diff --git a/pkg/workflow/README.md b/pkg/workflow/README.md
index 200a34b2d96..9e112641319 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/README.md
+++ b/pkg/workflow/README.md
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ This appendix is generated from the current non-test Go source files in this pac
 | `workflow_data.go` | `SkipIfCheckFailingConfig` | `type SkipIfCheckFailingConfig struct { Include []string // check names to include (empty = all checks) Exclude []string // check names to exclude Branch string // optional branch name to check (defaults to triggering ref or PR base branch) AllowPending bool // if true, pending/in-progress checks are not treated as failing (default: treat pending as failing) }` | SkipIfCheckFailingConfig holds the configuration for skip-if-check-failing conditions |
 | `workflow_data.go` | `SkipIfMatchConfig` | `type SkipIfMatchConfig struct { Query string // GitHub search query to check before running workflow Max int // Maximum number of matches before skipping (defaults to 1) Scope string // Scope for the query: "none" disables auto repo:owner/repo scoping }` | SkipIfMatchConfig holds the configuration for skip-if-match conditions |
 | `workflow_data.go` | `SkipIfNoMatchConfig` | `type SkipIfNoMatchConfig struct { Query string // GitHub search query to check before running workflow Min int // Minimum number of matches required to proceed (defaults to 1) Scope string // Scope for the query: "none" disables auto repo:owner/repo scoping }` | SkipIfNoMatchConfig holds the configuration for skip-if-no-match conditions |
-| `awf_config.go` | `AWFBoundedQueriesConfig` | `type AWFBoundedQueriesConfig struct { Enabled bool PrivateRepos []*AWFBoundedQueryPrivateRepo Runtime BoundedQueryRuntime Timeout int MemoryLimit string Interpreter string MaxInvocations int }` | AWFBoundedQueriesConfig models compiled bounded-query settings in AWF config output. |
+| `awf_config.go` | `AWFBoundedQueriesConfig` | `type AWFBoundedQueriesConfig struct { Enabled bool PrivateRepos []*AWFBoundedQueryPrivateRepo Runtime BoundedQueryRuntime Timeout *int MemoryLimit string Interpreter string MaxInvocations int }` | AWFBoundedQueriesConfig models compiled bounded-query settings in AWF config output. |
 | `awf_config.go` | `AWFBoundedQueryPrivateRepo` | `type AWFBoundedQueryPrivateRepo struct { Repo string Sensitivity string }` | AWFBoundedQueryPrivateRepo describes one approved private repository for bounded queries. |
 | `sandbox.go` | `AiCreditsPricingConfig` | `type AiCreditsPricingConfig struct { Input float64 Output float64 CachedInput *float64 CacheWrite *float64 }` | AiCreditsPricingConfig defines per-token pricing inputs used for AI-credit accounting. |
 | `tools_types.go` | `BoundedQueriesConfig` | `type BoundedQueriesConfig struct { PrivateRepos []*BoundedQueryPrivateRepo Runtime BoundedQueryRuntime Timeout *int MemoryLimit string Interpreter string MaxInvocations *int ParseError string }` | BoundedQueriesConfig defines user-facing bounded-query tool configuration. |
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/awf_config.go b/pkg/workflow/awf_config.go
index 973053ca8e9..8c84bf160a9 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/awf_config.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/awf_config.go
@@ -203,7 +203,9 @@ type AWFBoundedQueriesConfig struct {
 
 	// Timeout is the maximum execution time in seconds for a single invocation.
 	// Optional; when omitted AWF uses its default.
-	Timeout int `json:"timeout,omitempty"`
+	// A pointer mirrors BoundedQueriesConfig.Timeout so nil-vs-zero semantics stay in sync
+	// between the frontmatter and AWF-config-file shapes.
+	Timeout *int `json:"timeout,omitempty"`
 
 	// MemoryLimit is the memory limit for bounded-query container execution (e.g. "512m").
 	// Optional; when omitted AWF uses its default.
@@ -985,9 +987,7 @@ func extractBoundedQueriesConfig(workflowData *WorkflowData) *AWFBoundedQueriesC
 		MemoryLimit: bq.MemoryLimit,
 		Interpreter: bq.Interpreter,
 	}
-	if bq.Timeout != nil {
-		awfBQ.Timeout = *bq.Timeout
-	}
+	awfBQ.Timeout = bq.Timeout
 	if bq.MaxInvocations != nil {
 		awfBQ.MaxInvocations = *bq.MaxInvocations
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/bounded_queries_test.go b/pkg/workflow/bounded_queries_test.go
index de230ea7f1e..6b35af5aefc 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/bounded_queries_test.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/bounded_queries_test.go
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ func TestExtractBoundedQueriesConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NotNil(t, got)
 		assert.True(t, got.Enabled)
 		assert.Equal(t, BoundedQueryRuntimeDocker, got.Runtime)
-		assert.Equal(t, 30, got.Timeout)
+		require.NotNil(t, got.Timeout)
+		assert.Equal(t, 30, *got.Timeout)
 		assert.Equal(t, "512m", got.MemoryLimit)
 		assert.Equal(t, "python3", got.Interpreter)
 		assert.Equal(t, 32, got.MaxInvocations)
@@ -228,8 +229,8 @@ func TestExtractBoundedQueriesConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 		got := extractBoundedQueriesConfig(data)
 		require.NotNil(t, got)
-		assert.Equal(t, 0, got.Timeout, "timeout must be zero (omitted) when not set")
 		assert.Equal(t, 0, got.MaxInvocations, "max-invocations must be zero (omitted) when not set")
+		assert.Nil(t, got.Timeout, "timeout must be nil (omitted) when not set")
 	})
 }
 
@@ -606,7 +607,7 @@ func TestAWFBoundedQueriesJSONRoundtrip(t *testing.T) {
 			{Repo: "my-org/sealed-service", Sensitivity: "sealed"},
 		},
 		Runtime:        BoundedQueryRuntimeSbx,
-		Timeout:        30,
+		Timeout:        new(30),
 		MemoryLimit:    "512m",
 		Interpreter:    "python3",
 		MaxInvocations: 32,