diff --git a/plexe/execution/training/local_runner.py b/plexe/execution/training/local_runner.py
index de7944eb..bb584f10 100644
--- a/plexe/execution/training/local_runner.py
+++ b/plexe/execution/training/local_runner.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
-import time
+import threading
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
@@ -284,9 +284,20 @@ def run_training(
                 env=env,
             )
 
-            # Stream output in real-time while capturing it
+            # Stream output in real-time while capturing it.
+            # A watchdog enforces the timeout even when the subprocess is silent
+            # (data loading, quiet training loops), which reading the output pipe
+            # alone cannot do: readline() blocks until the next line arrives.
             stdout_lines = []
-            start_time = time.time()
+            timed_out = threading.Event()
+
+            def _kill_on_timeout():
+                timed_out.set()
+                logger.warning(f"Training exceeded {timeout}s - killing process")
+                process.kill()
+
+            watchdog = threading.Timer(timeout, _kill_on_timeout)
+            watchdog.start()
 
             try:
                 for line in iter(process.stdout.readline, ""):
@@ -296,17 +307,14 @@ def run_training(
                         # Capture for error logging
                         stdout_lines.append(line)
 
-                    # Check timeout manually
-                    elapsed = time.time() - start_time
-                    if elapsed > timeout:
-                        process.kill()
-                        process.wait()
-                        raise subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd, timeout)
+                if timed_out.is_set():
+                    raise subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd, timeout)
 
                 # Wait for process to complete
                 return_code = process.wait(timeout=5)  # Short wait since process already finished
 
             finally:
+                watchdog.cancel()
                 if process.stdout:
                     process.stdout.close()
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/execution/training/test_local_runner_timeout.py b/tests/unit/execution/training/test_local_runner_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7d6959b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/execution/training/test_local_runner_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+"""Tests for LocalProcessRunner training timeout enforcement."""
+
+import threading
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from plexe.execution.training.local_runner import LocalProcessRunner
+from plexe.models import TrainingError
+
+
+class _SilentProcess:
+    """Fake subprocess that produces no output until killed, like a quiet training run."""
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._killed = threading.Event()
+        self.stdout = self
+        self.kill_count = 0
+
+    def readline(self):
+        # Blocks like a pipe read on a silent child; returns EOF once killed.
+        self._killed.wait(timeout=60)
+        return ""
+
+    def kill(self):
+        self.kill_count += 1
+        self._killed.set()
+
+    def wait(self, timeout=None):
+        return -9
+
+    def close(self):
+        pass
+
+
+def test_timeout_enforced_when_process_is_silent(tmp_path):
+    """run_training must raise TrainingError after timeout even with no subprocess output."""
+    proc = _SilentProcess()
+    runner = LocalProcessRunner(work_dir=str(tmp_path / "runs"))
+
+    with patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=proc), pytest.raises(TrainingError, match="timed out"):
+        runner.run_training(
+            template="train_xgboost",
+            model=object(),
+            feature_pipeline=MagicMock(),
+            train_uri=str(tmp_path / "train.parquet"),
+            val_uri=str(tmp_path / "val.parquet"),
+            timeout=2,
+            target_columns=["target"],
+        )
+
+    assert proc.kill_count == 1