diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 0d904afe04..50f1fc0a90 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -959,10 +959,16 @@ def _wait_for_oneshot_background_completions(cli) -> None:
     Waits on the whole registry: a one-shot process hosts one agent, and task_id
     filtering would skip processes registered before the session id settled.
 
+    Skipped when the quiet -Q notify-resume loop already consumed the run's linger
+    budget: it calls wait_for_pending_completions with a shared deadline, so a
+    re-wait here would double-block on the same stuck notify_on_complete child.
+
     See #90879.
     """
     from tools.process_registry import process_registry
 
+    if getattr(cli, "_quiet_notify_linger_done", False):
+        return
     _agent, task_id = _oneshot_agent_and_session(cli)
     result = process_registry.wait_for_pending_completions(None)
     if result.get("waited"):
@@ -4079,7 +4085,9 @@ def _run_quiet_single_query(cli, effective_query):
     stranded receipt."""
     from agent.interrupt_compat import _accepts_keyword
     from agent.turn_author import take_turn_author_from_env
-    from hermes_cli.quiet_single_query import bind_quiet_session_key, continue_quiet_notify_completions
+    from hermes_cli.quiet_single_query import (
+        bind_quiet_session_key, continue_quiet_notify_completions, quiet_notify_linger_seconds,
+    )
 
     author = take_turn_author_from_env()
     author_kwargs = {"turn_author": author} if author is not None and _accepts_keyword(cli.agent.run_conversation, "turn_author") else {}
@@ -4112,10 +4120,15 @@ def _run_quiet_single_query(cli, effective_query):
                     history = follow["messages"]
                 return follow
 
+            # One shared linger budget for the whole run: the loop below and the later
+            # _wait_for_oneshot_background_completions pass must not each wait the full
+            # oneshot_completion_wait_seconds on the same stuck notify_on_complete child.
+            cli._quiet_notify_linger_done = True
             continued = continue_quiet_notify_completions(
                 getattr(cli, "session_id", "") or "",
                 _follow_up,
                 owns_event=getattr(cli, "_owns_process_notification", None),
+                linger_budget=quiet_notify_linger_seconds(),
             )
             if isinstance(continued, dict):
                 result = continued
diff --git a/hermes_cli/quiet_single_query.py b/hermes_cli/quiet_single_query.py
index 9efd9113f7..c1508a9938 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/quiet_single_query.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/quiet_single_query.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ was never injected as a follow-up.
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import time
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
 # Nested A→B→C is one extra turn; this caps a runaway message_agent chain.
@@ -24,29 +25,52 @@ def bind_quiet_session_key(session_id: str):
     return token, reset_current_session_key
 
 
+def quiet_notify_linger_seconds() -> float:
+    """Total linger budget for one quiet run: the shared ``terminal.oneshot_completion_wait_seconds``.
+
+    One budget covers the drain loop here AND the later ``_wait_for_oneshot_background_completions``
+    pass, so a stuck ``notify_on_complete`` child cannot stack round-after-round waits on top of the
+    finalize re-wait (pre-fix worst case: 8 rounds x 600s + 600s).
+    """
+    from tools.process_registry import ProcessRegistry
+
+    return ProcessRegistry._oneshot_completion_wait_seconds()
+
+
 def continue_quiet_notify_completions(
     session_id: str,
     run_turn: Callable[[str], Any],
     *,
     owns_event=None,
     max_rounds: int = _MAX_QUIET_NOTIFY_ROUNDS,
+    linger_budget: float | None = None,
 ) -> Any:
     """Linger for ``notify_on_complete`` work, then run owned completion texts as follow-up turns.
 
-    Returns the last ``run_turn`` result, or ``None`` when nothing owned completed.
+    Returns the last ``run_turn`` result, or ``None`` when nothing owned completed. The whole
+    loop shares ONE linger budget (default: ``terminal.oneshot_completion_wait_seconds``) — a
+    process that times out is waited on no further this run: after the current round's drained
+    texts run, the loop stops (the finalize linger still covers it once, bounded, via the
+    budget handshake below).
     """
     from tools.process_registry import process_registry
 
     last: Any = None
     key = session_id or ""
-    for _ in range(max(int(max_rounds), 0)):
-        process_registry.wait_for_pending_completions(None)
+    if linger_budget is None:
+        linger_budget = quiet_notify_linger_seconds()
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + max(float(linger_budget), 0.0)
+    for _ in range(max_rounds):
+        wait = process_registry.wait_for_pending_completions(None, timeout=max(deadline - time.monotonic(), 0.0))
         drained = process_registry.drain_notifications(session_key=key, owns_event=owns_event)
         texts = [
             text for event, text in drained
             if event.get("type", "completion") == "completion" and text
         ]
+        if texts:
+            last = run_turn("\n\n".join(texts))
+        if wait.get("timed_out"):
+            break
         if not texts:
             return last
-        last = run_turn("\n\n".join(texts))
     return last
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_quiet_turn_author.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_quiet_turn_author.py
index 23bd040f5f..d5608d6001 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_quiet_turn_author.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_quiet_turn_author.py
@@ -105,3 +105,33 @@ def test_quiet_one_shot_resumes_nested_notify_on_this_session_not_parent(monkeyp
     finally:
         while not process_registry.completion_queue.empty():
             process_registry.completion_queue.get_nowait()
+
+
+def test_quiet_notify_loop_shares_one_linger_budget(monkeypatch):
+    """One stuck notify_on_complete child is waited on once, not once per round plus finalize.
+
+    The loop shares a single deadline across rounds and stops after draining once a
+    wait times out; the finalize pass is skipped entirely because the loop ran.
+    """
+    from hermes_cli import quiet_single_query as qsq
+    from tools import process_registry as pr
+
+    waits = []
+
+    def fake_wait(task_id=None, *, timeout=None, poll_interval=1.0):
+        waits.append(timeout)
+        # First wait: one stuck process times out; second wait (same run): nothing pending.
+        return {"waited": ["proc-stuck"] if len(waits) == 1 else [], "completed": [], "timed_out": ["proc-stuck"] if len(waits) == 1 else []}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pr.process_registry, "wait_for_pending_completions", fake_wait)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pr.process_registry, "drain_notifications", lambda *a, **k: [])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(qsq.time, "monotonic", lambda: 100.0)
+
+    calls = []
+    result = qsq.continue_quiet_notify_completions(
+        "session-B", lambda text: calls.append(text) or {"final_response": text}, linger_budget=600.0,
+    )
+    # Round 1: full budget; timed out -> drained (empty) -> break. Exactly one wait call.
+    assert waits == [600.0]
+    assert calls == []
+    assert result is None