diff --git a/src/client/client_send.c b/src/client/client_send.c
index df2c22f..0c33c45 100644
--- a/src/client/client_send.c
+++ b/src/client/client_send.c
@@ -597,14 +597,20 @@ static int send_delete_manifest(int fd, ArrayList* manifest) {
    --delete-before/--delete-during, where the extras are removed on the receiver
    BEFORE the first byte of file data is sent: the receiver acknowledges with
    STATUS_OK once the bounded delete committed, or STATUS_ERROR if it could not
-   (in which case the sender aborts without streaming any data). */
+   (in which case the sender aborts without streaming any data).  The ACK may
+   take much longer than an ordinary per-message round trip because the receiver
+   performs the whole bounded deletion walk (up to MAX_SERVER_DELETE_COUNT
+   unlinks) before replying, so the wait uses a generous explicit deadline
+   instead of the default 60 s receive window. */
+#define DELETE_ACK_TIMEOUT_SEC 3600
+
 static bool send_delete_manifest_early(Client* client, ArrayList* manifest) {
   if (!client || !manifest)
     return false;
   if (send_delete_manifest(client->file_descriptor, manifest) != 0)
     return false;
   Status ack;
-  if (!receive_status(client->file_descriptor, &ack))
+  if (!receive_status_timed(client->file_descriptor, &ack, DELETE_ACK_TIMEOUT_SEC))
     return false;
   if (ack != STATUS_OK) {
     log_message(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Server failed to delete files before the transfer");
diff --git a/src/shared/protocol.c b/src/shared/protocol.c
index 17caeb3..1d4a421 100644
--- a/src/shared/protocol.c
+++ b/src/shared/protocol.c
@@ -302,15 +302,25 @@ bool protocol_send_n_data(ProtocolSession* session, const void* data, size_t dat
   return true;
 }
 
+bool protocol_receive_n_data_timed(ProtocolSession* session, void* data, size_t data_size,
+                                   int timeout_sec);
+
 bool protocol_receive_n_data(ProtocolSession* session, void* data, size_t data_size) {
+  return protocol_receive_n_data_timed(session, data, data_size, RECEIVE_TIMEOUT_SEC);
+}
+
+bool protocol_receive_n_data_timed(ProtocolSession* session, void* data, size_t data_size,
+                                   int timeout_sec) {
   log_debug_message(LOG_DEBUG_IO, "    Receiving n Data: %zu", data_size);
   if (!session)
     return false;
   int fd = session->read_fd;
+  if (timeout_sec <= 0)
+    timeout_sec = RECEIVE_TIMEOUT_SEC;
 
   struct timespec deadline;
   clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &deadline);
-  deadline.tv_sec += RECEIVE_TIMEOUT_SEC;
+  deadline.tv_sec += timeout_sec;
 
   size_t total_bytes_received = 0;
   short wait_events = POLLIN;
@@ -319,7 +329,7 @@ bool protocol_receive_n_data(ProtocolSession* session, void* data, size_t data_s
       struct pollfd pfd = {.fd = fd, .events = wait_events};
       int poll_result = poll(&pfd, 1, deadline_remaining_ms(&deadline));
       if (poll_result == 0) {
-        log_message(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Receive timeout after %ds", RECEIVE_TIMEOUT_SEC);
+        log_message(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Receive timeout after %ds", timeout_sec);
         return false;
       }
       if (poll_result < 0) {
@@ -516,6 +526,17 @@ bool protocol_receive_status(ProtocolSession* session, Status* status) {
   return true;
 }
 
+/* protocol_receive_status with an explicit per-message deadline (seconds).
+   Used where a single reply may legitimately take far longer than the default
+   60 s receive window - e.g. the sender waiting for the early-delete ACK after
+   the receiver committed a large (up to MAX_SERVER_DELETE_COUNT) deletion. */
+bool protocol_receive_status_timed(ProtocolSession* session, Status* status, int timeout_sec) {
+  if (!protocol_receive_n_data_timed(session, status, sizeof(Status), timeout_sec))
+    return false;
+  log_debug_message(LOG_DEBUG_PROTO, "Received Status: %s", status_to_string(*status));
+  return true;
+}
+
 bool send_str(int fd, const char* data) {
   return protocol_send_str(legacy_session(-1, fd), data);
 }
@@ -543,3 +564,6 @@ bool send_status(int fd, Status status) {
 bool receive_status(int fd, Status* status) {
   return protocol_receive_status(legacy_session(fd, -1), status);
 }
+bool receive_status_timed(int fd, Status* status, int timeout_sec) {
+  return protocol_receive_status_timed(legacy_session(fd, -1), status, timeout_sec);
+}
diff --git a/src/shared/protocol.h b/src/shared/protocol.h
index d29d2fa..67a929f 100644
--- a/src/shared/protocol.h
+++ b/src/shared/protocol.h
@@ -112,5 +112,10 @@ bool send_int(int file_descriptor, int data);
 bool receive_int(int file_descriptor, int* data);
 bool send_status(int file_descriptor, Status status);
 bool receive_status(int file_descriptor, Status* status);
+/* receive_status with an explicit per-message deadline in seconds, instead of
+   the default RECEIVE_TIMEOUT_SEC.  A reply that may legitimately take longer
+   (e.g. the early-delete ACK after a large receiver-side deletion) must use
+   this so the sender does not abort after the deletion already committed. */
+bool receive_status_timed(int file_descriptor, Status* status, int timeout_sec);
 
 #endif