diff --git a/packages/state-machine/src/machine.ts b/packages/state-machine/src/machine.ts
index 02e31e9..5f0919a 100644
--- a/packages/state-machine/src/machine.ts
+++ b/packages/state-machine/src/machine.ts
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@ export function createATMMachine(
     delays: {
       TIMEOUT_MS: 300000, // 5 minutes
       COMPLETE_DELAY: 60000,
+      DISPENSE_TIMEOUT: 120000, // 2 min max for hardware to respond
       DISPENSE_ERROR_TIMEOUT: 30000, // 30s like brain.js _timedState
     },
   }).createMachine({
@@ -654,6 +655,16 @@ export function createATMMachine(
             },
           },
           dispensingCash: {
+            // Safety timeout: if dispenseCash promise hangs (hardware jam,
+            // serial port freeze), don't stay here forever.
+            after: {
+              DISPENSE_TIMEOUT: {
+                target: 'dispenseError',
+                actions: assign({
+                  error: () => 'Dispense timed out — hardware may be jammed',
+                }),
+              },
+            },
             invoke: {
               src: 'dispenseCash',
               input: ({ context }) => context.dispenseAmounts,