diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/Chat.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/Chat.vue
index 9154ccab..06d638fc 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/Chat.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/Chat.vue
@@ -15,9 +15,14 @@
       />
     </div>
 
-    <!-- Loading indicator while iframe loads -->
+    <!-- Loading indicator while iframe loads. pointer-events:none on the
+         wrapper (see <style>) so this never blocks clicks reaching the
+         iframe underneath even while shown; the bounded timeout below
+         (see aiuiLoadTimedOut) additionally guarantees it disappears
+         outright regardless of backend/handshake state, so it can never
+         wedge the UI permanently. -->
     <Transition name="fade">
-      <div v-if="aiuiUrl && !aiuiConnected" class="chat-loading" role="status" aria-live="polite">
+      <div v-if="aiuiUrl && !aiuiConnected && !aiuiLoadTimedOut" class="chat-loading" role="status" aria-live="polite">
         <div class="glass-card p-8 flex flex-col items-center gap-4">
           <div class="chat-loading-spinner" aria-hidden="true" />
           <p class="text-sm text-white/60">{{ t('chat.loadingAssistant') }}</p>
@@ -69,6 +74,17 @@ const { t } = useI18n()
 const router = useRouter()
 const aiuiFrame = ref<HTMLIFrameElement | null>(null)
 const aiuiConnected = ref(false)
+// Belt-and-suspenders backstop (2026-07-30 live-testing follow-up): the
+// loading overlay must never be able to wedge the UI permanently regardless
+// of AIUI/backend state — a broken handshake, a misconfigured origin, or the
+// AI provider being unreachable must not leave the user staring at a
+// spinner forever with no way to interact with the panel underneath. This
+// timeout dismisses the overlay unconditionally after a bounded wait even if
+// 'ready' never arrives; it does not affect aiuiConnected itself (the
+// connection indicator dot still reflects the real state).
+const AIUI_LOAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 8000
+const aiuiLoadTimedOut = ref(false)
+let loadTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
 let broker: ContextBroker | null = null
 
 // D-14 presentation flags (Phase 02 Plan 07, 02-AIUI-D14.md): AIUI opens
@@ -111,6 +127,7 @@ function onAiuiMessage(event: MessageEvent) {
   // Listen for ready messages from AIUI iframe
   if (event.data?.type === 'ready') {
     aiuiConnected.value = true
+    if (loadTimeout) { clearTimeout(loadTimeout); loadTimeout = null }
   }
 }
 
@@ -131,6 +148,14 @@ function armChatLive() {
     broker = new ContextBroker(aiuiFrame, aiuiUrl.value)
     broker.start()
   }
+  if (loadTimeout) clearTimeout(loadTimeout)
+  loadTimeout = null
+  if (aiuiUrl.value && !aiuiConnected.value) {
+    loadTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      aiuiLoadTimedOut.value = true
+      loadTimeout = null
+    }, AIUI_LOAD_TIMEOUT_MS)
+  }
 }
 onActivated(() => armChatLive())
 
@@ -138,6 +163,7 @@ onDeactivated(() => {
   window.removeEventListener('message', onAiuiMessage)
   broker?.stop()
   broker = null
+  if (loadTimeout) { clearTimeout(loadTimeout); loadTimeout = null }
 })
 
 // onActivated is a no-op outside a <KeepAlive> boundary — call it directly
@@ -150,6 +176,7 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => {
   window.removeEventListener('message', onAiuiMessage)
   broker?.stop()
   broker = null
+  if (loadTimeout) { clearTimeout(loadTimeout); loadTimeout = null }
 })
 </script>
 
@@ -161,6 +188,10 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => {
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
   z-index: 10;
+  /* Never let the loading state itself block interaction with the iframe
+     underneath — it has no interactive content of its own, so there is
+     nothing here that needs to capture clicks. */
+  pointer-events: none;
 }
 
 .chat-loading-spinner {
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/chatAiuiEmbed.test.ts b/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/chatAiuiEmbed.test.ts
index ff2e4efd..d6439dd4 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/chatAiuiEmbed.test.ts
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/chatAiuiEmbed.test.ts
@@ -142,4 +142,42 @@ describe('Chat / AIUI embed URL stability + D-14 defaults (02-07)', () => {
     expect(wrapper.find('.chat-loading').exists()).toBe(false)
     wrapper.unmount()
   })
+
+  // Belt-and-suspenders backstop added after live testing found the overlay
+  // could wedge the UI when the 'ready' handshake never arrives (a real bug,
+  // separately fixed at its root cause in AIUI's archyBridge.ts) — this
+  // proves the archy side never depends on that fix alone.
+  it('dismisses the loading overlay after a bounded timeout even if no ready message ever arrives', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      const { wrapper } = mountChatInKeepAlive()
+      expect(wrapper.find('.chat-loading').exists()).toBe(true)
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(7999)
+      expect(wrapper.find('.chat-loading').exists()).toBe(true)
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1)
+      expect(wrapper.find('.chat-loading').exists()).toBe(false)
+      // The connection indicator must NOT falsely report connected — the
+      // timeout only dismisses the blocking overlay, it does not fabricate
+      // a successful handshake.
+      expect(wrapper.find('[title="chat.aiuiConnected"]').exists()).toBe(false)
+
+      wrapper.unmount()
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('does not dismiss the loading overlay before the timeout elapses', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      const { wrapper } = mountChatInKeepAlive()
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(4000)
+      expect(wrapper.find('.chat-loading').exists()).toBe(true)
+      wrapper.unmount()
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
 })