diff --git a/internal/ai/harness/guard_test.go b/internal/ai/harness/guard_test.go
index e9b96bc..ea86be9 100644
--- a/internal/ai/harness/guard_test.go
+++ b/internal/ai/harness/guard_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,17 @@ type timeoutSkill struct {
 
 func (s timeoutSkill) Timeout() time.Duration { return s.timeout }
 
+// slowSkill is timeoutSkill whose PostProcess succeeds only after its
+// timeout has passed.
+type slowSkill struct {
+	timeoutSkill
+}
+
+func (s slowSkill) PostProcess(out echoOutput) (echoOutput, error) {
+	time.Sleep(3 * s.timeout)
+	return s.timeoutSkill.PostProcess(out)
+}
+
 // blocked is one scripted Generate call that blocks until released.
 type blocked struct {
 	started chan struct{}
@@ -266,6 +277,24 @@ func TestRunTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("rows = %+v, want one provider_error row naming the timeout", rows)
 		}
 	})
+	t.Run("work that succeeds late", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var f llm.Fake
+		cfg := testConfig(t, &f)
+		f.QueueGenerate(reply(`{"echo":"taco"}`))
+		s := slowSkill{timeoutSkill{timeout: 20 * time.Millisecond}}
+		out, err := Run(context.Background(), cfg, s, "week-1", echoInput{Word: "taco"})
+		if !errors.Is(err, llm.ErrTimeout) {
+			t.Fatalf("err = %v, want ErrTimeout", err)
+		}
+		if out != (echoOutput{}) {
+			t.Fatalf("out = %+v, want no output", out)
+		}
+		assertCalls(t, &f, 1)
+		rows := runRows(t, cfg.Store)
+		if len(rows) != 1 || rows[0].Status != string(StatusProviderError) || !strings.Contains(rows[0].Error.String, llm.ErrTimeout.Error()) {
+			t.Fatalf("rows = %+v, want one provider_error row naming the timeout", rows)
+		}
+	})
 	t.Run("waiting for a slot", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var f llm.Fake
 		cfg := testConfig(t, &f)
diff --git a/internal/ai/harness/harness.go b/internal/ai/harness/harness.go
index 5c3bbe6..df0ef1d 100644
--- a/internal/ai/harness/harness.go
+++ b/internal/ai/harness/harness.go
@@ -165,12 +165,20 @@ func Run[In, Out any](ctx context.Context, cfg Config, s Skill[In, Out], scope s
 func runOnce[In, Out any](ctx context.Context, cfg Config, s Skill[In, Out], timeout time.Duration, in In) (Out, error) {
 	var zero Out
 	expired := fmt.Errorf("harness: skill %s v%d: %w: no result within %v", s.Name(), s.Version(), llm.ErrTimeout, timeout)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeoutCause(ctx, timeout, expired)
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(timeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithDeadlineCause(ctx, deadline, expired)
 	defer cancel()
 	log := &runLog{start: store.Now()}
 	out, status, err := execute(ctx, cfg, s, in, log)
-	if err != nil && context.Cause(ctx) == expired {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", expired, err)
+	// Work that only ends after the deadline, such as a slow PostProcess,
+	// may return no error; it is still a timeout, not a success. The clock
+	// is checked as well as ctx because ctx's timer may not have fired yet.
+	if context.Cause(ctx) == expired || !time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		if err == nil {
+			err, status = expired, StatusProviderError
+		} else {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", expired, err)
+		}
 	}
 	if saveErr := log.save(ctx, cfg, s.Name(), s.Version(), status, err); saveErr != nil {
 		return zero, errors.Join(err, fmt.Errorf("harness: skill %s v%d: record ai_runs row: %w", s.Name(), s.Version(), saveErr))