diff --git a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportClient.cs b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportClient.cs
index b2e1012e2..1d72a7e29 100644
--- a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportClient.cs
+++ b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportClient.cs
@@ -714,7 +714,10 @@ public sealed class MessagingTransportClient : ITransportClient, IMicroserviceTr
             timeoutCts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(55));
 
             _logger.LogWarning("[DIAG] Guard: processing message {MessageId}", lease.MessageId);
-            await handler(lease, timeoutCts.Token);
+            // WaitAsync abandons handlers that ignore CancellationToken (e.g.,
+            // StackExchange.Redis commands with their own internal timeout).
+            // The handler continues in background but the consumer loop is unblocked.
+            await handler(lease, timeoutCts.Token).WaitAsync(timeoutCts.Token);
             sw.Stop();
             _logger.LogWarning("[DIAG] Guard: message {MessageId} processed in {ElapsedMs}ms", lease.MessageId, sw.ElapsedMilliseconds);
             await lease.AcknowledgeAsync(cancellationToken);
diff --git a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportServer.cs b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportServer.cs
index dbc24b23d..2f584b14a 100644
--- a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportServer.cs
+++ b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Router.Transport.Messaging/MessagingTransportServer.cs
@@ -395,7 +395,8 @@ public sealed class MessagingTransportServer : ITransportServer, IDisposable
             using var timeoutCts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken);
             timeoutCts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(55)); // 55s < 60s gateway timeout
 
-            await handler(lease, timeoutCts.Token);
+            // WaitAsync abandons handlers that ignore CancellationToken.
+            await handler(lease, timeoutCts.Token).WaitAsync(timeoutCts.Token);
             await lease.AcknowledgeAsync(cancellationToken);
         }
         catch (OperationCanceledException) when (cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)