diff --git a/src/__tests__/browser-pool.test.ts b/src/__tests__/browser-pool.test.ts
index d0a68e5..ecf8627 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/browser-pool.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/browser-pool.test.ts
@@ -218,7 +218,16 @@ describe("browser pool", () => {
       expect(stats.pdfCount).toBe(1);
     });
 
+    it("cleans up timeout timer after successful render", async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
+      await browserModule.initBrowser();
+      await browserModule.renderPdf("<h1>Hello</h1>");
+      expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(0);
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    });
+
     it("rejects with PDF_TIMEOUT after 30s", async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
       await browserModule.initBrowser();
       // Make ALL pages' setContent hang so whichever is picked will timeout
       for (const b of mockBrowsers) {
@@ -227,11 +236,13 @@ describe("browser pool", () => {
         }
       }
 
-      vi.useFakeTimers();
       const renderPromise = browserModule.renderPdf("<h1>slow</h1>");
+      const renderResult = renderPromise.catch((e: Error) => e);
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(30_001);
 
-      await expect(renderPromise).rejects.toThrow("PDF_TIMEOUT");
+      const err = await renderResult;
+      expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
+      expect((err as Error).message).toBe("PDF_TIMEOUT");
       vi.useRealTimers();
     });
   });
@@ -322,6 +333,7 @@ describe("browser pool", () => {
     });
 
     it("rejects with QUEUE_FULL after 30s timeout when all pages busy", async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
       await browserModule.initBrowser();
 
       // Make all pages hang
@@ -331,20 +343,27 @@ describe("browser pool", () => {
         }
       }
 
-      // Consume all 4 pages (these will hang)
-      browserModule.renderPdf("<p>1</p>");
-      browserModule.renderPdf("<p>2</p>");
-      browserModule.renderPdf("<p>3</p>");
-      browserModule.renderPdf("<p>4</p>");
+      // Consume all 4 pages (these will hang) — catch their rejections
+      const hanging = [
+        browserModule.renderPdf("<p>1</p>").catch(() => {}),
+        browserModule.renderPdf("<p>2</p>").catch(() => {}),
+        browserModule.renderPdf("<p>3</p>").catch(() => {}),
+        browserModule.renderPdf("<p>4</p>").catch(() => {}),
+      ];
 
-      vi.useFakeTimers();
-      // 5th request should queue
+      // 5th request should queue — attach catch immediately to prevent unhandled rejection
       const queued = browserModule.renderPdf("<p>5</p>");
+      const queuedResult = queued.catch((e: Error) => e);
 
-      // Advance past queue timeout
+      // Advance past all timeouts (queue + PDF_TIMEOUT for hanging renders)
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(30_001);
 
-      await expect(queued).rejects.toThrow("QUEUE_FULL");
+      const err = await queuedResult;
+      expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
+      expect((err as Error).message).toBe("QUEUE_FULL");
+
+      // Let hanging PDF_TIMEOUT rejections settle
+      await Promise.allSettled(hanging);
 
       vi.useRealTimers();
     });
diff --git a/src/services/browser.ts b/src/services/browser.ts
index 9bd894d..338e8d5 100644
--- a/src/services/browser.ts
+++ b/src/services/browser.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ export async function renderPdf(
   try {
     await page.setJavaScriptEnabled(false);
     const startTime = Date.now();
+    let timeoutId: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
     const result = await Promise.race([
       (async () => {
         await page.setContent(html, { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded", timeout: 15_000 });
@@ -264,10 +265,10 @@ export async function renderPdf(
         });
         return Buffer.from(pdf);
       })(),
-      new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
-        setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("PDF_TIMEOUT")), 30_000)
-      ),
-    ]);
+      new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+        timeoutId = setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("PDF_TIMEOUT")), 30_000);
+      }),
+    ]).finally(() => clearTimeout(timeoutId));
     const durationMs = Date.now() - startTime;
     logger.info(`PDF rendered in ${durationMs}ms (html, ${result.length} bytes)`);
     return { pdf: result, durationMs };
@@ -320,6 +321,7 @@ export async function renderUrlPdf(
       }
     }
     const startTime = Date.now();
+    let timeoutId: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
     const result = await Promise.race([
       (async () => {
         await page.goto(url, {
@@ -342,10 +344,10 @@ export async function renderUrlPdf(
         });
         return Buffer.from(pdf);
       })(),
-      new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
-        setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("PDF_TIMEOUT")), 30_000)
-      ),
-    ]);
+      new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+        timeoutId = setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("PDF_TIMEOUT")), 30_000);
+      }),
+    ]).finally(() => clearTimeout(timeoutId));
     const durationMs = Date.now() - startTime;
     logger.info(`PDF rendered in ${durationMs}ms (url, ${result.length} bytes)`);
     return { pdf: result, durationMs };