diff --git a/evalharness/sandbox/docker.py b/evalharness/sandbox/docker.py
index 1f60fb2..08cb35e 100644
--- a/evalharness/sandbox/docker.py
+++ b/evalharness/sandbox/docker.py
@@ -82,15 +82,18 @@ class DockerSandbox(Sandbox):
                 try:
                     proc = _run(full, timeout=timeout_s + 30)
                 except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
-                    _run(['docker', 'rm', '-f', cname])  # CLI died, container didn't
+                    _run(['docker', 'rm', '-f', cname], timeout=60)  # CLI died, container didn't
                     return ExecResult(exit_code=-1, timed_out=True, duration_s=timeout_s,
                                       error=f'sandbox timeout after {timeout_s}s')
                 except BaseException:  # Ctrl+C / kill: reap, then propagate
-                    _run(['docker', 'rm', '-f', cname])
+                    _run(['docker', 'rm', '-f', cname], timeout=60)
                     raise
                 if proc.returncode != 125 or attempt == 2:
                     break
-                _run(['docker', 'rm', '-f', cname])  # clear any husk; fresh name next try
+                # clear any husk; fresh name next try. Bounded: an rm against
+                # a bloated daemon can hang for minutes and silently eat the
+                # whole worker pool (7 of 8 workers were observed stuck here)
+                _run(['docker', 'rm', '-f', cname], timeout=60)
                 time.sleep(2 * (attempt + 1))        # give the daemon a beat
             return ExecResult(
                 exit_code=proc.returncode,