diff --git a/extensions/imessage/src/constants.ts b/extensions/imessage/src/constants.ts
index cc3035aa3289..d36cbb05d65b 100644
--- a/extensions/imessage/src/constants.ts
+++ b/extensions/imessage/src/constants.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 /** Default timeout for iMessage probe/RPC operations (10 seconds). */
 export const DEFAULT_IMESSAGE_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
 
-// Sends get a much longer default than probes: on macOS 26 (Tahoe) the private
-// API bridge intermittently stalls up to ~124s before the send completes. The
-// 10s probe timeout aborts those mid-flight, and non-recoverable shapes
-// (attachment/reply) are then lost. This must clear the observed upper bound
-// plus headroom, otherwise the long tail of stalls still loses sends — 150s
-// covers 124s with margin. Decoupling keeps probes/health checks fast while
-// letting real sends ride out the stall. Akin to the BlueBubbles fix (#69193).
-export const DEFAULT_IMESSAGE_SEND_TIMEOUT_MS = 150_000;
+// imsg waits up to 150s for a private-bridge send, then auto transport can fall
+// back to AppleScript and spend up to 8s verifying the persisted row. The outer
+// RPC timeout must outlive both stages; matching imsg's 150s deadline turns a
+// successful fallback into an ambiguous timeout that callers may retry.
+export const DEFAULT_IMESSAGE_SEND_TIMEOUT_MS = 180_000;
diff --git a/extensions/imessage/src/send.test.ts b/extensions/imessage/src/send.test.ts
index 37b5979a47c8..42df916e1efd 100644
--- a/extensions/imessage/src/send.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/imessage/src/send.test.ts
@@ -1709,17 +1709,46 @@ describe("sendMessageIMessage receipts", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it("uses the dedicated send timeout (covers macOS 26 stalls), not the 10s probe default", async () => {
-    const client = createClient({ guid: "p:0/imsg-1" });
+  it("floors a configured probe timeout so one delayed imsg fallback can resolve", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const delayedFallbackMs = 158_000;
+    const client = {
+      request: vi.fn(
+        (_method: string, _params: Record<string, unknown>, opts?: { timeoutMs?: number }) =>
+          new Promise<Record<string, unknown>>((resolve, reject) => {
+            const timeout = setTimeout(
+              () => reject(new Error("imsg rpc timeout (send)")),
+              opts?.timeoutMs,
+            );
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              clearTimeout(timeout);
+              resolve({ guid: "p:0/imsg-delayed-fallback" });
+            }, delayedFallbackMs);
+          }),
+      ),
+      stop: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    } as unknown as IMessageRpcClient;
 
-    await sendMessageIMessage("chat_id:42", "hello", {
-      config: IMESSAGE_TEST_CFG,
+    const send = sendMessageIMessage("chat_id:42", "hello", {
+      config: {
+        channels: {
+          imessage: {
+            ...IMESSAGE_TEST_CFG.channels.imessage,
+            probeTimeoutMs: 10_000,
+          },
+        },
+      },
       client,
     });
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(delayedFallbackMs);
 
-    expect(getClientMocks(client).request).toHaveBeenCalledWith("send", expect.any(Object), {
-      timeoutMs: 150_000,
-    });
+    await expect(send).resolves.toMatchObject({ messageId: "p:0/imsg-delayed-fallback" });
+    expect(getClientMocks(client).request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(getClientMocks(client).request).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "send",
+      expect.any(Object),
+      expect.objectContaining({ timeoutMs: 180_000 }),
+    );
   });
 
   it("sends explicit chat media-only payloads through send-attachment auto transport", async () => {
diff --git a/extensions/imessage/src/send.ts b/extensions/imessage/src/send.ts
index a69d2a178627..e90ee9245692 100644
--- a/extensions/imessage/src/send.ts
+++ b/extensions/imessage/src/send.ts
@@ -768,11 +768,12 @@ export async function sendMessageIMessage(
     replyToId: opts.replyToId,
     conversationReadOrigin: opts.conversationReadOrigin,
   });
-  // Sends use a dedicated longer default (not the 10s probe timeout) so macOS 26
-  // bridge stalls aren't aborted mid-send. Explicit opts/probeTimeoutMs still win
-  // for callers that tuned them. See DEFAULT_IMESSAGE_SEND_TIMEOUT_MS.
+  // Sends use a dedicated longer floor (not the 10s probe timeout) so macOS 26
+  // bridge stalls aren't aborted mid-send. A configured probe timeout may extend
+  // sends, but only an explicit per-call timeout may shorten them.
   const timeoutMs =
-    opts.timeoutMs ?? account.config.probeTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_IMESSAGE_SEND_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    opts.timeoutMs ??
+    Math.max(account.config.probeTimeoutMs ?? 0, DEFAULT_IMESSAGE_SEND_TIMEOUT_MS);
   const pendingEchoTtlMs = resolvePendingPersistedEchoTtlMs(timeoutMs);
   const region = opts.region?.trim() || account.config.region?.trim() || "US";
   const maxBytes =