diff --git a/scripts/patch-ap-mastodon-misc.mjs b/scripts/patch-ap-mastodon-misc.mjs
index 3d87590a..d1eb40c8 100644
--- a/scripts/patch-ap-mastodon-misc.mjs
+++ b/scripts/patch-ap-mastodon-misc.mjs
@@ -219,4 +219,44 @@ for (const f of SEARCH_CANDIDATES) {
 }
 if (!searchDone) console.log(`[postinstall] ${SCRIPT}: ap-search-url-resolve — no target file found or no changes`);
 
+// ── patch-ap-resolve-actor-timeout: cap actor lookup at 8 s + log failures ───
+// When Mastodon client clicks a @mention handle, /api/v1/accounts/lookup calls
+// resolveRemoteAccount → lookupWithSecurity → ctx.lookupObject (no timeout).
+// If the remote server hangs, the request hangs indefinitely. Even when it fails
+// fast, we get 404 with no log entry explaining why.
+// Fix: wrap lookupWithSecurity in an 8 s timeout; log on failure/null result.
+
+const ACTOR_TIMEOUT_MARKER = "// [patch] ap-resolve-actor-timeout";
+const RESOLVE_ACCOUNT_CANDIDATES = apPath("lib/mastodon/helpers/resolve-account.js");
+
+const ACTOR_TIMEOUT_OLD = `    // Use signed→unsigned fallback so servers rejecting signed GETs still resolve
+    const documentLoader = await ctx.getDocumentLoader({ identifier: handle });
+    const actor = await lookupWithSecurity(ctx, actorUri, { documentLoader });
+    if (!actor) return null;`;
+
+const ACTOR_TIMEOUT_NEW = `    // Use signed→unsigned fallback so servers rejecting signed GETs still resolve
+    const documentLoader = await ctx.getDocumentLoader({ identifier: handle });
+    // Timeout guard: cap actor fetch at 8 s so hung lookups fail fast. ${ACTOR_TIMEOUT_MARKER}
+    const _aLookupTimeout = (p, ms = 8000) => { const t = new Promise((_, rej) => setTimeout(() => rej(new Error("actor lookup timeout")), ms)); p.catch(() => {}); return Promise.race([p, t]); }; ${ACTOR_TIMEOUT_MARKER}
+    const actor = await _aLookupTimeout(lookupWithSecurity(ctx, actorUri, { documentLoader })).catch(err => { console.warn(\`[Mastodon API] Actor lookup failed for \${acct}: \${err.message}\`); return null; }); ${ACTOR_TIMEOUT_MARKER}
+    if (!actor) { console.warn(\`[Mastodon API] lookupWithSecurity returned null for \${acct}\`); return null; } ${ACTOR_TIMEOUT_MARKER}`;
+
+let actorTimeoutDone = false;
+for (const f of RESOLVE_ACCOUNT_CANDIDATES) {
+  if (!(await fileExists(f))) continue;
+  const src = await readFile(f, "utf8");
+  if (src.includes(ACTOR_TIMEOUT_MARKER)) {
+    console.log(`[postinstall] ${SCRIPT}: ap-resolve-actor-timeout already applied in ${f}`);
+    actorTimeoutDone = true; break;
+  }
+  if (!src.includes(ACTOR_TIMEOUT_OLD)) {
+    console.warn(`[postinstall] ${SCRIPT}: ap-resolve-actor-timeout — anchor not found in ${f}`);
+    continue;
+  }
+  await writeFile(f, src.replace(ACTOR_TIMEOUT_OLD, ACTOR_TIMEOUT_NEW), "utf8");
+  console.log(`[postinstall] ${SCRIPT}: applied ap-resolve-actor-timeout to ${f}`);
+  total++; actorTimeoutDone = true; break;
+}
+if (!actorTimeoutDone) console.log(`[postinstall] ${SCRIPT}: ap-resolve-actor-timeout — no target file found or no changes`);
+
 console.log(`[postinstall] ${SCRIPT}: done (${total} patch(es) applied)`);