diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.App/Program.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.App/Program.cs
index cb3e95aa..fffebcdc 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.App/Program.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.App/Program.cs
@@ -91,8 +91,11 @@ sealed class Program
         TrExtension.Localizer = localizer;
         ClaudeDo.Ui.Localization.Loc.Current = localizer;
         sc.AddSingleton<ILocalizer>(localizer);
+        // Default Timeout maps to SQLite's busy handler. Without it a momentarily locked
+        // database throws SqliteException immediately instead of waiting out the writer,
+        // which is what leaves task rows stuck on a stale status.
         sc.AddDbContextFactory<ClaudeDoDbContext>(opt =>
-            opt.UseSqlite($"Data Source={dbPath}"));
+            opt.UseSqlite($"Data Source={dbPath};Default Timeout=30"));
         sc.AddScoped<ClaudeDoDbContext>(sp =>
             sp.GetRequiredService<IDbContextFactory<ClaudeDoDbContext>>().CreateDbContext());
 
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs
index c4fd4ed1..aa2f06fd 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs
@@ -57,8 +57,9 @@ builder.Host.UseSerilog((ctx, lc) => lc
     .WriteTo.Sink(broadcastSink));
 builder.Services.AddSingleton(logBuffer);
 
+// See ClaudeDo.App/Program.cs — Default Timeout maps to SQLite's busy handler.
 builder.Services.AddDbContextFactory<ClaudeDoDbContext>(opt =>
-    opt.UseSqlite($"Data Source={cfg.DbPath}"));
+    opt.UseSqlite($"Data Source={cfg.DbPath};Default Timeout=30"));
 
 builder.Services.AddSingleton(cfg);
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<AttachmentStore>();