diff --git a/crates/dockerized/src/prover.rs b/crates/dockerized/src/prover.rs
index f3e5bde1..556f1084 100644
--- a/crates/dockerized/src/prover.rs
+++ b/crates/dockerized/src/prover.rs
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@ impl ServerContainer {
             .inherit_env("RUST_LOG")
             .inherit_env("RUST_BACKTRACE")
             .inherit_env("NO_COLOR")
+            .inherit_env("ERE_PROVE_TIMEOUT_MS")
+            .inherit_env("ERE_PROVE_TIMEOUT_SEC")
             .publish(port.to_string(), port.to_string())
             .name(&name);
 
diff --git a/crates/server/cli/src/commands/server.rs b/crates/server/cli/src/commands/server.rs
index edcaf328..e59afea2 100644
--- a/crates/server/cli/src/commands/server.rs
+++ b/crates/server/cli/src/commands/server.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use tokio::{
 };
 use tower::ServiceBuilder;
 use tower_http::{catch_panic::CatchPanicLayer, trace::TraceLayer};
-use tracing::info;
+use tracing::{error, info};
 use twirp::{
     Request, Response, Router, TwirpErrorResponse,
     async_trait::async_trait,
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ pub async fn run(
     elf: Elf,
     resource: ProverResource,
     prove_timeout: Option<Duration>,
+    prove_hard_timeout: Option<Duration>,
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let resource_kind = resource.kind();
     let zkvm = crate::construct_zkvm(elf, resource)?;
@@ -53,6 +54,32 @@ pub async fn run(
     let prove_state = Arc::new(ProveState::new(prove_timeout));
     let server = Arc::new(zkVMServer::new(zkvm, Arc::clone(&prove_state)));
 
+    // Spawn global watchdog for hard timeout if configured
+    if let Some(hard_timeout) = prove_hard_timeout {
+        let prove_state_clone = Arc::clone(&prove_state);
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let mut interval = tokio::time::interval(Duration::from_secs(5));
+            loop {
+                interval.tick().await;
+
+                if let Some(started) = *prove_state_clone.started_at.lock() {
+                    let elapsed = started.elapsed();
+                    if elapsed > hard_timeout {
+                        error!(
+                            "Prove exceeded hard timeout of {:?} (elapsed: {:?}), terminating server",
+                            hard_timeout, elapsed
+                        );
+                        std::process::exit(1);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        info!(
+            "Global prove watchdog enabled with hard timeout of {:?}",
+            hard_timeout
+        );
+    }
+
     let api_middleware = ServiceBuilder::new()
         .layer(
             TraceLayer::new_for_http()
@@ -307,3 +334,78 @@ async fn shutdown_signal() {
 fn serialize_report_err(err: bincode::error::EncodeError) -> TwirpErrorResponse {
     internal(format!("failed to serialize report: {err}"))
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::thread;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_prove_state_timeout_detection() {
+        // Test soft timeout detection (used by health check)
+        let timeout = Duration::from_millis(100);
+        let prove_state = ProveState::new(Some(timeout));
+
+        // Initially, no prove is running
+        assert!(!prove_state.is_timeout());
+
+        // Simulate prove start
+        {
+            *prove_state.started_at.lock() = Some(Instant::now());
+        }
+
+        // Immediately after start, should not timeout
+        assert!(!prove_state.is_timeout());
+
+        // Wait for timeout to expire
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(150));
+
+        // Now it should timeout
+        assert!(prove_state.is_timeout());
+
+        // Clear the started_at (simulating prove completion)
+        {
+            *prove_state.started_at.lock() = None;
+        }
+
+        // After clearing, should not timeout
+        assert!(!prove_state.is_timeout());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_prove_state_no_timeout_configured() {
+        // When no timeout is configured, is_timeout should always return false
+        let prove_state = ProveState::new(None);
+
+        assert!(!prove_state.is_timeout());
+
+        // Even with a prove running
+        {
+            *prove_state.started_at.lock() = Some(Instant::now());
+        }
+
+        assert!(!prove_state.is_timeout());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_prove_in_flight_guard() {
+        // Test that ProveInFlight guard correctly sets and clears started_at
+        let prove_state = Arc::new(ProveState::new(None));
+
+        // Initially no prove running
+        assert!(prove_state.started_at.lock().is_none());
+
+        {
+            // Create guard (simulates prove start)
+            let _guard = ProveInFlight::new(Arc::clone(&prove_state));
+
+            // started_at should be set
+            assert!(prove_state.started_at.lock().is_some());
+
+            // Guard is dropped here
+        }
+
+        // After guard drop, started_at should be cleared
+        assert!(prove_state.started_at.lock().is_none());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/server/cli/src/main.rs b/crates/server/cli/src/main.rs
index c07adf0b..4a03fe00 100644
--- a/crates/server/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/server/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ struct Args {
     /// milliseconds. Disabled when not set.
     #[arg(long, env = "ERE_PROVE_TIMEOUT_MS")]
     prove_timeout_ms: Option<u64>,
+    /// Hard timeout: terminate server process if a single prove has been running longer than
+    /// this many seconds. Disabled when not set. This forces container restart to recover from
+    /// deadlocked provers.
+    #[arg(long, env = "ERE_PROVE_TIMEOUT_SEC")]
+    prove_hard_timeout_sec: Option<u64>,
     #[command(
         flatten,
         next_help_heading = "ELF source (read from stdin if none set)"
@@ -99,7 +104,9 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
     match args.command {
         Command::Server(resource) => {
             let prove_timeout = args.prove_timeout_ms.map(Duration::from_millis);
-            commands::server::run(args.port, elf, resource, prove_timeout).await?
+            let prove_hard_timeout = args.prove_hard_timeout_sec.map(Duration::from_secs);
+            commands::server::run(args.port, elf, resource, prove_timeout, prove_hard_timeout)
+                .await?
         }
         Command::Keygen { program_vk_path } => commands::keygen::run(elf, &program_vk_path)?,
     }