diff --git a/packages/secubox-profiles/api/actuate.py b/packages/secubox-profiles/api/actuate.py
index f20b558c..871d7901 100644
--- a/packages/secubox-profiles/api/actuate.py
+++ b/packages/secubox-profiles/api/actuate.py
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@ class ActuationError(Exception):
     """Une commande d'actionnement a échoué (rc non-nul) ou n'a pas pu tourner (rc=None)."""
 
 
+# Sentinel returncode for a command that RAN but did not return within the
+# deadline (subprocess.TimeoutExpired), as opposed to one that could not run at
+# all (OSError -> rc is None). The actuator fast-fails only on the latter; a
+# timeout on lxc-start/lxc-stop is deferred to wait_state (observed state
+# decides). 1000 is outside every real returncode (exit codes 0-255, signal
+# codes negative), so `rc != 0` still reads it as "not success".
+TIMED_OUT = 1000
+
+
 def _must(run, argv: list[str]) -> None:
     rc, out = run(argv)
     if rc != 0:
diff --git a/packages/secubox-profiles/api/cli.py b/packages/secubox-profiles/api/cli.py
index 267eaa8d..9c075136 100644
--- a/packages/secubox-profiles/api/cli.py
+++ b/packages/secubox-profiles/api/cli.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from . import apply, export
+from .actuate import TIMED_OUT
 from .audit import AUDIT_LOG
 from .diff import ProtectedViolation, plan_changes
 from .export import format_apt, format_json, format_pkglist, resolve_packages
@@ -296,16 +297,24 @@ def _cmd_scan(args) -> int:
     return 0
 
 
+_RUN_TIMEOUT_S = 30  # was 15: --no-block native commands return at once; the
+# extra headroom is for lxc-start/lxc-stop (no --no-block flag) so the container
+# CLI usually finishes before we give up and defer to wait_state.
+
+
 def _run(argv: list[str]) -> tuple[int | None, str]:
-    """rc=None signale que la commande n'a PAS pu s'exécuter (OSError, timeout) —
-    à distinguer d'un rc non-nul qui est une réponse authentique de la commande.
-    Même contrat que observe._run_cmd : un (1, "") fabriqué ici serait
-    indistinguable d'une vraie réponse "non" de la commande (voir _cmd_scan,
-    qui a besoin de cette distinction pour ne pas écrire un manifeste faux)."""
+    """rc=None = la commande n'a PAS pu s'exécuter (OSError) — jamais un faux
+    succès. rc=TIMED_OUT = elle a bien démarré mais n'a pas répondu dans le
+    délai (subprocess.TimeoutExpired) : pour lxc-start/lxc-stop (sans --no-block)
+    ce n'est PAS un échec, c'est wait_state qui tranche sur l'état observé.
+    Même contrat de lecture-seule côté observe._run_cmd (qui, lui, garde
+    timeout->None : une sonde qui traîne reste indéterminée)."""
     try:
-        p = subprocess.run(argv, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=15)
+        p = subprocess.run(argv, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=_RUN_TIMEOUT_S)
         return p.returncode, p.stdout
-    except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError):
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        return TIMED_OUT, ""
+    except OSError:
         return None, ""
 
 
diff --git a/packages/secubox-profiles/tests/test_cli.py b/packages/secubox-profiles/tests/test_cli.py
index e5927542..96589490 100644
--- a/packages/secubox-profiles/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/packages/secubox-profiles/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -445,3 +445,24 @@ def test_apply_error_maps_to_rc3_not_traceback(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         raise apply_mod.ApplyError("x est protégé — un STOP est refusé")
     monkeypatch.setattr(apply_mod, "apply_plan", boom)
     assert cli.main(["--root", str(root), "apply", "--yes"]) == 3
+
+
+def test_run_distinguishes_timeout_from_could_not_run(monkeypatch):
+    # cli._run must return the actuate.TIMED_OUT sentinel on a subprocess
+    # timeout (the command RAN, still working) and None only on OSError
+    # (the command could not run at all) — the actuator relies on this
+    # distinction to fast-fail only on genuine could-not-run.
+    import subprocess
+
+    import api.cli as cli
+    from api.actuate import TIMED_OUT
+
+    def raise_timeout(*a, **k):
+        raise subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd="x", timeout=1)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli.subprocess, "run", raise_timeout)
+    assert cli._run(["whatever"]) == (TIMED_OUT, "")
+
+    def raise_oserror(*a, **k):
+        raise OSError("no such binary")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli.subprocess, "run", raise_oserror)
+    assert cli._run(["whatever"]) == (None, "")