diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-turns.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-turns.test.ts
index e363efc1f0..a8b469b8f7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-turns.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/group-turns.test.ts
@@ -1256,6 +1256,42 @@ describe('stranded harvest', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  // The backend holds a Desktop approval until it is answered, so the runaway
+  // cap must not expire a member that is only waiting on the human.
+  it('keeps a member blocked on an approval past the hard cap until the user answers', async () => {
+    // Every clock read jumps a minute (two+ reads per poll): 120 blocked polls
+    // sit hours past the 3 h cap while the member waits on the user.
+    let now = 1_000_000
+    const clock = vi.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => (now += 60_000))
+    const room = await loadRoom({ turn: () => 'approved and done' })
+    const activity = await import('./group-activity')
+    const request = host.request as (method: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<any>
+    const approval = { command: 'rm -rf ./build', description: 'Clean the build directory', request_id: 'req-a1' }
+    let blockedPolls = 120
+
+    host.request = async (method: string, params: Record<string, unknown> = {}) => {
+      const result = await request(method, params)
+
+      if (method === 'session.resume' && room.gateway.rpcFor('prompt.submit').length && blockedPolls > 0) {
+        blockedPolls -= 1
+
+        return { ...result, pending_approval: approval, running: true }
+      }
+
+      return result
+    }
+
+    try {
+      expect(await room.turns.runGroupChatMemberTurn('Room', LOCAL_MEMBER, 'clean up', 't1', [])).toBe(
+        'approved and done'
+      )
+      expect(blockedPolls).toBe(0)
+      expect(activity.$groupActivity.get().Room?.events.map(event => event.kind)).not.toContain('timed-out')
+    } finally {
+      clock.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
   const seedSession = (room: Room, stored: string, profile: string, title: string, messages: string[][]) => {
     room.gateway.sessions.set(stored, {
       messages: messages.map(([role, content]) => ({ content, role })),