diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/hermes.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/hermes.test.ts
index a32a91f3b11..96c32648419 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/hermes.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/hermes.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import {
+  getCronJobs,
+  getGlobalModelInfo,
+  getGlobalModelOptions,
+  getHermesConfig,
+  getHermesConfigDefaults,
   getProfiles,
   getSessionMessages,
+  getStatus,
   listAllProfileSessions,
   listSessions
 } from './hermes'
@@ -89,6 +95,37 @@ describe('Hermes REST session helpers', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('gives the whole startup data burst the long timeout, not just profiles', async () => {
+    api.mockResolvedValue({})
+
+    const bootCalls: [() => Promise<unknown>, string][] = [
+      [getHermesConfig, '/api/config'],
+      [getHermesConfigDefaults, '/api/config/defaults'],
+      [getGlobalModelInfo, '/api/model/info'],
+      [() => getGlobalModelOptions(), '/api/model/options'],
+      [getCronJobs, '/api/cron/jobs']
+    ]
+
+    for (const [call, path] of bootCalls) {
+      api.mockClear()
+      await call()
+      expect(api).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ path, timeoutMs: 60_000 }))
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the liveness poll on the short default so a dead backend fails fast', async () => {
+    api.mockResolvedValue({})
+    api.mockClear()
+
+    await getStatus()
+
+    // /api/status must NOT carry the long startup timeout — it is the runtime
+    // liveness probe and has to fail quickly when the backend drops.
+    const call = api.mock.calls[0]?.[0] as { path: string; timeoutMs?: number }
+    expect(call.path).toBe('/api/status')
+    expect(call.timeoutMs).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
   it('tags cross-profile message reads for Electron routing and backend lookup', async () => {
     api.mockResolvedValue({ messages: [], session_id: 'session-1' })
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/hermes.ts b/apps/desktop/src/hermes.ts
index 1c248c05fd2..974517de85b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/hermes.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/hermes.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,18 @@ import type {
   ToolsetInfo
 } from '@/types/hermes'
 
-export const STARTUP_PROFILE_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 60_000
+// Desktop startup fires a burst of read-only data calls (config, profiles,
+// model info/options, cron) the moment the backend passes readiness. On a
+// profile-heavy or remote install these can each take tens of seconds — e.g.
+// /api/profiles runs list_profiles(), which does a recursive skill-tree walk
+// per profile — so the 15s default (DEFAULT_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS in hardening.cjs)
+// times out a backend that is alive-but-busy, surfacing as a spurious
+// "Timed out connecting to Hermes backend" that hangs the UI (#48504).
+//
+// Give the boot burst a generous per-call timeout instead of raising the
+// global default: interactive/runtime calls and the liveness poll (/api/status)
+// keep the short default so a genuinely-dead backend is still detected fast.
+export const STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 60_000
 const DEFAULT_GATEWAY_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000
 const SESSION_LIST_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 60_000
 // prompt.submit is effectively fire-and-forget: turn completion is signaled by
@@ -288,7 +299,8 @@ export function renameSession(
 export function getGlobalModelInfo(): Promise<ModelInfoResponse> {
   return window.hermesDesktop.api<ModelInfoResponse>({
     ...profileScoped(),
-    path: '/api/model/info'
+    path: '/api/model/info',
+    timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
   })
 }
 
@@ -334,7 +346,8 @@ export function getLogs(params: {
 export function getHermesConfig(): Promise<HermesConfig> {
   return window.hermesDesktop.api<HermesConfig>({
     ...profileScoped(),
-    path: '/api/config'
+    path: '/api/config',
+    timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
   })
 }
 
@@ -348,7 +361,8 @@ export function getHermesConfigRecord(): Promise<HermesConfigRecord> {
 export function getHermesConfigDefaults(): Promise<HermesConfigRecord> {
   return window.hermesDesktop.api<HermesConfigRecord>({
     ...profileScoped(),
-    path: '/api/config/defaults'
+    path: '/api/config/defaults',
+    timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
   })
 }
 
@@ -639,7 +653,8 @@ export function testMessagingPlatform(platformId: string): Promise<MessagingPlat
 
 export function getCronJobs(): Promise<CronJob[]> {
   return window.hermesDesktop.api<CronJob[]>({
-    path: '/api/cron/jobs'
+    path: '/api/cron/jobs',
+    timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
   })
 }
 
@@ -704,7 +719,7 @@ export function deleteCronJob(jobId: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean }> {
 export function getProfiles(): Promise<ProfilesResponse> {
   return window.hermesDesktop.api<ProfilesResponse>({
     path: '/api/profiles',
-    timeoutMs: STARTUP_PROFILE_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
+    timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
   })
 }
 
@@ -761,7 +776,8 @@ export function getUsageAnalytics(days = 30): Promise<AnalyticsResponse> {
 export function getGlobalModelOptions(opts?: { refresh?: boolean }): Promise<ModelOptionsResponse> {
   return window.hermesDesktop.api<ModelOptionsResponse>({
     ...profileScoped(),
-    path: opts?.refresh ? '/api/model/options?refresh=1' : '/api/model/options'
+    path: opts?.refresh ? '/api/model/options?refresh=1' : '/api/model/options',
+    timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
   })
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts
index 38ec723e54b..79a9c530138 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { atom, computed } from 'nanostores'
 
-import { getProfiles, setApiRequestProfile, STARTUP_PROFILE_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS } from '@/hermes'
+import { getProfiles, setApiRequestProfile, STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS } from '@/hermes'
 import { queryClient } from '@/lib/query-client'
 import {
   arraysEqual,
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export async function refreshActiveProfile(): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const res = await window.hermesDesktop.api<ActiveProfileResponse>({
       path: '/api/profiles/active',
-      timeoutMs: STARTUP_PROFILE_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
+      timeoutMs: STARTUP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS
     })
 
     setActiveProfile(res.current || 'default')