diff --git a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets.rs b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets.rs
index 13771b286..6d6a1a190 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use axum::response::IntoResponse;
 use fbuild_core::channel as mpsc;
 use fbuild_serial::{SerialClientMessage, SerialServerMessage, SerialStreamEvent};
 use futures::{SinkExt, StreamExt};
+use std::future::Future;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use tokio::sync::oneshot;
@@ -114,6 +115,40 @@ async fn cleanup_ws_serial_session(
 /// for every dead connection. See FastLED/fbuild#808.
 const WS_ATTACH_HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(10);
 
+/// Cap on the WebSocket serial attach `open_port` await. HTTP monitor and
+/// post-deploy monitor paths already bound this call at 30 s; the WebSocket
+/// attach path needs the same ceiling so a wedged USB driver cannot leave a
+/// pending serial attach counted forever. See FastLED/fbuild#977.
+const WS_SERIAL_OPEN_PORT_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(30);
+
+fn format_timeout_for_error(timeout: Duration) -> String {
+    let millis = timeout.as_millis();
+    if millis > 0 && millis < 1_000 {
+        format!("{millis}ms")
+    } else {
+        format!("{}s", timeout.as_secs())
+    }
+}
+
+async fn await_ws_serial_open_port<F>(
+    port: &str,
+    open_future: F,
+    timeout: Duration,
+) -> Result<(), String>
+where
+    F: Future<Output = fbuild_core::Result<()>>,
+{
+    match tokio::time::timeout(timeout, open_future).await {
+        Ok(Ok(())) => Ok(()),
+        Ok(Err(e)) => Err(format!("failed to open port: {}", e)),
+        Err(_) => Err(format!(
+            "open_port({}) exceeded {}; serial driver may be wedged",
+            port,
+            format_timeout_for_error(timeout)
+        )),
+    }
+}
+
 async fn handle_serial_ws(mut socket: WebSocket, ctx: Arc<DaemonContext>) {
     // Mark this attach as pending so the self-eviction loop won't shut the
     // daemon down while we're waiting for `open_port` to finish (USB
@@ -151,14 +186,20 @@ async fn handle_serial_ws(mut socket: WebSocket, ctx: Arc<DaemonContext>) {
                     attach_guard.set_target(client_id.clone(), port.clone());
                     // Open port if needed
                     if open_if_needed {
-                        if let Err(e) = ctx
-                            .serial_manager
-                            .open_port(&port, baud_rate, &client_id, None, client_metadata.clone())
-                            .await
-                        {
-                            let err_msg = SerialServerMessage::Error {
-                                message: format!("failed to open port: {}", e),
-                            };
+                        let open_result = await_ws_serial_open_port(
+                            &port,
+                            ctx.serial_manager.open_port(
+                                &port,
+                                baud_rate,
+                                &client_id,
+                                None,
+                                client_metadata.clone(),
+                            ),
+                            WS_SERIAL_OPEN_PORT_TIMEOUT,
+                        )
+                        .await;
+                        if let Err(message) = open_result {
+                            let err_msg = SerialServerMessage::Error { message };
                             let _ = socket
                                 .send(Message::Text(serialize_or_fallback(&err_msg)))
                                 .await;
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets_tests.rs b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets_tests.rs
index 20ae3b7d3..9ee6098ec 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/websockets_tests.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,78 @@ fn now_unix_returns_reasonable_value() {
     assert!(ts > 1_577_836_800.0);
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn ws_open_port_timeout_returns_error_with_deadline() {
+    let result = tokio::time::timeout(
+        std::time::Duration::from_secs(1),
+        await_ws_serial_open_port(
+            "COM_HUNG",
+            std::future::pending::<fbuild_core::Result<()>>(),
+            std::time::Duration::from_millis(10),
+        ),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("test helper should return at the injected deadline");
+
+    let message = result.expect_err("hung open_port must be reported as an error");
+    assert!(
+        message.contains("open_port(COM_HUNG) exceeded 10ms"),
+        "timeout error should name the port and deadline, got: {message}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        message.contains("serial driver may be wedged"),
+        "timeout error should explain likely serial-driver wedge, got: {message}"
+    );
+}
+
+async fn run_pending_attach_timeout_scope(ctx: std::sync::Arc<DaemonContext>) -> String {
+    let attach_guard = PendingAttachGuard::new(ctx.clone());
+    attach_guard.set_target("client-hung".to_string(), "COM_HUNG".to_string());
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        ctx.pending_serial_attaches
+            .load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed),
+        1
+    );
+    assert_eq!(ctx.pending_serial_attach_infos().len(), 1);
+
+    let message = await_ws_serial_open_port(
+        "COM_HUNG",
+        std::future::pending::<fbuild_core::Result<()>>(),
+        std::time::Duration::from_millis(10),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect_err("hung open_port must time out");
+
+    // `attach_guard` drops as this async function returns, matching the
+    // production handler's timeout/error return path.
+    message
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn ws_open_port_timeout_drops_pending_attach_guard() {
+    let (tx, _rx) = tokio::sync::watch::channel(false);
+    let ctx = std::sync::Arc::new(DaemonContext::new(8765, tx, "test".to_string()));
+
+    let message = run_pending_attach_timeout_scope(ctx.clone()).await;
+    assert!(message.contains("open_port(COM_HUNG) exceeded 10ms"));
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        ctx.pending_serial_attaches
+            .load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed),
+        0
+    );
+    assert!(
+        ctx.pending_serial_attach_infos().is_empty(),
+        "pending attach details should be removed after timeout"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        ctx.busy_reason(),
+        None,
+        "timed-out WebSocket attach must not keep the daemon busy"
+    );
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------
 // ReaderControl + writer-batching topology tests (#757).
 //