diff --git a/wasi-shims/src/io.ts b/wasi-shims/src/io.ts
index 6965010..8f7252e 100644
--- a/wasi-shims/src/io.ts
+++ b/wasi-shims/src/io.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@
 
 import { suspending, WitError } from "@deltic/runtime/embedder";
 
+/** The engine setTimeout ceiling: delays above 2^31-1 ms are clamped to
+ * ~0 (node/Deno warn and fire at 1 ms). `Pollable.timer` sleeps in
+ * chunks of at most this and re-checks the clock at each chunk end. */
+const TIMER_CHUNK_MAX_MS = 2 ** 31 - 1;
+
 /** A p2 `stream-error` value (variant): `closed` or `last-operation-failed`. */
 export type StreamErrorValue =
   | { tag: "closed" }
@@ -98,16 +103,28 @@ export class Pollable {
 
   /**
    * A pollable that becomes ready at `deadline` (nanoseconds on the
-   * caller's clock). The timer is armed lazily on first wait and shared
-   * across waiters; `ready()` consults the clock, so it is exact even if
-   * the setTimeout fires early/late by a tick.
+   * caller's clock). One in-flight sleep is shared by concurrent waiters
+   * and RE-ARMED after every settle with the delta recomputed:
+   * `ready()` consults the clock, so an early-firing sleep (timer slop,
+   * or the engine's setTimeout ceiling below) hands the wait loop a
+   * fresh sleep for the remainder instead of a permanently-resolved
+   * promise — the cached-forever arm was a hot microtask livelock for
+   * any deadline past the ceiling (block/poll re-check `ready()` and
+   * re-await; awaiting an already-settled promise never yields to the
+   * timer that would make it ready).
+   *
+   * Engines clamp setTimeout delays above 2^31-1 ms to ~0 (node/Deno
+   * warn and use 1 ms), so far deadlines sleep in ceiling-sized chunks;
+   * each chunk end re-checks the clock and re-arms.
    */
   static timer(deadlineNs: bigint, nowNs: () => bigint): Pollable {
     let armed: Promise<void> | undefined;
     const wait = (): Promise<void> => {
-      return armed ??= new Promise((resolve) => {
+      return armed ??= new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
         const deltaMs = Number(deadlineNs - nowNs()) / 1e6;
-        setTimeout(resolve, Math.max(0, deltaMs));
+        setTimeout(resolve, Math.min(Math.max(0, deltaMs), TIMER_CHUNK_MAX_MS));
+      }).then(() => {
+        armed = undefined;
       });
     };
     return new Pollable(() => nowNs() >= deadlineNs, wait);
diff --git a/wasi-shims/tests/blocking_test.ts b/wasi-shims/tests/blocking_test.ts
index 8c48ba4..4d7a85f 100644
--- a/wasi-shims/tests/blocking_test.ts
+++ b/wasi-shims/tests/blocking_test.ts
@@ -86,3 +86,50 @@ Deno.test("kernel: poll on an empty list traps (unbranded throw)", () => {
   assertTrue(raised instanceof Error, `expected a throw, got ${raised}`);
   assertTrue(!(raised instanceof Promise), "trap is synchronous");
 });
+
+Deno.test({
+  name: "kernel: a timer's wait re-arms after an early fire (no resolved-promise spin)",
+  // The re-armed 5ms sleep (and nothing to cancel it through the WIT
+  // surface) outlives the test on purpose; timers are fire-and-forget.
+  sanitizeOps: false,
+  fn: async () => {
+    // Force an early fire deterministically with an injected clock: the
+    // sleep is computed from `nowNs` (5ms) but the clock never advances,
+    // so the chunk ends with `ready()` still false — the shape of timer
+    // slop and of the setTimeout ceiling clamp. Pre-fix, the armed promise
+    // was cached forever: the second wait() returned it already-settled
+    // and block()'s re-check loop degenerated to a hot microtask spin.
+    const frozen = 1_000_000n;
+    const p = Pollable.timer(frozen + 5_000_000n, () => frozen); // +5ms, clock frozen
+    await p.waitPromise(); // first arm fires with ready() still false
+    assertEq(p.ready(), false, "clock is frozen: still unready");
+    const second = p.waitPromise();
+    let settled = false;
+    second.then(() => (settled = true));
+    await sleep(0); // drain microtasks: a cached resolved promise settles here
+    assertEq(settled, false, "second wait() is a fresh, pending sleep");
+  },
+});
+
+Deno.test({
+  name: "kernel: a far deadline sleeps in chunks instead of spinning on the clamp",
+  // The in-flight ceiling-sized chunk sleep outlives the test on purpose.
+  sanitizeOps: false,
+  fn: async () => {
+    // Past the ~2^31-1 ms setTimeout ceiling engines clamp the delay to
+    // ~0. Pre-fix (clamp + cached arm) the wait was permanently settled a
+    // tick after the first arm — block()/poll() then spun the microtask
+    // queue for the full 60 days. Post-fix each chunk is a real sleep, so
+    // the wait promise is still pending well after the clamp would have
+    // fired. (60 days keeps Number(bigint) exact; u64-sentinel deadlines
+    // take the same path via Math.min.)
+    const farNs = nowNs() + 60n * 24n * 3600n * 1_000_000_000n; // +60 days
+    const p = Pollable.timer(farNs, nowNs);
+    assertEq(p.ready(), false);
+    const wait = p.waitPromise();
+    let settled = false;
+    wait.then(() => (settled = true));
+    await sleep(30); // >> the ~1ms clamp fire
+    assertEq(settled, false, "far-deadline wait is still parked after 30ms");
+  },
+});