diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/docker-build-base.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/docker-build-base.yaml
index c632a02..a92894c 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/docker-build-base.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/docker-build-base.yaml
@@ -344,10 +344,28 @@ jobs:
 
           export DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1
 
-          docker build -f Dockerfile.cicd-base \
+          BUILD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=5400
+          BUILD_START_EPOCH=$(date +%s)
+          echo "docker_build_timeout_seconds=${BUILD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS}"
+          echo "docker_build_started_utc=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
+
+          timeout "${BUILD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS}" docker build --progress=plain -f Dockerfile.cicd-base \
             --build-arg BASE_IMAGE_VERSION="v1.0.0-${BASE_HASH}" \
             --build-arg BASE_IMAGE_HASH="${BASE_HASH}" \
             -t cicd-base:latest .
+          BUILD_EXIT_CODE=$?
+          if [ "${BUILD_EXIT_CODE}" -ne 0 ]; then
+            if [ "${BUILD_EXIT_CODE}" -eq 124 ]; then
+              echo "❌ docker build timed out after ${BUILD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS}s"
+            else
+              echo "❌ docker build failed with exit code ${BUILD_EXIT_CODE}"
+            fi
+            exit "${BUILD_EXIT_CODE}"
+          fi
+
+          BUILD_END_EPOCH=$(date +%s)
+          BUILD_ELAPSED=$((BUILD_END_EPOCH - BUILD_START_EPOCH))
+          echo "docker_build_elapsed_seconds=${BUILD_ELAPSED}"
 
           ARCHIVE_PATH="/tmp/cicd-base.tar"
           source /tmp/registry-push-helpers.sh
diff --git a/Dockerfile.cicd-base b/Dockerfile.cicd-base
index 2ac146b..05ef821 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.cicd-base
+++ b/Dockerfile.cicd-base
@@ -131,14 +131,39 @@ RUN echo "=== Installing Global Development Tools ===" && \
     which prettier && \
     echo "✓ Global Node.js development tools installed via npm"
 
-# Install Playwright browsers for E2E testing
-# This downloads ~400MB+ of browser binaries that will be cached
-RUN echo "=== Installing Playwright Browsers ===" && \
-    # Verify Playwright CLI is available
-    playwright --version && \
-    # Only install chromium — CI playwright.config.ts only uses chromium
-    playwright install --with-deps chromium && \
-    echo "✓ Playwright browsers installed and cached in base image"
+# Install Playwright browser runtime in bounded, retryable phases.
+# Splitting deps/browser install gives better logs and avoids long silent hangs.
+RUN set -eu && \
+        echo "=== Installing Playwright Browsers ===" && \
+        playwright --version && \
+        deps_ok=0 && \
+        for i in 1 2 3; do \
+            echo "Attempt $i: playwright system dependencies"; \
+            if timeout 900 playwright install-deps chromium; then \
+                deps_ok=1; \
+                break; \
+            fi; \
+            if [ "$i" -lt 3 ]; then \
+                echo "Attempt $i failed for install-deps, retrying in 15s"; \
+                sleep 15; \
+            fi; \
+        done && \
+        [ "$deps_ok" -eq 1 ] || (echo "❌ playwright install-deps failed after 3 attempts" && exit 1) && \
+        browser_ok=0 && \
+        for i in 1 2 3; do \
+            echo "Attempt $i: playwright chromium browser"; \
+            if timeout 1200 playwright install chromium; then \
+                browser_ok=1; \
+                break; \
+            fi; \
+            if [ "$i" -lt 3 ]; then \
+                echo "Attempt $i failed for browser install, retrying in 20s"; \
+                sleep 20; \
+            fi; \
+        done && \
+        [ "$browser_ok" -eq 1 ] || (echo "❌ playwright browser install failed after 3 attempts" && exit 1) && \
+        playwright install --list && \
+        echo "✓ Playwright browsers installed and cached in base image"
 
 # Pre-install common Python development dependencies globally
 # These are stable tools that rarely change and take time to compile