diff --git a/server/src/agents/gates.rs b/server/src/agents/gates.rs
index 26858ec..53436dd 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/gates.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/gates.rs
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ pub(crate) fn run_project_tests(path: &Path) -> Result<(bool, String), String> {
 
 /// Run a command with a timeout. Returns `(success, combined_output)`.
 /// Kills the child process if it exceeds `TEST_TIMEOUT`.
+///
+/// Stdout and stderr are drained in background threads to avoid a pipe-buffer
+/// deadlock: if the child fills the 64 KB OS pipe buffer while the parent
+/// blocks on `waitpid`, neither side can make progress.
 fn run_command_with_timeout(
     program: impl AsRef<std::ffi::OsStr>,
     args: &[&str],
@@ -106,19 +110,32 @@ fn run_command_with_timeout(
         .spawn()
         .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to spawn command: {e}"))?;
 
+    // Drain stdout/stderr in background threads so the pipe buffers never fill.
+    let stdout_handle = child.stdout.take().map(|r| {
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let mut s = String::new();
+            let mut r = r;
+            std::io::Read::read_to_string(&mut r, &mut s).ok();
+            s
+        })
+    });
+    let stderr_handle = child.stderr.take().map(|r| {
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let mut s = String::new();
+            let mut r = r;
+            std::io::Read::read_to_string(&mut r, &mut s).ok();
+            s
+        })
+    });
+
     match child.wait_timeout(TEST_TIMEOUT) {
         Ok(Some(status)) => {
-            // Process exited within the timeout — collect output.
-            let stdout = child.stdout.take().map(|mut r| {
-                let mut s = String::new();
-                std::io::Read::read_to_string(&mut r, &mut s).ok();
-                s
-            }).unwrap_or_default();
-            let stderr = child.stderr.take().map(|mut r| {
-                let mut s = String::new();
-                std::io::Read::read_to_string(&mut r, &mut s).ok();
-                s
-            }).unwrap_or_default();
+            let stdout = stdout_handle
+                .and_then(|h| h.join().ok())
+                .unwrap_or_default();
+            let stderr = stderr_handle
+                .and_then(|h| h.join().ok())
+                .unwrap_or_default();
             Ok((status.success(), format!("{stdout}{stderr}")))
         }
         Ok(None) => {