diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_approve_deny_commands.py b/tests/gateway/test_approve_deny_commands.py
index f5ac3b8c40ba..7976838ef05f 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_approve_deny_commands.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_approve_deny_commands.py
@@ -515,28 +515,42 @@ class TestBlockingApprovalE2E:
         assert "BLOCKED" in result_holder[0]["message"]
         unregister_gateway_notify(session_key)
 
-    def test_blocking_approval_timeout(self):
-        """check_all_command_guards returns BLOCKED on timeout."""
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "approval_config",
+        [
+            {"mode": "manual", "timeout": 0},
+            {"mode": "manual", "timeout": 0, "gateway_timeout": 300},
+        ],
+        ids=["shared-timeout-only", "shared-timeout-is-canonical"],
+    )
+    def test_blocking_approval_uses_canonical_timeout(self, approval_config, monkeypatch):
+        """Gateway waits use approvals.timeout, without a second timeout knob."""
+        from tools import approval as approval_module
         from tools.approval import (
-            register_gateway_notify, unregister_gateway_notify,
             check_all_command_guards,
+            register_gateway_notify,
+            reset_current_session_key,
+            resolve_gateway_approval,
+            set_current_session_key,
+            unregister_gateway_notify,
         )
 
+        monkeypatch.setattr(approval_module, "_YOLO_MODE_FROZEN", False)
         session_key = "e2e-timeout"
         register_gateway_notify(session_key, lambda d: None)
 
         result_holder = [None]
 
         def agent_thread():
-            from tools.approval import reset_current_session_key, set_current_session_key
-
             token = set_current_session_key(session_key)
             os.environ["HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION"] = "1"
             os.environ["HERMES_EXEC_ASK"] = "1"
             os.environ["HERMES_SESSION_KEY"] = session_key
             try:
-                with patch("tools.approval._get_approval_config",
-                           return_value={"gateway_timeout": 1}):
+                with patch(
+                    "tools.approval._get_approval_config",
+                    return_value=approval_config,
+                ):
                     result_holder[0] = check_all_command_guards(
                         "rm -rf /important", "local"
                     )
@@ -548,9 +562,13 @@ class TestBlockingApprovalE2E:
 
         t = threading.Thread(target=agent_thread)
         t.start()
-        t.join(timeout=10)
+        t.join(timeout=1)
+        if t.is_alive():
+            resolve_gateway_approval(session_key, "deny")
+            t.join(timeout=5)
 
         assert result_holder[0]["approved"] is False
+        assert result_holder[0]["outcome"] == "timeout"
         assert "timed out" in result_holder[0]["message"]
         unregister_gateway_notify(session_key)
 
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_approval.py b/tests/tools/test_approval.py
index e65a73333434..253c3382049b 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_approval.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_approval.py
@@ -2142,7 +2142,7 @@ class TestApprovalTimeoutIsNotConsent:
     SESSION_KEY = "test-no-consent-session"
 
     def setup_method(self):
-        """Reset module state and force tight gateway_timeout for fast tests."""
+        """Reset module state and force a tight approval timeout for fast tests."""
         from tools import approval as mod
         mod._gateway_queues.clear()
         mod._gateway_notify_cbs.clear()
@@ -2179,7 +2179,7 @@ class TestApprovalTimeoutIsNotConsent:
         from tools import approval as mod
         monkeypatch.setattr(
             mod, "_get_approval_config",
-            lambda: {"mode": "manual", "gateway_timeout": seconds, "timeout": seconds},
+            lambda: {"mode": "manual", "timeout": seconds},
         )
 
     def test_timeout_returns_approved_false_with_no_consent(self, monkeypatch):
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_approval_interrupt.py b/tests/tools/test_approval_interrupt.py
index b991afd80883..2ef91f752c32 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_approval_interrupt.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_approval_interrupt.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class TestApprovalInterrupt:
 
         # Force a long timeout so a *passing* test can only happen via the
         # interrupt path, never by the deadline elapsing.
-        mod._get_approval_config = lambda: {"gateway_timeout": 300}
+        mod._get_approval_config = lambda: {"timeout": 300}
 
         approval_data = {
             "command": "rm -rf /tmp/whatever",
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class TestApprovalInterrupt:
 
         # Short timeout so the test finishes fast via the deadline, proving the
         # foreign interrupt did not short-circuit the wait.
-        mod._get_approval_config = lambda: {"gateway_timeout": 1}
+        mod._get_approval_config = lambda: {"timeout": 1}
 
         approval_data = {
             "command": "rm -rf /tmp/whatever",
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_execute_code_approval_cluster.py b/tests/tools/test_execute_code_approval_cluster.py
index c5d7f3fb78c9..b51a1c130cc5 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_execute_code_approval_cluster.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_execute_code_approval_cluster.py
@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ def gw_session(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_INTERACTIVE", raising=False)
     monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_CRON_SESSION", raising=False)
     monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_EXEC_ASK", raising=False)
-    # Force manual mode regardless of host config.
+    # Force manual mode regardless of host config and disable any process-level
+    # yolo inherited from the developer's live environment.
     monkeypatch.setattr(A, "_get_approval_mode", lambda: "manual")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(A, "_YOLO_MODE_FROZEN", False)
 
     session_key = "cluster-test-session"
     token = A.set_current_session_key(session_key)
@@ -231,11 +233,21 @@ def test_guard_gateway_user_denies_blocks(gw_session):
     assert res["user_consent"] is False
 
 
-def test_guard_gateway_timeout_blocks(gw_session, monkeypatch):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "approval_config",
+    [
+        {"timeout": 0},
+        {"timeout": 0, "gateway_timeout": 300},
+    ],
+    ids=["shared-timeout-only", "shared-timeout-is-canonical"],
+)
+def test_guard_gateway_wait_uses_canonical_timeout(
+    gw_session, monkeypatch, approval_config
+):
     # Register a callback that never resolves; force an immediate timeout.
     with A._lock:
         A._gateway_notify_cbs[gw_session] = lambda _d: None
-    monkeypatch.setattr(A, "_get_approval_config", lambda: {"gateway_timeout": 0})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(A, "_get_approval_config", lambda: approval_config)
     res = A.check_execute_code_guard("import os", "local")
     assert res["approved"] is False
     assert res["outcome"] == "timeout"
diff --git a/tools/approval.py b/tools/approval.py
index 836066eda982..1ab321cacc2c 100644
--- a/tools/approval.py
+++ b/tools/approval.py
@@ -2493,15 +2493,12 @@ def _await_gateway_decision(session_key: str, notify_cb, approval_data: dict,
         _drop_entry()
         return {"resolved": False, "choice": None, "notify_failed": True}
 
-    # Block until the user responds or timeout (default 5 min). Poll in short
-    # slices so we can fire activity heartbeats every ~10s to the agent's
-    # inactivity tracker — otherwise the gateway watchdog kills the agent
-    # while the user is still responding. Mirrors _wait_for_process() cadence.
-    timeout = _get_approval_config().get("gateway_timeout", 300)
-    try:
-        timeout = int(timeout)
-    except (ValueError, TypeError):
-        timeout = 300
+    # Block until the user responds or the canonical approval timeout elapses
+    # (default 60s). Poll in short slices so we can fire activity heartbeats
+    # every ~10s to the agent's inactivity tracker — otherwise the gateway
+    # watchdog kills the agent while the user is still responding. Mirrors
+    # _wait_for_process() cadence.
+    timeout = _get_approval_timeout()
 
     try:
         from tools.environments.base import touch_activity_if_due