diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway/ExternalSystemClient.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway/ExternalSystemClient.cs
index aa494702..1b1bfcc0 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway/ExternalSystemClient.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway/ExternalSystemClient.cs
@@ -297,12 +297,16 @@ public class ExternalSystemClient : IExternalSystemClient
             }
         }
 
-        // Enforce the per-call timeout. ExternalSystemDefinition has no per-system
-        // Timeout field yet, so the configured DefaultHttpTimeout is the effective
-        // round-trip limit (the design's "timeout applies to the HTTP request
-        // round-trip" guarantee). A linked CTS lets us distinguish a timeout from a
-        // caller-initiated cancellation: only the timeout is reclassified as transient.
-        using var timeoutCts = new CancellationTokenSource(_options.DefaultHttpTimeout);
+        // Enforce the per-call timeout (the design's "timeout applies to the HTTP
+        // request round-trip" guarantee). Resolution order: a positive per-system
+        // ExternalSystemDefinition.TimeoutSeconds wins; otherwise the configured
+        // DefaultHttpTimeout is the effective round-trip limit. A linked CTS lets us
+        // distinguish a timeout from a caller-initiated cancellation: only the
+        // timeout is reclassified as transient.
+        var effectiveTimeout = system.TimeoutSeconds > 0
+            ? TimeSpan.FromSeconds(system.TimeoutSeconds)
+            : _options.DefaultHttpTimeout;
+        using var timeoutCts = new CancellationTokenSource(effectiveTimeout);
         using var linkedCts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(
             cancellationToken, timeoutCts.Token);
 
@@ -320,7 +324,7 @@ public class ExternalSystemClient : IExternalSystemClient
         {
             // Our own timeout elapsed — a transient failure per the design.
             throw ErrorClassifier.AsTransient(
-                $"Timeout calling {system.Name} after {_options.DefaultHttpTimeout.TotalSeconds:0.##}s", ex);
+                $"Timeout calling {system.Name} after {effectiveTimeout.TotalSeconds:0.##}s", ex);
         }
         catch (Exception ex) when (ErrorClassifier.IsTransient(ex))
         {
@@ -343,7 +347,7 @@ public class ExternalSystemClient : IExternalSystemClient
             catch (OperationCanceledException ex) when (timeoutCts.IsCancellationRequested)
             {
                 throw ErrorClassifier.AsTransient(
-                    $"Timeout reading response from {system.Name} after {_options.DefaultHttpTimeout.TotalSeconds:0.##}s", ex);
+                    $"Timeout reading response from {system.Name} after {effectiveTimeout.TotalSeconds:0.##}s", ex);
             }
 
             if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway.Tests/ExternalSystemClientTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway.Tests/ExternalSystemClientTests.cs
index 24e36d27..9d165506 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway.Tests/ExternalSystemClientTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.ExternalSystemGateway.Tests/ExternalSystemClientTests.cs
@@ -872,6 +872,33 @@ public class ExternalSystemClientTests
             e.Level >= LogLevel.Warning && e.Message.Contains("TestAPI"));
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task PerSystemTimeout_OverridesGatewayDefault()
+    {
+        // System timeout 1s; handler black-holes far longer; gateway default is 30s.
+        var system = new ExternalSystemDefinition("slow", "http://x", "none") { Id = 1, TimeoutSeconds = 1 };
+        var method = new ExternalSystemMethod("m", "GET", "/p") { Id = 1, ExternalSystemDefinitionId = 1 };
+        StubResolution(system, method);
+
+        var httpClient = new HttpClient(new HangingHttpMessageHandler(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10)));
+        _httpClientFactory.CreateClient(Arg.Any<string>()).Returns(httpClient);
+
+        // No options override → DefaultHttpTimeout is the 30s default; only the
+        // per-system 1s should govern the round-trip.
+        var client = new ExternalSystemClient(
+            _httpClientFactory, _repository,
+            NullLogger<ExternalSystemClient>.Instance);
+
+        var sw = System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.StartNew();
+        var result = await client.CallAsync("slow", "m");
+        sw.Stop();
+
+        Assert.False(result.Success);
+        Assert.Contains("Timeout", result.ErrorMessage);
+        Assert.True(sw.Elapsed < TimeSpan.FromSeconds(4),
+            "per-system 1s timeout must apply, not the 30s default");
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task Call_TransientFailure_DoesNotLogAtWarningOrAbove()
     {