diff --git a/src/cmdforge/cli/__init__.py b/src/cmdforge/cli/__init__.py
index 545fbd8..316546e 100644
--- a/src/cmdforge/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/src/cmdforge/cli/__init__.py
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ def main():
     p_run_once.add_argument("--data-classification", choices=["public", "internal", "private"])
     p_run_once.add_argument("--require-model-identity", action="store_true")
     p_run_once.add_argument("--require-model-digest", action="store_true")
-    p_run_once.add_argument("--provider-timeout", type=int, help="Seconds each AI provider call may take")
     p_run_once.add_argument("--result-envelope", choices=["json"])
     p_run_once.set_defaults(func=cmd_run_once)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index d440cb9..9281d9f 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -216,6 +216,20 @@ class TestRunOnceCommand:
 
         assert call_provider.call_args.args[1] == "Summarize this\n\ndocument body"
 
+    def test_timeout_reaches_provider_call(self):
+        result = SimpleNamespace(success=True, text="ok", error=None)
+        with (
+            patch('sys.argv', [
+                'cmdforge', 'run-once', 'hello', '--provider', 'mock',
+                '--timeout', '145',
+            ]),
+            patch('sys.stdin', StringIO()),
+            patch('cmdforge.providers.call_provider', return_value=result) as call_provider,
+        ):
+            assert main() == 0
+
+        assert call_provider.call_args.kwargs["timeout"] == 145
+
     def test_uses_configured_default_provider(self):
         result = SimpleNamespace(success=True, text="ok", error=None)
         config = SimpleNamespace(default_provider="configured-provider")
@@ -294,6 +308,42 @@ class TestRunOnceCommand:
         assert call["fallback_used"] is False
 
 
+class TestRunCommand:
+    def test_provider_timeout_reaches_prompt_step_provider_call(self):
+        from cmdforge.providers import ProviderResult
+
+        tool = Tool(
+            name="timeout-tool",
+            steps=[PromptStep(
+                prompt="Process {input}",
+                provider="mock",
+                output_var="result",
+                plain_text=True,
+                timeout=900,
+            )],
+            output="{result}",
+        )
+        stdin = MagicMock()
+        stdin.isatty.return_value = True
+        with (
+            patch('sys.argv', [
+                'cmdforge', 'run', 'timeout-tool', '--provider-timeout', '145',
+            ]),
+            patch('sys.stdin', stdin),
+            patch(
+                'cmdforge.cli.tool_commands._resolve_existing_tool',
+                return_value=tool,
+            ),
+            patch(
+                'cmdforge.runner.call_provider',
+                return_value=ProviderResult(text="ok", success=True),
+            ) as call_provider,
+        ):
+            assert main() == 0
+
+        assert call_provider.call_args.kwargs["timeout"] == 145
+
+
 class TestCreateCommand:
     """Tests for 'cmdforge create' command."""