diff --git a/scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs b/scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs
index 50229fd0e717..a97600ffbdd9 100644
--- a/scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs
+++ b/scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs
@@ -19,7 +19,35 @@ if (!Number.isFinite(maxBodyBytes) || maxBodyBytes <= 0) {
   throw new Error(`invalid OPENCLAW_OPENAI_CHAT_TOOLS_MAX_BODY_BYTES: ${maxBodyBytes}`);
 }
 
-async function readBoundedResponseText(response, byteLimit) {
+function cancelReaderSoon(reader) {
+  void Promise.resolve()
+    .then(() => reader.cancel())
+    .catch(() => undefined);
+}
+
+async function readResponseChunk(reader, timeoutPromise, markCanceled) {
+  const readPromise = reader.read();
+  if (!timeoutPromise) {
+    return await readPromise;
+  }
+
+  let waitingForRead = true;
+  const timeoutReadPromise = timeoutPromise.catch((error) => {
+    if (waitingForRead) {
+      markCanceled();
+      cancelReaderSoon(reader);
+    }
+    throw error;
+  });
+
+  try {
+    return await Promise.race([readPromise, timeoutReadPromise]);
+  } finally {
+    waitingForRead = false;
+  }
+}
+
+async function readBoundedResponseText(response, byteLimit, timeoutPromise) {
   const contentLength = response.headers?.get?.("content-length");
   if (contentLength && /^\d+$/u.test(contentLength)) {
     const parsedContentLength = Number(contentLength);
@@ -35,67 +63,88 @@ async function readBoundedResponseText(response, byteLimit) {
   }
   const chunks = [];
   let totalBytes = 0;
-  for (;;) {
-    const { done, value } = await reader.read();
-    if (done) {
-      break;
+  let canceled = false;
+  try {
+    for (;;) {
+      const { done, value } = await readResponseChunk(reader, timeoutPromise, () => {
+        canceled = true;
+      });
+      if (done) {
+        break;
+      }
+      totalBytes += value.byteLength;
+      if (totalBytes > byteLimit) {
+        canceled = true;
+        await reader.cancel();
+        throw new Error(`chat completions response body exceeded ${byteLimit} bytes`);
+      }
+      chunks.push(Buffer.from(value));
     }
-    totalBytes += value.byteLength;
-    if (totalBytes > byteLimit) {
-      await reader.cancel();
-      throw new Error(`chat completions response body exceeded ${byteLimit} bytes`);
+  } finally {
+    if (!canceled) {
+      reader.releaseLock();
     }
-    chunks.push(Buffer.from(value));
   }
   return Buffer.concat(chunks, totalBytes).toString("utf8");
 }
 
 const controller = new AbortController();
-const timeout = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeoutSeconds * 1000);
+const timeoutError = new Error(`chat completions request timed out after ${timeoutSeconds}s`);
+let timeout;
+const timeoutPromise = new Promise((_, reject) => {
+  timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+    controller.abort(timeoutError);
+    reject(timeoutError);
+  }, timeoutSeconds * 1000);
+  timeout.unref?.();
+});
 const started = Date.now();
 let response;
 let text;
 try {
-  response = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/v1/chat/completions`, {
-    method: "POST",
-    headers: {
-      authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
-      "content-type": "application/json",
-      "x-openclaw-model": backendModel,
-    },
-    body: JSON.stringify({
-      model: "openclaw",
-      stream: false,
-      messages: [
-        {
-          role: "user",
-          content:
-            "Use the get_weather tool exactly once for Paris, France. Return the tool call only.",
-        },
-      ],
-      tool_choice: "auto",
-      tools: [
-        {
-          type: "function",
-          function: {
-            name: "get_weather",
-            description: "Return weather for a city.",
-            strict: true,
-            parameters: {
-              type: "object",
-              additionalProperties: false,
-              properties: {
-                city: { type: "string", description: "City and country." },
+  response = await Promise.race([
+    fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/v1/chat/completions`, {
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: {
+        authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
+        "content-type": "application/json",
+        "x-openclaw-model": backendModel,
+      },
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        model: "openclaw",
+        stream: false,
+        messages: [
+          {
+            role: "user",
+            content:
+              "Use the get_weather tool exactly once for Paris, France. Return the tool call only.",
+          },
+        ],
+        tool_choice: "auto",
+        tools: [
+          {
+            type: "function",
+            function: {
+              name: "get_weather",
+              description: "Return weather for a city.",
+              strict: true,
+              parameters: {
+                type: "object",
+                additionalProperties: false,
+                properties: {
+                  city: { type: "string", description: "City and country." },
+                },
+                required: ["city"],
               },
-              required: ["city"],
             },
           },
-        },
-      ],
+        ],
+      }),
+      signal: controller.signal,
     }),
-    signal: controller.signal,
-  });
-  text = await readBoundedResponseText(response, maxBodyBytes);
+    timeoutPromise,
+  ]);
+  text = await readBoundedResponseText(response, maxBodyBytes, timeoutPromise);
 } finally {
   clearTimeout(timeout);
 }
diff --git a/test/scripts/openai-chat-tools-client.test.ts b/test/scripts/openai-chat-tools-client.test.ts
index 1f6b9020e756..8b40cf7cdc59 100644
--- a/test/scripts/openai-chat-tools-client.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/openai-chat-tools-client.test.ts
@@ -139,11 +139,16 @@ function toolCallResponse(messageOverrides: Record<string, unknown> = {}) {
 describe("scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs", () => {
   let bodyReadTimeoutProbe: {
     elapsedMs: number;
+    responseClosed: boolean;
     result: ClientResult;
   };
 
   beforeAll(async () => {
+    let responseClosed = false;
     const server = createServer((_request, response) => {
+      response.on("close", () => {
+        responseClosed = true;
+      });
       response.writeHead(200, { "content-type": "application/json" });
       response.write('{"choices":');
     });
@@ -153,6 +158,7 @@ describe("scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs", () => {
       bodyReadTimeoutProbe = {
         result: await runClient(port, {}, 4_000),
         elapsedMs: Date.now() - startedAt,
+        responseClosed,
       };
     } finally {
       server.close();
@@ -356,8 +362,9 @@ describe("scripts/e2e/lib/openai-chat-tools/client.mjs", () => {
   it("keeps the request timeout active while reading the response body", async () => {
     expect(bodyReadTimeoutProbe.result.error).toBeUndefined();
     expect(bodyReadTimeoutProbe.result.status).not.toBe(0);
-    expect(bodyReadTimeoutProbe.result.stderr).toMatch(/aborted|AbortError/iu);
+    expect(bodyReadTimeoutProbe.result.stderr).toMatch(/timed out|aborted|AbortError/iu);
     expect(bodyReadTimeoutProbe.elapsedMs).toBeLessThan(3_500);
+    expect(bodyReadTimeoutProbe.responseClosed).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it("caps chat completion response bodies before JSON parsing", async () => {