diff --git a/.phpunit.cache/test-results b/.phpunit.cache/test-results
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a88591
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.phpunit.cache/test-results
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"version":2,"defects":{"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueue":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskDetails":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskHistoryWithErrorDetails":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueWithEmptyPayload":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueWithLargePayload":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueWithSpecialCharacters":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueWithNestedPayload":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\StreamingTest::testStreamingTask":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\StreamingTest::testStreamCombinedResult":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\WorkerTest::testTaskExecution":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\WorkerTest::testTaskWithReturnValue":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\WorkerTest::testEchoTask":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\WorkerTest::testMultipleConcurrentTasks":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\PruneTaskResultsTest::testWorkerLoopDoesNotScanTaskResults":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\PruneTaskResultsTest::testOnlyTheKeyThatLostItsTtlIsRead":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\PruneTaskResultsTest::testHealthyKeysAreNeverRead":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ConnectionLivenessTest::testWorkerBlockingPopUsesTheConfiguredTimeout":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ConnectionLivenessTest::testReadTimeoutExceedsBlpopTimeout":7,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ConnectionLivenessTest::testLivenessBoundsAreFinite":7},"times":{"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskTimeoutException":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskTimeoutExceptionWithCustomMessage":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskProcessingException":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testRetryTaskException":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testRetryTaskExceptionWithCustomMessage":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testExceptionsAreCatchable":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testExceptionsCanBeChained":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskTimeoutExceptionWithEmptyTaskId":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskProcessingExceptionWithEmptyError":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskProcessingExceptionWithSpecialCharacters":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testTaskTimeoutExceptionWithUnicodeTaskId":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testRetryTaskExceptionCanBeRethrown":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testExceptionCodePreserved":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\ExceptionTest::testDeepExceptionChaining":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testMiddlewareCanBeInstantiated":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testBaseMiddlewareMethodsDoNothing":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testCustomMiddlewareCallsTracked":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testOnErrorReceivesException":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testOnTimeoutCalled":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testMiddlewareWithNullTask":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testBeforeWorkerShutdownCalled":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testAfterWorkerShutdownCalled":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testFullWorkerLifecycle":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testBaseMiddlewareShutdownMethodsDoNothing":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testOnErrorWithNullException":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testOnErrorWithNullTaskAndException":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\MiddlewareTest::testMiddlewareWithDifferentExceptionTypes":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\QueueDepthTest::testGetQueuedTaskCountUsesLlen":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\QueueDepthTest::testGetQueuedTaskCountReturnsZeroOnEmptyQueue":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\QueueDepthTest::testGetQueuedTaskCountCastsFalseToZero":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\QueueDepthTest::testGetProcessingTaskCountUsesScard":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testTaskCreation":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testTaskIdIsUuid":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testTaskTimeout":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testToArray":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testFromArray":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testFromArrayWithMissingOptionalFields":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testSerializationRoundTrip":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testOriginalPayloadPreserved":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testTaskWithAdditionalParams":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testTaskWithoutAdditionalParams":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testToArrayIncludesAdditionalParams":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testToArrayWithEmptyAdditionalParams":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testFromArrayExtractsAdditionalParams":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testFromArrayWithNoAdditionalParams":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Unit\\TaskTest::testAdditionalParamsRoundTrip":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testInstantiation":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testInstantiationWithCustomRedisClient":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskRegistration":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testMultipleTaskRegistration":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskRegistrationWithOptions":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testServerRegistration":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueue":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueWithAdditionalParams":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetAllQueuedTasks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskStatus":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testRemoveTaskFromQueue":0.002,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testDeleteQueue":0.002,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueDelayedTask":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetProcessingTasks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testMiddlewareHooks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetRedisClient":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testCancelTask":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testCancelNonexistentTask":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testIsTaskCancelled":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetCancelledTasks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testMarkTaskAsErrorDrainsQueueAndSetsFailedStatus":0.003,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testMarkTaskAsErrorIsIdempotentAndSafeWhenKeyEvicted":0.003,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testMarkTasksAsErrorBulkDrainsManyWithOneMlTasksScan":0.004,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testMarkTasksAsErrorWithEmptyListIsANoOp":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testReportProgress":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testReportProgressClampsValues":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskProgressNotFound":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testReportProgressWithoutMessage":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskDetails":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskDetailsNotFound":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskHistory":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskHistoryWithStatusFilter":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskHistoryWithNameFilter":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetFailedTasks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetCompletedTasks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTasksByName":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskStats":0.002,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetTaskHistoryCount":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testClearTaskHistory":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskHistoryWithErrorDetails":0.007,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testCleanupExpiredTasks":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testConfigurableTaskTtl":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testConfigurableHistoryRetention":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetWorkers":0.005,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetWorkersMultiple":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetWorker":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetWorkerNotFound":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetWorkerWithSystemInfo":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testGetWorkersWithMalformedJson":0.053,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskGetStatus":0.001,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskGetStatusNotFound":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskGetProgress":0.003,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskGetProgressNotFound":0,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testTaskIsCancelled":0.002,"ModelsLab\\ModelQ\\Tests\\Integration\\ModelQTest::testEnqueueWithEmptyPayload":0.003,"M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\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ModelQ.php b/src/ModelQ.php
index 581fe70..34933d0 100644
--- a/src/ModelQ.php
+++ b/src/ModelQ.php
@@ -30,6 +30,23 @@ class ModelQ
     public const TASK_TTL = 86400;                 // 24 hours TTL for all tasks
     public const DEFAULT_STREAM_TIMEOUT = 300;     // 5 minutes default stream timeout
 
+    /**
+     * Connection liveness.
+     *
+     * BLPOP_TIMEOUT is what we ask the *server* to wait. READ_TIMEOUT is what
+     * the *client* will wait for that answer to arrive. The second must exceed
+     * the first, or every idle poll aborts the read before Redis has replied.
+     *
+     * phpredis defaults both connect and read timeouts to 0, meaning "wait
+     * forever". A silently dropped TCP connection then parks the reader
+     * permanently: the server-side BLPOP timeout is irrelevant because the
+     * reply it would have produced can never reach us.
+     */
+    public const BLPOP_TIMEOUT = 1;      // seconds Redis holds the blocking pop
+    public const CONNECT_TIMEOUT = 5;    // seconds to establish a connection
+    public const READ_TIMEOUT = 10;      // seconds to wait for any single reply
+    public const TCP_KEEPALIVE = 60;     // seconds idle before the kernel probes
+
     private Redis $redis;
     private string $serverId;
     private array $allowedTasks = [];
@@ -62,7 +79,21 @@ public function __construct(
             $this->redis = $redisClient;
         } else {
             $this->redis = new Redis();
-            $this->redis->connect($host, $port);
+            // Bounded connect and read. Without the read timeout phpredis waits
+            // forever for a reply, so a half-open socket strands the caller
+            // instead of raising — see the constants above.
+            $this->redis->connect(
+                $host,
+                $port,
+                self::CONNECT_TIMEOUT,
+                null,
+                0,
+                self::READ_TIMEOUT
+            );
+            // Let the kernel notice a peer that has gone away while we are idle.
+            if (defined('Redis::OPT_TCP_KEEPALIVE')) {
+                $this->redis->setOption(Redis::OPT_TCP_KEEPALIVE, self::TCP_KEEPALIVE);
+            }
             if ($password) {
                 $this->redis->auth($password);
             }
@@ -259,7 +290,7 @@ public function startWorkers(int $workers = 1): void
 
             // Process tasks
             $this->updateServerStatus('idle');
-            $taskData = $this->redis->blPop(['ml_tasks'], 1);
+            $taskData = $this->redis->blPop(['ml_tasks'], self::BLPOP_TIMEOUT);
 
             if (!$taskData) {
                 continue;
diff --git a/tests/Unit/ConnectionLivenessTest.php b/tests/Unit/ConnectionLivenessTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc505d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/ConnectionLivenessTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace ModelsLab\ModelQ\Tests\Unit;
+
+use ModelsLab\ModelQ\ModelQ;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use Redis;
+
+/**
+ * Regression tests for the 2026-08-15 silent worker stall.
+ *
+ * A dropped TCP connection to Redis left workers parked forever on a blocking
+ * read. phpredis defaults its read timeout to 0 — "wait forever" — so the
+ * server-side BLPOP timeout is no protection at all: the reply that would end
+ * the wait can never arrive over a socket that no longer exists.
+ */
+class ConnectionLivenessTest extends TestCase
+{
+    /**
+     * The client must outwait the server, or every idle poll aborts early.
+     *
+     * BLPOP asks Redis to hold the pop for BLPOP_TIMEOUT seconds. If the client
+     * gives up reading before then, a correct empty reply is turned into an
+     * exception on every single idle loop.
+     */
+    public function testReadTimeoutExceedsBlpopTimeout(): void
+    {
+        $this->assertGreaterThan(
+            ModelQ::BLPOP_TIMEOUT,
+            ModelQ::READ_TIMEOUT,
+            'READ_TIMEOUT must exceed BLPOP_TIMEOUT or idle polls abort mid-read'
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Every liveness bound must actually be bounded.
+     *
+     * Zero is phpredis' "wait forever", which is the defect itself.
+     */
+    public function testLivenessBoundsAreFinite(): void
+    {
+        foreach ([
+            'BLPOP_TIMEOUT' => ModelQ::BLPOP_TIMEOUT,
+            'CONNECT_TIMEOUT' => ModelQ::CONNECT_TIMEOUT,
+            'READ_TIMEOUT' => ModelQ::READ_TIMEOUT,
+            'TCP_KEEPALIVE' => ModelQ::TCP_KEEPALIVE,
+        ] as $name => $value) {
+            $this->assertGreaterThan(0, $value, "$name must be a finite bound, not 0 (wait forever)");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The worker's blocking pop must carry the configured bound.
+     */
+    public function testWorkerBlockingPopUsesTheConfiguredTimeout(): void
+    {
+        $redis = $this->createMock(Redis::class);
+        $seenTimeout = null;
+
+        // The loop also runs its prune/requeue housekeeping; give those reads an
+        // empty result so the assertion below is about BLPOP and nothing else.
+        $redis->method('hGetAll')->willReturn([]);
+        $redis->method('zRangeByScore')->willReturn([]);
+        $redis->method('sMembers')->willReturn([]);
+
+        $modelq = new ModelQ(redisClient: $redis, serverId: 'liveness-test');
+
+        $redis->method('blPop')->willReturnCallback(
+            function (array $keys, $timeout) use (&$seenTimeout, $modelq) {
+                $seenTimeout = $timeout;
+                $modelq->stop();   // one iteration is enough
+
+                return false;
+            }
+        );
+
+        $modelq->startWorkers(1);
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            ModelQ::BLPOP_TIMEOUT,
+            $seenTimeout,
+            'worker issued a blocking pop that does not use BLPOP_TIMEOUT'
+        );
+    }
+}