diff --git a/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py b/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py
index 19a96ba0f4a2..2e1de22d3229 100644
--- a/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py
+++ b/plugins/memory/honcho/client.py
@@ -860,6 +860,8 @@ _cached_timeout: float | None = None
 # the staleness check on every get_honcho_client() call costs one stat()
 # instead of a full YAML load. (None, None) = not yet populated.
 _config_timeout_memo: tuple[int | None, float | None] = (None, None)
+# Same memoization for the honcho.json-derived timeout; mtime -1 = file absent.
+_honcho_json_timeout_memo: tuple[int | None, float | None] = (None, None)
 
 
 def _config_yaml_timeout() -> float | None:
@@ -891,11 +893,50 @@ def _config_yaml_timeout() -> float | None:
         return None
 
 
+def _honcho_json_timeout() -> float | None:
+    """Read timeout/requestTimeout from honcho.json (host block wins), memoized on mtime."""
+    global _honcho_json_timeout_memo
+    try:
+        path = resolve_config_path()
+        try:
+            mtime_ns: int = path.stat().st_mtime_ns
+        except OSError:
+            mtime_ns = -1
+        if _honcho_json_timeout_memo[0] == mtime_ns:
+            return _honcho_json_timeout_memo[1]
+
+        timeout = None
+        if mtime_ns != -1:
+            raw = json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+            host_block = _host_block(raw, resolve_active_host())
+            timeout = _resolve_optional_float(
+                host_block.get("timeout"),
+                host_block.get("requestTimeout"),
+                raw.get("timeout"),
+                raw.get("requestTimeout"),
+            )
+        _honcho_json_timeout_memo = (mtime_ns, timeout)
+        return timeout
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+
+
 def _resolve_timeout_from_sources(config: HonchoClientConfig | None) -> float:
-    """Resolve the effective timeout from env, config.yaml, and the explicit config."""
-    timeout = config.timeout if config is not None else None
-    if timeout is None:
-        timeout = _resolve_optional_float(os.environ.get("HONCHO_TIMEOUT"))
+    """Mirror the build path's timeout resolution so the staleness check agrees with it.
+
+    With an explicit config this matches ``_build`` (config.timeout, then
+    config.yaml, then default).  With no config it matches what
+    ``from_global_config`` + ``_build`` would produce: honcho.json host
+    block/root keys, then HONCHO_TIMEOUT, then config.yaml, then default.
+    Any source skew here makes the check disagree with the built client
+    forever and rebuild it on every call.
+    """
+    if config is not None:
+        timeout = config.timeout
+    else:
+        timeout = _honcho_json_timeout()
+        if timeout is None:
+            timeout = _resolve_optional_float(os.environ.get("HONCHO_TIMEOUT"))
     if timeout is None:
         timeout = _config_yaml_timeout()
     return timeout if timeout is not None else _DEFAULT_HTTP_TIMEOUT
@@ -1077,7 +1118,8 @@ def get_honcho_client(config: HonchoClientConfig | None = None) -> Honcho:
 
 def reset_honcho_client() -> None:
     """Reset the Honcho client singleton (useful for testing)."""
-    global _cached_timeout, _config_timeout_memo
+    global _cached_timeout, _config_timeout_memo, _honcho_json_timeout_memo
     _honcho_client_slot.reset()
     _cached_timeout = None
     _config_timeout_memo = (None, None)
+    _honcho_json_timeout_memo = (None, None)
diff --git a/tests/honcho_plugin/test_client.py b/tests/honcho_plugin/test_client.py
index fc60b9370ece..0d62a72613e6 100644
--- a/tests/honcho_plugin/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/honcho_plugin/test_client.py
@@ -773,6 +773,57 @@ class TestGetHonchoClient:
         mock_h3.assert_called_once()
         assert mock_h3.call_args.kwargs["timeout"] == 300.0
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(
+        not importlib.util.find_spec("honcho"),
+        reason="honcho SDK not installed"
+    )
+    def test_honcho_json_timeout_does_not_thrash_singleton(self, tmp_path):
+        """Regression: a timeout configured in honcho.json must not rebuild the
+        client on every no-config call. The staleness check used to resolve the
+        timeout without reading honcho.json, so it permanently disagreed with
+        the built client and reset the singleton on each access."""
+        config_file = tmp_path / "honcho.json"
+        config_file.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "apiKey": "cloud-key",
+            "hosts": {"hermes": {"workspace": "ws", "requestTimeout": 120}},
+        }))
+
+        fake_honcho_1 = MagicMock(name="Honcho_v1")
+        fake_honcho_2 = MagicMock(name="Honcho_v2")
+
+        with patch("plugins.memory.honcho.client.resolve_config_path", return_value=config_file), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.profiles.get_active_profile_name", return_value="default"):
+            with patch("honcho.Honcho", return_value=fake_honcho_1) as mock_h1:
+                client1 = get_honcho_client()
+
+            assert client1 is fake_honcho_1
+            assert mock_h1.call_args.kwargs["timeout"] == 120.0
+
+            # Repeated no-config calls (the session manager hot path) must
+            # return the cached client, not rebuild.
+            with patch("honcho.Honcho", return_value=fake_honcho_2) as mock_h2:
+                client2 = get_honcho_client()
+                client3 = get_honcho_client()
+
+            assert client2 is fake_honcho_1
+            assert client3 is fake_honcho_1
+            mock_h2.assert_not_called()
+
+            # A real honcho.json timeout change is still detected.
+            config_file.write_text(json.dumps({
+                "apiKey": "cloud-key",
+                "hosts": {"hermes": {"workspace": "ws", "requestTimeout": 240}},
+            }))
+            st = config_file.stat()
+            os.utime(config_file, ns=(st.st_atime_ns, st.st_mtime_ns + 1_000_000))
+
+            with patch("honcho.Honcho", return_value=fake_honcho_2) as mock_h3:
+                client4 = get_honcho_client()
+
+            assert client4 is fake_honcho_2
+            mock_h3.assert_called_once()
+            assert mock_h3.call_args.kwargs["timeout"] == 240.0
+
 
 class TestResolveSessionNameGatewayKey:
     """Regression tests for gateway_session_key priority in resolve_session_name.