diff --git a/crates/trawler-core/src/query.rs b/crates/trawler-core/src/query.rs
index c8cfd26..8ad94ae 100644
--- a/crates/trawler-core/src/query.rs
+++ b/crates/trawler-core/src/query.rs
@@ -118,17 +118,29 @@ pub fn eval_query(
         let _ = result_tx.send(outcome);
     });
 
-    let Ok(controller) = controller_rx.recv() else {
-        return QueryOutcome::Errored(QueryError {
-            message: "query VM thread panicked before starting".into(),
-            span: None,
-        });
-    };
-
+    // The budget covers engine construction too: `build_engine` loads the
+    // Steel prelude and registers every primitive, which can alone exceed
+    // a small budget on a starved machine — and the timeout contract
+    // (spec: "Runaway query containment" — terminated and reported near
+    // the budget) must hold regardless. So never await the controller
+    // unboundedly; collect it opportunistically at timeout, leaving a
+    // reaper behind if the engine is still constructing so the VM thread
+    // can't spin forever unobserved. (Same shape as the S2 spike in
+    // query_spike.rs, kept in lockstep.)
     match result_rx.recv_timeout(budget) {
         Ok(outcome) => outcome,
         Err(mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) => {
-            controller.interrupt();
+            match controller_rx.try_recv() {
+                Ok(controller) => controller.interrupt(),
+                Err(mpsc::TryRecvError::Empty) => {
+                    thread::spawn(move || {
+                        if let Ok(controller) = controller_rx.recv() {
+                            controller.interrupt();
+                        }
+                    });
+                }
+                Err(mpsc::TryRecvError::Disconnected) => {}
+            }
             QueryOutcome::TimedOut
         }
         Err(mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Disconnected) => QueryOutcome::Errored(QueryError {
diff --git a/crates/trawler-core/src/query_spike.rs b/crates/trawler-core/src/query_spike.rs
index 59494e9..e224406 100644
--- a/crates/trawler-core/src/query_spike.rs
+++ b/crates/trawler-core/src/query_spike.rs
@@ -63,14 +63,28 @@ pub fn eval_with_timeout(expr: &str, budget: Duration) -> QueryOutcome {
         });
     });
 
-    let Ok(controller) = controller_rx.recv() else {
-        return QueryOutcome::Errored("VM thread panicked before starting".into());
-    };
-
+    // The budget covers engine construction too: `Engine::new()` loads the
+    // Steel prelude and can alone exceed a small budget on a starved
+    // machine (seen in CI: ~4s), and the caller must regain control near
+    // the budget regardless — the exact claim this spike exists to prove.
+    // So never await the controller unboundedly; collect it
+    // opportunistically at timeout, leaving a reaper behind if the engine
+    // is still constructing so the VM thread can't spin forever
+    // unobserved.
     match result_rx.recv_timeout(budget) {
         Ok(outcome) => outcome,
         Err(mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) => {
-            controller.interrupt();
+            match controller_rx.try_recv() {
+                Ok(controller) => controller.interrupt(),
+                Err(mpsc::TryRecvError::Empty) => {
+                    thread::spawn(move || {
+                        if let Ok(controller) = controller_rx.recv() {
+                            controller.interrupt();
+                        }
+                    });
+                }
+                Err(mpsc::TryRecvError::Disconnected) => {}
+            }
             QueryOutcome::TimedOut
         }
         Err(mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Disconnected) => {