diff --git a/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh b/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh
index d6ce2b28..a8f76fd2 100755
--- a/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh
+++ b/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh
@@ -10,25 +10,31 @@ STATE_DIR="${XDG_STATE_HOME:-$HOME/.local/state}/omarchy"
 IMAGE_DIR="$STATE_DIR/clipboard-images"
 mkdir -p "$IMAGE_DIR"
 
-types=$(wl-paste --list-types 2>/dev/null || true)
+types=$(timeout 2s wl-paste --list-types 2>/dev/null || true)
 
 if [[ ${CLIPBOARD_STATE:-} == "sensitive" ]] || grep -qx 'x-kde-passwordManagerHint' <<<"$types"; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
+tmp=
+trap 'rm -f -- "$tmp"' EXIT
+
+# The clipboard owner streams the copy and can stall without closing its end, so
+# every read is bounded, and a copy cut off at the deadline is dropped, not kept.
+read_copy() {
+  timeout 2s "$@" >"$tmp" 2>/dev/null && [[ -s $tmp ]]
+}
+
 emit_image() {
   local mime="$1"
-  local ext tmp hash file
+  local ext hash file
+  shift
 
   ext=${mime#image/}
   [[ $ext == jpeg ]] && ext=jpg
 
   tmp=$(mktemp --tmpdir="$IMAGE_DIR" clipboard.XXXXXX) || return 0
-  cat >"$tmp"
-  if [[ ! -s $tmp ]]; then
-    rm -f "$tmp"
-    return 0
-  fi
+  read_copy "$@" || return
 
   hash=$(sha256sum "$tmp" | awk '{print $1}')
   file="$IMAGE_DIR/$hash.$ext"
@@ -43,6 +49,9 @@ emit_image() {
 }
 
 emit_text() {
+  tmp=$(mktemp --tmpdir="$STATE_DIR" clipboard.XXXXXX) || return 0
+  read_copy "$@" || return
+
   perl -MEncode=decode,FB_CROAK,LEAVE_SRC -MJSON::PP=encode_json -0777 -e '
     my $raw = <STDIN>;
     exit unless length $raw;
@@ -86,21 +95,21 @@ emit_text() {
     }
     $text = decode("UTF-8", $raw) unless defined $text;
     print "{\"type\":\"text\",\"text\":", encode_json($text), "}\n";
-  '
+  ' <"$tmp"
 }
 
 case "${1:-}" in
-text) emit_text; exit 0 ;;
-image/*) emit_image "$1"; exit 0 ;;
+text) emit_text cat; exit 0 ;;
+image/*) emit_image "$1" cat; exit 0 ;;
 esac
 
 for mime in image/png image/jpeg image/webp image/gif image/bmp image/tiff; do
   if grep -qx "$mime" <<<"$types"; then
-    timeout 2s wl-paste --type "$mime" 2>/dev/null | emit_image "$mime"
+    emit_image "$mime" wl-paste --type "$mime"
     exit 0
   fi
 done
 
 if grep -q '^text/' <<<"$types" || grep -qx 'UTF8_STRING' <<<"$types" || grep -qx 'STRING' <<<"$types"; then
-  wl-paste --type text --no-newline 2>/dev/null | emit_text
+  emit_text wl-paste --type text --no-newline
 fi
diff --git a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
index 5580a694..17415ef0 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
@@ -255,8 +255,14 @@ SH
 cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wl-paste" <<'SH'
 #!/bin/bash
 if [[ $1 == "--list-types" ]]; then
+  [[ ${WL_PASTE_STALL:-} == "list-types" ]] && sleep 10
   printf '%b' "${WL_PASTE_TYPES:-text/plain\n}"
 elif [[ $1 == "--type" && $2 == "text" ]]; then
+  [[ ${WL_PASTE_STALL:-} == "text" ]] && sleep 10
+  if [[ ${WL_PASTE_STALL:-} == "text-midway" ]]; then
+    printf 'first half '
+    sleep 10
+  fi
   printf '%s' "${WL_PASTE_TEXT:-terminal copy}"
 fi
 SH
@@ -292,6 +298,52 @@ capture_output=$(printf 'closing app copy' | WL_PASTE_TEXT="stale read" XDG_RUNT
 [[ $capture_output == '{"type":"text","text":"closing app copy"}' ]] || fail "clipboard capture records watched text from stdin"
 pass "clipboard capture records watched text from stdin"
 
+if capture_output=$(printf 'watched copy after stalled types' | WL_PASTE_STALL="list-types" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" timeout --preserve-status 4s "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh" text); then
+  capture_status=0
+else
+  capture_status=$?
+fi
+[[ $capture_status -eq 0 ]] || fail "clipboard watched text survives a stalled type query" "capture exited with status $capture_status"
+[[ $capture_output == '{"type":"text","text":"watched copy after stalled types"}' ]] || fail "clipboard watched text remains intact after a stalled type query"
+pass "clipboard watched text survives a stalled type query"
+pass "clipboard watched text remains intact after a stalled type query"
+
+if capture_output=$(WL_PASTE_STALL="text" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" timeout --preserve-status 4s "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh"); then
+  capture_status=0
+else
+  capture_status=$?
+fi
+[[ $capture_status -eq 124 ]] || fail "clipboard snapshot text read uses its internal timeout" "capture exited with status $capture_status"
+[[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard snapshot timeout emits no partial entry" "actual: $capture_output"
+pass "clipboard snapshot text read uses its internal timeout"
+pass "clipboard snapshot timeout emits no partial entry"
+
+if capture_output=$(WL_PASTE_STALL="text-midway" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" timeout --preserve-status 4s "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh"); then
+  capture_status=0
+else
+  capture_status=$?
+fi
+[[ $capture_status -eq 124 ]] || fail "clipboard snapshot text read stalled midway uses its internal timeout" "capture exited with status $capture_status"
+[[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard snapshot stalled midway emits no partial entry" "actual: $capture_output"
+pass "clipboard snapshot text read stalled midway uses its internal timeout"
+pass "clipboard snapshot stalled midway emits no partial entry"
+
+for watched_mime in text image/png; do
+  if capture_output=$({ printf 'copy whose owner never closes'; sleep 5; } | XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" timeout --preserve-status 4s "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh" "$watched_mime"); then
+    capture_status=0
+  else
+    capture_status=$?
+  fi
+  [[ $capture_status -eq 0 ]] || fail "clipboard watched $watched_mime read is bounded when the owner stalls" "capture exited with status $capture_status"
+  [[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard watched $watched_mime cut off by a stalled owner emits no entry" "actual: $capture_output"
+  pass "clipboard watched $watched_mime read is bounded when the owner stalls"
+  pass "clipboard watched $watched_mime cut off by a stalled owner emits no entry"
+done
+
+leftover=$(find "$TMPDIR/state/omarchy" -name 'clipboard.*' -print)
+[[ -z $leftover ]] || fail "clipboard capture removes copies it dropped" "left: $leftover"
+pass "clipboard capture removes copies it dropped"
+
 capture_output=$(printf '%s' 'UTF-16 clipboard - fixed' | iconv -f UTF-8 -t UTF-16LE | XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh" text)
 [[ $capture_output == '{"type":"text","text":"UTF-16 clipboard - fixed"}' ]] || fail "clipboard capture decodes UTF-16LE text"
 pass "clipboard capture decodes UTF-16LE text"