diff --git a/crates/rutster/src/routes.rs b/crates/rutster/src/routes.rs
index d90bd6e..3f02131 100644
--- a/crates/rutster/src/routes.rs
+++ b/crates/rutster/src/routes.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ use axum::{Json, Router};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
-use crate::media_thread::MediaCmd;
 use crate::session_map::AppState;
 
 #[derive(Serialize)]
@@ -168,11 +167,22 @@ pub async fn healthz() -> Response {
 /// the zombie-node failure from the 2026-07-04 review).
 pub async fn readyz(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Response {
     let (reply, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
-    if state.cmd_tx.send(MediaCmd::Stats { reply }).await.is_err() {
-        return (StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, "media thread unresponsive").into_response();
-    }
-    let stats = match tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_millis(250), rx).await {
-        Ok(Ok(s)) => s,
+    // One timeout bounds the WHOLE round trip — send AND reply. A wedged
+    // media thread can stall the send (full command channel), not just
+    // the reply, and the probe's 250ms promise must hold in that case too.
+    let stats = match tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_millis(250), async {
+        state
+            .cmd_tx
+            .send(crate::media_thread::MediaCmd::Stats { reply })
+            .await
+            .ok()?;
+        rx.await.ok()
+    })
+    .await
+    {
+        Ok(Some(s)) => s,
+        // Elapsed timeout, send failure (thread gone), or dropped reply —
+        // all mean the media thread cannot vouch for itself right now.
         _ => {
             return (StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, "media thread unresponsive").into_response();
         }
diff --git a/crates/rutster/tests/api_integration.rs b/crates/rutster/tests/api_integration.rs
index af4f7b5..0c2cc9e 100644
--- a/crates/rutster/tests/api_integration.rs
+++ b/crates/rutster/tests/api_integration.rs
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ async fn get_root_serves_html() {
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn readyz_200_with_stats_json_when_thread_alive() {
     let state = rutster::session_map::AppState::default();
-    let (state, _thread) = state
+    let (state, media_thread) = state
         .spawn_media_thread(tokio::runtime::Handle::current())
         .expect("spawn");
     let app = rutster::routes::router(state);
@@ -127,4 +127,7 @@ async fn readyz_200_with_stats_json_when_thread_alive() {
     let v: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&body).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(v["draining"], false);
     assert!(v["max_sessions"].as_u64().unwrap() > 0);
+    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || media_thread.shutdown())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
 }