diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index acb71bac4a6..c77b8ab3ee3 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -1012,7 +1012,13 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         # unblocks with "[user did not respond within Xm]" so it can adapt
         # rather than pinning the running-agent guard forever.  CLI clarify
         # blocks indefinitely (input() is synchronous) and ignores this.
-        "clarify_timeout": 600,
+        # Default 3600 (1h): real users step away (meetings, AFK) and the
+        # old 600s default evicted the entry mid-think, so a later button
+        # tap landed on a dead entry (#32762).  Tradeoff: a higher value
+        # holds the gateway's running-agent guard longer for a genuinely
+        # abandoned prompt — lower it if a single session must free up the
+        # guard sooner.
+        "clarify_timeout": 3600,
         # Periodic "still working" notification interval (seconds).
         # Sends a status message every N seconds so the user knows the
         # agent hasn't died during long tasks.  0 = disable notifications.
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_clarify_gateway.py b/tests/tools/test_clarify_gateway.py
index 8356d7904ac..5f999676f42 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_clarify_gateway.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_clarify_gateway.py
@@ -167,11 +167,11 @@ class TestClarifyPrimitive:
         assert b is not None and b.clarify_id == "idB"
 
     def test_clarify_timeout_config_default(self):
-        """get_clarify_timeout returns 600 by default."""
+        """get_clarify_timeout returns a positive int (default 3600)."""
         from tools import clarify_gateway as cm
 
         timeout = cm.get_clarify_timeout()
-        # Default 600s OR whatever is in the user's loaded config.
+        # Default 3600s OR whatever is in the user's loaded config.
         # Floor check: must be a positive int, not crashed.
         assert isinstance(timeout, int)
         assert timeout > 0
diff --git a/tools/clarify_gateway.py b/tools/clarify_gateway.py
index 585d167625d..e3bed96779b 100644
--- a/tools/clarify_gateway.py
+++ b/tools/clarify_gateway.py
@@ -231,10 +231,13 @@ def clear_session(session_key: str) -> int:
 def get_clarify_timeout() -> int:
     """Read the clarify response timeout (seconds) from config.
 
-    Defaults to 600 (10 minutes) — long enough for the user to type a
-    thoughtful response, short enough that an abandoned prompt eventually
+    Defaults to 3600 (1 hour) — long enough that a user who steps away
+    (meeting, AFK, slow to read) still finds a live entry when they tap
+    the button, short enough that a genuinely abandoned prompt eventually
     unblocks the agent thread instead of pinning the running-agent guard
-    forever.
+    forever.  The old 600s default evicted the entry mid-think, so a late
+    tap landed on a dead entry and the agent hung on ``running: clarify``
+    (#32762).
 
     Reads ``agent.clarify_timeout`` from config.yaml.
     """
@@ -242,9 +245,9 @@ def get_clarify_timeout() -> int:
         from hermes_cli.config import load_config
         cfg = load_config() or {}
         agent_cfg = cfg.get("agent", {}) or {}
-        return int(agent_cfg.get("clarify_timeout", 600))
+        return int(agent_cfg.get("clarify_timeout", 3600))
     except Exception:
-        return 600
+        return 3600
 
 
 # =========================================================================