diff --git a/Watchdogs/docker_watchdog.sh b/Watchdogs/docker_watchdog.sh
index 3e7b11c..a364b57 100755
--- a/Watchdogs/docker_watchdog.sh
+++ b/Watchdogs/docker_watchdog.sh
@@ -570,9 +570,11 @@ check_docker_daemon() {
     fi
 
     # Restart daemon — unRAID uses rc.d scripts, not systemd
+    # timeout 180: rc.docker stops all containers before restarting — without a limit this
+    # can block for 30+ min on a busy host, holding the orchestrator lock the entire time.
     WATCHDOG_DAEMON_RESTARTED=true
     set_strikes "daemon_restarted_flag" "true" "$WATCHDOG_STATE_FILE"
-    if /etc/rc.d/rc.docker restart >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    if timeout 180 /etc/rc.d/rc.docker restart >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         log "Docker daemon restart issued — waiting ${WATCHDOG_DAEMON_RESTART_WAIT}s..."
         sleep "$WATCHDOG_DAEMON_RESTART_WAIT"