diff --git a/internal/channels/instance_loader.go b/internal/channels/instance_loader.go
index 025d7c68..df6d677f 100644
--- a/internal/channels/instance_loader.go
+++ b/internal/channels/instance_loader.go
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/internal/store"
 )
 
+// reloadStartTimeout bounds how long Reload() will wait for a single channel's
+// Start() to return before abandoning it and continuing with the rest.
+// Sits above Telegram's probeOverallTimeout (60s) so well-behaved channels
+// always get a chance to finish before being given up on.
+// var (not const) so tests can shrink it without waiting a real minute+.
+var reloadStartTimeout = 90 * time.Second
+
 // ChannelFactory creates a Channel from DB instance data.
 // name: channel name (registered in Manager, used in session keys).
 // creds: decrypted credentials JSON (token, API keys, etc.).
@@ -325,17 +332,72 @@ func (l *InstanceLoader) loadInstance(ctx context.Context, inst store.ChannelIns
 	l.manager.RegisterChannel(inst.Name, ch)
 
 	// Start the channel if requested (Reload path). LoadAll defers to StartAll.
+	// Bound the wait so one hung Start() can't block Reload()'s mutex and wedge
+	// every subsequent reload. Important: we pass the caller's ctx (not a
+	// timeout-wrapped one) to ch.Start so long-running goroutines the channel
+	// derives from it — e.g. Telegram's pollCtx — are not cancelled out from
+	// under a successful start.
 	if autoStart {
-		if err := ch.Start(ctx); err != nil {
-			l.manager.recordChannelStartFailure(inst.Name, ch, "", err)
-			slog.Error("channel instance start failed", "name", inst.Name, "error", err)
-			// Still registered — will show as not running.
-		} else {
-			l.manager.RecordHealth(inst.Name, snapshotChannelHealth(ch))
-		}
+		l.startChannelWithTimeout(ctx, inst, ch)
 	}
 
 	slog.Info("channel instance loaded",
 		"name", inst.Name, "type", inst.ChannelType, "agent_id", inst.AgentID)
 	return nil
 }
+
+// startChannelWithTimeout runs ch.Start(ctx) in a goroutine and waits up to
+// reloadStartTimeout for it to return. On timeout we stop the partially-started
+// channel and record a failure so Reload() can move on to the next instance.
+//
+// ctx is passed through unchanged: channels routinely derive long-lived
+// goroutines (e.g. Telegram long-polling) from this context and must keep
+// running after Start returns. A late-returning Start — i.e. one that ignores
+// the caller ctx entirely — is drained asynchronously so its goroutine doesn't
+// block forever on the send to startErr. If it eventually reports success,
+// we've already called Stop, which is idempotent across channel impls.
+func (l *InstanceLoader) startChannelWithTimeout(ctx context.Context, inst store.ChannelInstanceData, ch Channel) {
+	startErr := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { startErr <- ch.Start(ctx) }()
+
+	timer := time.NewTimer(reloadStartTimeout)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-startErr:
+		if err != nil {
+			l.manager.recordChannelStartFailure(inst.Name, ch, "", err)
+			slog.Error("channel instance start failed",
+				"name", inst.Name, "type", inst.ChannelType, "error", err)
+			return
+		}
+		l.manager.RecordHealth(inst.Name, snapshotChannelHealth(ch))
+
+	case <-timer.C:
+		// Stop the channel in a bounded window so we don't trade one hang for another.
+		stopCtx, stopCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+		if err := ch.Stop(stopCtx); err != nil {
+			slog.Warn("failed to stop timed-out channel",
+				"name", inst.Name, "type", inst.ChannelType, "error", err)
+		}
+		stopCancel()
+
+		timeoutErr := fmt.Errorf("start timed out after %s (type=%s)", reloadStartTimeout, inst.ChannelType)
+		l.manager.recordChannelStartFailure(inst.Name, ch, "", timeoutErr)
+		slog.Error("channel instance start timed out",
+			"name", inst.Name, "type", inst.ChannelType, "timeout", reloadStartTimeout)
+
+		// Drain the late-returning Start so its goroutine can exit.
+		// Logged so operators can spot channels that ignore context cancellation.
+		go func() {
+			err := <-startErr
+			if err != nil {
+				slog.Warn("channel instance start returned after timeout",
+					"name", inst.Name, "type", inst.ChannelType, "error", err)
+				return
+			}
+			slog.Warn("channel instance start succeeded after timeout; already stopped",
+				"name", inst.Name, "type", inst.ChannelType)
+		}()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/channels/instance_loader_timeout_test.go b/internal/channels/instance_loader_timeout_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bdbdfae9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/channels/instance_loader_timeout_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+package channels
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/internal/bus"
+	"github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/internal/store"
+)
+
+// timeoutTestChannel is a minimal Channel implementation used by the Reload
+// timeout regression tests. It intentionally does NOT embed *BaseChannel so
+// optional interfaces (SetAgentID, SetTenantID, ...) aren't promoted — that
+// keeps loadInstance on the "no agent store needed" path.
+type timeoutTestChannel struct {
+	base        *BaseChannel
+	release     chan struct{}
+	hang        bool
+	captureCtx  func(context.Context)
+	startReturn chan error
+	stopCalls   atomic.Int32
+}
+
+func newTimeoutTestChannel(name, channelType string, hang bool) *timeoutTestChannel {
+	b := NewBaseChannel(name, bus.New(), nil)
+	b.SetType(channelType)
+	return &timeoutTestChannel{
+		base:        b,
+		release:     make(chan struct{}),
+		hang:        hang,
+		startReturn: make(chan error, 1),
+	}
+}
+
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) Name() string                                    { return c.base.Name() }
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) Type() string                                    { return c.base.Type() }
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) IsRunning() bool                                 { return c.base.IsRunning() }
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) IsAllowed(senderID string) bool                  { return c.base.IsAllowed(senderID) }
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) Send(context.Context, bus.OutboundMessage) error { return nil }
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) SetType(t string)                                { c.base.SetType(t) }
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) HealthSnapshot() ChannelHealth                   { return c.base.HealthSnapshot() }
+
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if c.captureCtx != nil {
+		c.captureCtx(ctx)
+	}
+	if !c.hang {
+		c.base.MarkHealthy("Connected")
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Hang until released or ctx done (covers both honor-ctx and ignore-ctx cases
+	// — whichever fires first).
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		c.startReturn <- ctx.Err()
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-c.release:
+		c.startReturn <- nil
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) Stop(context.Context) error {
+	c.stopCalls.Add(1)
+	c.base.MarkStopped("Stopped")
+	return nil
+}
+
+// MarkFailed delegates to the embedded base so recordChannelStartFailureLocked
+// can transition the channel from "stopped" → "failed" after the timeout cleanup
+// (real channels embed *BaseChannel and inherit this for free).
+func (c *timeoutTestChannel) MarkFailed(summary, detail string, kind ChannelFailureKind, retryable bool) {
+	c.base.MarkFailed(summary, detail, kind, retryable)
+}
+
+// withShortReloadTimeout shrinks the package-level timeout for the duration
+// of a test so we don't wait the real 90s.
+func withShortReloadTimeout(t *testing.T, d time.Duration) {
+	t.Helper()
+	orig := reloadStartTimeout
+	reloadStartTimeout = d
+	t.Cleanup(func() { reloadStartTimeout = orig })
+}
+
+// TestLoadInstance_HungStartDoesNotBlock verifies that a Start() that never
+// returns is abandoned after reloadStartTimeout so Reload() can proceed to
+// other channels instead of deadlocking on the loader mutex.
+func TestLoadInstance_HungStartDoesNotBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	withShortReloadTimeout(t, 200*time.Millisecond)
+
+	msgBus := bus.New()
+	mgr := NewManager(msgBus)
+	loader := NewInstanceLoader(nil, nil, mgr, msgBus, nil)
+
+	hung := newTimeoutTestChannel("telegram-hung", TypeTelegram, true)
+	loader.RegisterFactory(TypeTelegram, func(string, json.RawMessage, json.RawMessage, *bus.MessageBus, store.PairingStore) (Channel, error) {
+		return hung, nil
+	})
+
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	start := time.Now()
+	loader.mu.Lock()
+	go func() {
+		defer loader.mu.Unlock()
+		done <- loader.loadInstance(context.Background(), store.ChannelInstanceData{
+			Name:        "telegram-hung",
+			ChannelType: TypeTelegram,
+		}, true)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("loadInstance returned error: %v", err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("loadInstance did not return within 3s — timeout path is broken")
+	}
+
+	if elapsed := time.Since(start); elapsed < 150*time.Millisecond {
+		t.Fatalf("returned too fast (%s); timeout should have waited", elapsed)
+	}
+
+	status := mgr.GetStatus()["telegram-hung"].(ChannelHealth)
+	if status.State != ChannelHealthStateFailed {
+		t.Fatalf("expected failed state, got %q", status.State)
+	}
+	if hung.stopCalls.Load() == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("expected Stop() to be called on timed-out channel for cleanup")
+	}
+
+	// Drain the start goroutine so it doesn't leak past the test.
+	close(hung.release)
+	select {
+	case <-hung.startReturn:
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("start goroutine did not drain after release")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadInstance_FastStartPreservesCallerContext verifies the critical fix:
+// channels derive long-running goroutines from the ctx they receive in Start().
+// We must pass the caller's ctx through unchanged, not a timeout-wrapped ctx,
+// otherwise a successful Start() has its long-lived work cancelled when the
+// timeout fires or cancel runs — silently breaking polling after Reload.
+func TestLoadInstance_FastStartPreservesCallerContext(t *testing.T) {
+	withShortReloadTimeout(t, 200*time.Millisecond)
+
+	msgBus := bus.New()
+	mgr := NewManager(msgBus)
+	loader := NewInstanceLoader(nil, nil, mgr, msgBus, nil)
+
+	var receivedCtx context.Context
+	ch := newTimeoutTestChannel("telegram-fast", TypeTelegram, false)
+	ch.captureCtx = func(ctx context.Context) { receivedCtx = ctx }
+	loader.RegisterFactory(TypeTelegram, func(string, json.RawMessage, json.RawMessage, *bus.MessageBus, store.PairingStore) (Channel, error) {
+		return ch, nil
+	})
+
+	parent, cancelParent := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancelParent()
+
+	loader.mu.Lock()
+	err := loader.loadInstance(parent, store.ChannelInstanceData{
+		Name:        "telegram-fast",
+		ChannelType: TypeTelegram,
+	}, true)
+	loader.mu.Unlock()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("loadInstance error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if receivedCtx == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Start did not receive a ctx")
+	}
+	// Wait past the timeout window. If Start had been handed a timeout ctx,
+	// receivedCtx.Done() would be closed by now. It MUST still be open,
+	// otherwise long-running polling goroutines (Telegram) would die.
+	time.Sleep(300 * time.Millisecond)
+	select {
+	case <-receivedCtx.Done():
+		t.Fatal("ctx passed to Start was cancelled after timeout window — would kill derived polling goroutines")
+	default:
+	}
+
+	// Cancelling the parent ctx must still propagate (caller retains control).
+	cancelParent()
+	select {
+	case <-receivedCtx.Done():
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("parent cancel did not propagate to Start ctx")
+	}
+}