diff --git a/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.timeout.test.tsx b/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.timeout.test.tsx
index 563640b..85f2a6e 100644
--- a/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.timeout.test.tsx
+++ b/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.timeout.test.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { EditorConfigProvider } from '../state/EditorConfigContext';
 import { SaveGuardProvider, useSaveGuard } from '../state/SaveGuardContext';
 import { PageProvider } from '../state/PageContext';
 import { SiteDesignProvider } from '../state/SiteDesignContext';
-import { useWhpApi, API_TIMEOUT_MS } from './useWhpApi';
+import { useWhpApi, API_TIMEOUT_MS, PUBLISH_TIMEOUT_MS } from './useWhpApi';
 import { WhpConfig } from '../types';
 
 const whpConfig: WhpConfig = {
@@ -119,10 +119,19 @@ describe('request timeout (item 11)', () => {
     await act(async () => { void api.publish().then((r) => { res = r; }); });
     await flush();
     expect(calls('publish')).toHaveLength(1);
+    // A large site legitimately takes longer than a save: 30s is NOT a failure.
     await act(async () => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(API_TIMEOUT_MS); });
     await flush();
+    expect(res).toBe('pending');
+    await act(async () => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(PUBLISH_TIMEOUT_MS - API_TIMEOUT_MS); });
+    await flush();
     expect(res).toMatchObject({ success: false, error: 'timeout' });
-    expect(res.message).toMatch(/^Publish failed: the server did not respond/);
+    expect(res.message).toMatch(/^Publish failed: the server did not respond within 180 seconds/);
+  });
+
+  test('timeouts: save/load 30s, publish 180s', () => {
+    expect(API_TIMEOUT_MS).toBe(30_000);
+    expect(PUBLISH_TIMEOUT_MS).toBe(180_000);
   });
 
   test('a hung load rejects with a readable error', async () => {
diff --git a/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.ts b/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.ts
index 75071e3..a697b7f 100644
--- a/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.ts
+++ b/craft/src/hooks/useWhpApi.ts
@@ -263,8 +263,10 @@ export interface ApiResult {
   [key: string]: unknown;
 }
 
-/** How long save / publish / load may take before the request is abandoned. */
+/** How long save / load may take before the request is abandoned. */
 export const API_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
+/** Publish compiles and copies every page and asset: a large site legitimately takes minutes. */
+export const PUBLISH_TIMEOUT_MS = 180_000;
 
 /** A request that got no complete answer within API_TIMEOUT_MS. */
 export class ApiTimeoutError extends Error {}
@@ -527,7 +529,7 @@ export function useWhpApi() {
           },
         );
         return readApiResult(resp, 'Publish');
-      });
+      }, PUBLISH_TIMEOUT_MS);
     } catch (e) {
       if (e instanceof ApiTimeoutError) return timeoutResult(e);
       throw e;
diff --git a/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.test.tsx b/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.test.tsx
index 02db1f2..e91d488 100644
--- a/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.test.tsx
+++ b/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.test.tsx
@@ -344,6 +344,22 @@ describe('TopBar search button (#49 integration)', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('TopBar slow publish', () => {
+  test('after 30s the button reads "Still publishing..." instead of failing', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    let resolve!: (v: unknown) => void;
+    publishMock.mockImplementation(() => new Promise((r) => { resolve = r; }));
+    render();
+    await clickPublish();
+    expect(publishButton().textContent).toContain('Publishing...');
+    expect(publishButton().textContent).not.toContain('Still publishing');
+    await act(async () => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(30_000); });
+    expect(publishButton().textContent).toContain('Still publishing...');
+    await act(async () => { resolve({ success: true }); await Promise.resolve(); await Promise.resolve(); });
+    expect(publishButton().textContent).not.toContain('Still publishing');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('TopBar Preview head parity (item 14)', () => {
   const rootState = (style: Record<string, string> = {}) => JSON.stringify({
     ROOT: { type: { resolvedName: 'Container' }, isCanvas: true, props: { tag: 'div', style }, displayName: 'Container', custom: {}, hidden: false, nodes: [], linkedNodes: {} },
diff --git a/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.tsx b/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.tsx
index b8d47f3..d0f5ea6 100644
--- a/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.tsx
+++ b/craft/src/panels/topbar/TopBar.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ export const TopBar: React.FC<TopBarProps> = ({ showGuides, onToggleGuides }) =>
   const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false);
   const [saveFailed, setSaveFailed] = useState(false);
   const [publishing, setPublishing] = useState(false);
+  // A big site can take well over 30s to publish: say so instead of looking stuck.
+  const [publishSlow, setPublishSlow] = useState(false);
   const [published, setPublished] = useState(false);
   const [errorNotice, setErrorNotice] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [publishWarnings, setPublishWarnings] = useState<string[]>([]);
@@ -185,6 +187,8 @@ export const TopBar: React.FC<TopBarProps> = ({ showGuides, onToggleGuides }) =>
     const versionAtStart = getVersion();
     publishingRef.current = true;
     setPublishing(true);
+    setPublishSlow(false);
+    const slowTimer = setTimeout(() => setPublishSlow(true), 30_000);
     setPublishWarnings([]);
     try {
       const result = await publish();
@@ -217,8 +221,10 @@ export const TopBar: React.FC<TopBarProps> = ({ showGuides, onToggleGuides }) =>
       console.error('Publish failed:', e);
       setErrorNotice(messageOf(e, 'Publish'));
     } finally {
+      clearTimeout(slowTimer);
       publishingRef.current = false;
       setPublishing(false);
+      setPublishSlow(false);
     }
   }, [publish, canSave, getVersion, setEmptyRefusal, pendingChecks, computeChecks]);
 
@@ -593,7 +599,7 @@ export const TopBar: React.FC<TopBarProps> = ({ showGuides, onToggleGuides }) =>
             aria-label="Publish to live site"
           >
             {publishing ? (
-              <><i className="fa fa-spinner fa-spin" /> Publishing...</>
+              <><i className="fa fa-spinner fa-spin" /> {publishSlow ? 'Still publishing...' : 'Publishing...'}</>
             ) : (
               <><i className="fa fa-globe" /> Publish</>
             )}