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# Configure Inference Timeouts

> Configure NemoClaw inference request, provider-validation, and sandbox-readiness timeouts.

NemoClaw uses separate time budgets for agent requests, local provider validation, and sandbox readiness.
Change the budget that matches the phase that times out.

## Choose the Timeout

Use the error location to select the correct setting.

| Setting                            | Applies to                                                              | Default       |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| `NEMOCLAW_AGENT_TIMEOUT`           | OpenClaw per-request inference                                          | `600` seconds |
| `NEMOCLAW_LOCAL_INFERENCE_TIMEOUT` | Ollama, vLLM, NIM, and compatible-endpoint validation during onboarding | `180` seconds |
| `NEMOCLAW_SANDBOX_READY_TIMEOUT`   | Image build, gateway upload, and in-sandbox boot after sandbox creation | `180` seconds |

The readiness timeout does not govern inference requests or provider validation.

## Increase the OpenClaw Request Timeout

Increase `NEMOCLAW_AGENT_TIMEOUT` for a slow model server, such as CPU-only local inference or modest vLLM hardware.
NemoClaw writes this value to `agents.defaults.timeoutSeconds` during onboarding.

```bash
export NEMOCLAW_AGENT_TIMEOUT=1800
nemoclaw onboard
```

This setting is baked into the sandbox image.
Recreate an existing sandbox to apply a new value.

## Increase the Local Validation Timeout

Raise `NEMOCLAW_LOCAL_INFERENCE_TIMEOUT` when the inference-server validation probe needs more than 180 seconds.
Large prompts, cold local model loads, and slower hardware can require a larger budget.

```bash
export NEMOCLAW_LOCAL_INFERENCE_TIMEOUT=300
nemoclaw onboard
```

Local Ollama setup treats host-side curl timeouts as retryable probe failures and retries with a larger timeout before reporting validation failure.
This variable does not extend the later sandbox-readiness wait.

## Increase the Sandbox Readiness Timeout

Raise `NEMOCLAW_SANDBOX_READY_TIMEOUT` when onboarding creates the sandbox but image build, upload, or boot exceeds 180 seconds.
This can occur during a first run with cold caches or on a remote VM over a slow link.

```bash
export NEMOCLAW_SANDBOX_READY_TIMEOUT=600
nemoclaw onboard
```

Raise both onboarding budgets when the provider probe and the later sandbox creation phase are slow.

```bash
export NEMOCLAW_LOCAL_INFERENCE_TIMEOUT=300
export NEMOCLAW_SANDBOX_READY_TIMEOUT=600
nemoclaw onboard
```

## Apply Build-Time Changes

Recreate an existing sandbox when you change a timeout that NemoClaw bakes into its image.

```bash
nemoclaw onboard --fresh --name <sandbox-name> --recreate-sandbox
```

## Related Topics

* [Configure Model Limits](configure-model-limits) for context-window and output-token settings.
* [Verify the Sandbox Inference Route](../validate-inference/verify-inference-route) after onboarding completes.