diff --git a/crates/collab-net/src/manage.rs b/crates/collab-net/src/manage.rs
index 04c718c5d..aa73a2ec5 100644
--- a/crates/collab-net/src/manage.rs
+++ b/crates/collab-net/src/manage.rs
@@ -206,7 +206,17 @@ fn send(ws: &mut Ws, msg: &ClientMsg) -> Result<(), String> {
 
 /// The next answer `pick` takes, or why there is none.
 fn reply<T>(ws: &mut Ws, limits: &NetLimits, pick: impl Fn(ServerMsg) -> Option<T>) -> Result<T, String> {
+    // One deadline for the whole answer: pings, pongs and a message trickling in each renew the
+    // read timeout, so without it a server could keep a request (and the refresh permit the
+    // caller holds) waiting for as long as it liked.
+    // The request-reply bound, not the session idle one: a publish uploads a whole file and can
+    // legitimately take minutes to be answered (see `connect`).
+    let until = std::time::Instant::now() + limits.request_reply_timeout;
+    ws.get_mut().read_until(Some(until));
     loop {
+        if std::time::Instant::now() >= until {
+            return Err("no answer from the server (it took too long)".into());
+        }
         return match ws.read() {
             Ok(Message::Binary(b)) => match message::decode::<ServerMsg>(&b, limits.max_server_message) {
                 Ok(ServerMsg::Refused { reason }) => Err(format!("{REFUSED}{reason}")),
@@ -251,6 +261,27 @@ mod tests {
         rx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(3)).is_ok()
     }
 
+    /// A server that keeps pinging and never answers ends the wait at the request-reply bound.
+    #[test]
+    fn reply_gives_up_at_the_request_reply_deadline_against_a_pinging_server() {
+        let listener = std::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").unwrap();
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().unwrap();
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let (s, _) = listener.accept().unwrap();
+            if let Ok(mut ws) = tungstenite::accept(s) {
+                while ws.send(Message::Ping(Bytes::new())).is_ok() {
+                    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10));
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        let limits = NetLimits { request_reply_timeout: Duration::from_millis(400), ..NetLimits::default() };
+        let server = Endpoint { host: addr.to_string(), path: "/".into(), secure: false };
+        let mut ws = connect(&server, &limits, Duration::from_secs(2)).unwrap();
+        let started = std::time::Instant::now();
+        assert!(reply::<()>(&mut ws, &limits, |_| None).is_err());
+        assert!(started.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(3), "{:?}", started.elapsed());
+    }
+
     /// A server that keeps pinging and never answers the close must not pin `close` forever.
     #[test]
     fn close_returns_against_a_server_that_keeps_pinging() {