diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/main.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/main.go
index 42e99b8..ef544bc 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/main.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/main.go
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, getenv func(string) string, logOut io.Writer) erro
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	holdCallsFor(answerBound)
 	verdicts := &manifestVerdicts{}
 	compositions := check.EngineCompositions{
 		Asker:    engineAsks{call: caller.CallOn},
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings.go
index c65f0f7..c3c44af 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/delivery"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/process"
 )
 
 // The checker's own settings (its config, written by the node-engine into ${dir:state}/settings.json, named to the
@@ -42,3 +43,12 @@ func composeAnswerBound(path string) (time.Duration, error) {
 	}
 	return time.Duration(*s.Bound) * time.Second, nil
 }
+
+// holdCallsFor makes a bus call wait the compose-answer-bound (novox/hq ADR 0593 §7), not the SDK's CallTimeout of 30 s:
+// the request of Conn.CallOn gives up at CallTimeout, so a node-engine answering at 30.4 s was lost before the bound
+// applied (issue 1126). It only ever lengthens the SDK's bound, and it is set once, before the first call.
+func holdCallsFor(bound time.Duration) {
+	if bound > process.CallTimeout {
+		process.CallTimeout = bound
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings_test.go
index 37155a3..ad9a986 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/settings_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/delivery"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/process"
 )
 
 // ADR 0593 §7: the answer bound is the checker's setting compose-answer-bound, 60 s when the file or the value is
@@ -31,5 +32,15 @@ func TestTheAnswerBoundIsTheCheckersSetting(t *testing.T) {
 		if (err != nil) != row.err || got != row.want {
 			t.Errorf("%q: %s, %v", row.body, got, err)
 		}
+		// Issue 1126: the SDK's call gives up at CallTimeout (30 s), so the checker's calls must wait the bound read
+		// (an answer at 31 s is heard under 60 s), and the bound never shortens the SDK's own.
+		if err == nil {
+			was := process.CallTimeout
+			holdCallsFor(got)
+			if process.CallTimeout < got || process.CallTimeout < was {
+				t.Errorf("%q: calls wait %v under bound %v", row.body, process.CallTimeout, got)
+			}
+			process.CallTimeout = was
+		}
 	}
 }