-build-0.1) — xAI's coding model, native tool-calling
 ```
 
+Slow local agents can be given more room with `T3MP3ST_LOCAL_AGENT_TIMEOUT_MS`
+for each CLI call, `T3MP3ST_TASK_TIMEOUT_MS` for mission tasks, and
+`T3MP3ST_GENERAL_TIMEOUT_MS` for planning requests. Values are milliseconds.
+
 Or run it **fully offline** on your own model — no key, no cloud. Defaults to Ollama; point it at any OpenAI-compatible server (LM Studio, vLLM, llama.cpp):
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/src/__tests__/local-agent-tool-calling.test.ts b/src/__tests__/local-agent-tool-calling.test.ts
index a5791d2..45a3fb4 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/local-agent-tool-calling.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/local-agent-tool-calling.test.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,15 @@ describe('parseTextToolCalls — happy path + drift tolerance', () => {
 });
 
 describe('local-agent backbone surfaces toolCalls (keyless-path fix)', () => {
+  it('describes the current ACTION CONTRACT to the local agent', async () => {
+    cli.mockResolvedValueOnce('Final debrief.');
+    await localBackbone().chatWithTools([{ role: 'user', content: 'scan' }], TOOLS as never);
+    const prompt = String(cli.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1] || '');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('ACTION CONTRACT');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('nmap_scan');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('port scan a host');
+  });
+
   it('returns toolCalls + finishReason=tool_calls when the agent requests a tool', async () => {
     cli.mockResolvedValueOnce('```json\n{"tool_calls":[{"name":"nmap_scan","arguments":{"target":"x"}}]}\n```');
     const res = await localBackbone().chatWithTools([{ role: 'user', content: 'scan' }], TOOLS as never);
@@ -83,6 +92,19 @@ describe('local-agent backbone surfaces toolCalls (keyless-path fix)', () => {
     expect(res.toolCalls).toBeUndefined();
     expect(res.finishReason).toBe('stop');
   });
+
+  it('does not force the old short timeout when no local-agent timeout is configured', async () => {
+    cli.mockResolvedValueOnce('done');
+    await localBackbone().chat([{ role: 'user', content: 'hello' }]);
+    expect(cli.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[2]).toMatchObject({ timeoutMs: undefined });
+  });
+
+  it('passes an explicit local-agent timeout through to the CLI runner', async () => {
+    cli.mockResolvedValueOnce('done');
+    await new LLMBackbone({ provider: 'local-agent', model: 'codex', timeout: 900000 } as never)
+      .chat([{ role: 'user', content: 'hello' }]);
+    expect(cli.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[2]).toMatchObject({ timeoutMs: 900000 });
+  });
 });
 
 describe('codex backbone surfaces toolCalls (guards the CodexAdapter half of the fix)', () => {