diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
index dcf1ade212f..851360a088b 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
@@ -103,12 +103,46 @@ import { assertValidParams } from "./validation.js";
 type SessionsRuntimeModule = typeof import("./sessions.runtime.js");
 
 let sessionsRuntimeModulePromise: Promise<SessionsRuntimeModule> | undefined;
+let loggedSlowSessionsListCatalog = false;
+
+const SESSIONS_LIST_MODEL_CATALOG_TIMEOUT_MS = 750;
 
 function loadSessionsRuntimeModule(): Promise<SessionsRuntimeModule> {
   sessionsRuntimeModulePromise ??= import("./sessions.runtime.js");
   return sessionsRuntimeModulePromise;
 }
 
+async function loadOptionalSessionsListModelCatalog(
+  context: GatewayRequestContext,
+): Promise<Awaited<ReturnType<GatewayRequestContext["loadGatewayModelCatalog"]>> | undefined> {
+  let timeout: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
+  const timedOut = Symbol("sessions-list-model-catalog-timeout");
+  const timeoutPromise = new Promise<typeof timedOut>((resolve) => {
+    timeout = setTimeout(() => resolve(timedOut), SESSIONS_LIST_MODEL_CATALOG_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    timeout.unref?.();
+  });
+  try {
+    const result = await Promise.race([
+      context.loadGatewayModelCatalog().catch(() => undefined),
+      timeoutPromise,
+    ]);
+    if (result === timedOut) {
+      if (!loggedSlowSessionsListCatalog) {
+        loggedSlowSessionsListCatalog = true;
+        context.logGateway.debug(
+          `sessions.list continuing without model catalog after ${SESSIONS_LIST_MODEL_CATALOG_TIMEOUT_MS}ms`,
+        );
+      }
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    return Array.isArray(result) ? result : undefined;
+  } finally {
+    if (timeout) {
+      clearTimeout(timeout);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 function requireSessionKey(key: unknown, respond: RespondFn): string | null {
   const raw =
     typeof key === "string"
@@ -613,8 +647,7 @@ export const sessionsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
     const p = params;
     const cfg = context.getRuntimeConfig();
     const { storePath, store } = loadCombinedSessionStoreForGateway(cfg);
-    const loadedCatalog = await context.loadGatewayModelCatalog().catch(() => undefined);
-    const modelCatalog = Array.isArray(loadedCatalog) ? loadedCatalog : undefined;
+    const modelCatalog = await loadOptionalSessionsListModelCatalog(context);
     const result = listSessionsFromStore({
       cfg,
       storePath,
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts
index 4f57498c7ca..552130daa9f 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ async function getSessionsHandlers() {
   return (await import("./server-methods/sessions.js")).sessionsHandlers;
 }
 
+function createDeferred<T>() {
+  let resolve!: (value: T | PromiseLike<T>) => void;
+  let reject!: (reason?: unknown) => void;
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((res, rej) => {
+    resolve = res;
+    reject = rej;
+  });
+  return { promise, resolve, reject };
+}
+
 const sessionCleanupMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   clearSessionQueues: vi.fn((keys: Array<string | undefined>) => {
     const clearedKeys = Array.from(
@@ -832,6 +842,58 @@ describe("gateway server sessions", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  test("sessions.list does not block on slow model catalog discovery", async () => {
+    await createSessionStoreDir();
+    await writeSessionStore({
+      entries: {
+        main: {
+          sessionId: "sess-main",
+          updatedAt: Date.now(),
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const deferredCatalog = createDeferred<never>();
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+      const sessionsHandlers = await getSessionsHandlers();
+      const { getRuntimeConfig } = await getGatewayConfigModule();
+      const request = sessionsHandlers["sessions.list"]({
+        req: {
+          type: "req",
+          id: "req-sessions-list-slow-catalog",
+          method: "sessions.list",
+          params: {},
+        },
+        params: {},
+        respond,
+        client: null,
+        isWebchatConnect: () => false,
+        context: {
+          getRuntimeConfig,
+          loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() => deferredCatalog.promise),
+          logGateway: {
+            debug: vi.fn(),
+          },
+        } as never,
+      });
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(800);
+      await request;
+
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        true,
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          sessions: expect.arrayContaining([expect.objectContaining({ key: "agent:main:main" })]),
+        }),
+        undefined,
+      );
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
   test("sessions.changed mutation events include live usage metadata", async () => {
     const { dir } = await createSessionStoreDir();
     await fs.writeFile(