diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 609a8a7..830ef1c 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ PORT=8787
 
 DEFAULT_BASE_BRANCH=main
 MAX_INLINE_COMMENTS=5
-REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS=120000
+REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS=600000
 DEDUPE_TTL_SECONDS=1800
 LOG_LEVEL=info
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7216cc2..502e0fe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ Optional:
 
 - `DEFAULT_BASE_BRANCH` (default: `main`)
 - `MAX_INLINE_COMMENTS` (default: `5`)
-- `REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS` (default: `120000`)
+- `REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS` (default: `600000`, 10 minutes)
 - `DEDUPE_TTL_SECONDS` (default: `1800`)
 - `LOG_LEVEL` (default: `info`; options: `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`)
 
diff --git a/src/config/env.ts b/src/config/env.ts
index 24e3312..d4d8dec 100644
--- a/src/config/env.ts
+++ b/src/config/env.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const envSchema = z.object({
   PORT: z.coerce.number().int().positive().default(8787),
   DEFAULT_BASE_BRANCH: z.string().default("main"),
   MAX_INLINE_COMMENTS: z.coerce.number().int().positive().default(5),
-  REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS: z.coerce.number().int().positive().default(120000),
+  REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS: z.coerce.number().int().positive().default(600000),
   DEDUPE_TTL_SECONDS: z.coerce.number().int().positive().default(1800)
 });
 
diff --git a/src/gitea/client.ts b/src/gitea/client.ts
index 9ffb72d..1ba7f8f 100644
--- a/src/gitea/client.ts
+++ b/src/gitea/client.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,24 @@ export class GiteaClient {
     });
   }
 
+  async createIssueComment(
+    owner: string,
+    repo: string,
+    issueIndex: number,
+    body: string
+  ): Promise<{ id: number }> {
+    return this.requestJson(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${issueIndex}/comments`, {
+      method: "POST",
+      body: { body }
+    });
+  }
+
+  async deleteIssueComment(owner: string, repo: string, commentId: number): Promise<void> {
+    await this.requestJson(`/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/comments/${commentId}`, {
+      method: "DELETE"
+    });
+  }
+
   async getFileIfExists(owner: string, repo: string, path: string, ref: string): Promise<string | null> {
     const encodedPath = path
       .split("/")
diff --git a/src/gitea/comments-api.ts b/src/gitea/comments-api.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f471a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gitea/comments-api.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { GiteaClient } from "./client.js";
+
+export const PROGRESS_COMMENT_MARKER = "<!-- gitea-pr-review-bot-progress -->";
+
+export const PROGRESS_COMMENT_BODY =
+  `${PROGRESS_COMMENT_MARKER}\n\n` +
+  "🤖 **PR review in progress…** This comment will be removed when the review is ready.";
+
+export async function postProgressComment(input: {
+  gitea: GiteaClient;
+  owner: string;
+  repo: string;
+  prNumber: number;
+}): Promise<number> {
+  const comment = await input.gitea.createIssueComment(
+    input.owner,
+    input.repo,
+    input.prNumber,
+    PROGRESS_COMMENT_BODY
+  );
+  return comment.id;
+}
+
+export async function deleteProgressComment(input: {
+  gitea: GiteaClient;
+  owner: string;
+  repo: string;
+  commentId: number;
+}): Promise<void> {
+  await input.gitea.deleteIssueComment(input.owner, input.repo, input.commentId);
+}
diff --git a/src/run/review-runner.ts b/src/run/review-runner.ts
index f0ec4fc..d0176f5 100644
--- a/src/run/review-runner.ts
+++ b/src/run/review-runner.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { runCursorReview } from "../cursor/review-agent.js";
 import { DedupeStore } from "../domain/dedupe-store.js";
 import { shouldProcessEvent } from "../domain/should-process-event.js";
 import { GiteaClient } from "../gitea/client.js";
+import { deleteProgressComment, postProgressComment } from "../gitea/comments-api.js";
 import { deletePriorBotReviews, postReview } from "../gitea/review-api.js";
 import { removeBotFromReviewers } from "../gitea/reviewer-api.js";
 import { buildReviewPrompt } from "../prompt/build-review-prompt.js";
@@ -113,93 +114,134 @@ async function executeReview(params: {
     return "skipped";
   }
 
-  const files = await retry({
-    fn: () => gitea.getPullFiles(owner, repo, prNumber),
-    retries: 2,
-    initialDelayMs: 300,
-    operationName: "getPullFiles",
-    correlationId: input.correlationId
-  });
-  const maxInlineComments = repoConfig.max_inline_comments ?? input.env.MAX_INLINE_COMMENTS;
-  const prompt = buildReviewPrompt({
-    owner,
-    repo,
-    pull,
-    files,
-    maxInlineComments,
-    repoRuleFiles: ruleFiles
-  });
-  const review = await retry({
-    fn: () =>
-      runCursorReview({
-        apiKey: input.env.CURSOR_API_KEY,
-        prompt,
-        timeoutMs: input.env.REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS,
-        model: repoConfig.model,
-        correlationId: input.correlationId
-      }),
-    retries: 2,
-    initialDelayMs: 500,
-    operationName: "runCursorReview",
-    correlationId: input.correlationId
-  });
+  let progressCommentId: number | undefined;
+  try {
+    try {
+      progressCommentId = await postProgressComment({ gitea, owner, repo, prNumber });
+      log("info", "Posted progress comment on PR", {
+        correlation_id: input.correlationId,
+        pr_number: prNumber,
+        comment_id: progressCommentId
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      log("warn", "Failed to post progress comment on PR", {
+        correlation_id: input.correlationId,
+        pr_number: prNumber,
+        error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+      });
+    }
 
-  await retry({
-    fn: () =>
-      deletePriorBotReviews({
-        gitea,
-        owner,
-        repo,
-        prNumber,
-        botLogin: input.env.GITEA_BOT_LOGIN
-      }),
-    retries: 2,
-    initialDelayMs: 300,
-    operationName: "deletePriorBotReviews",
-    correlationId: input.correlationId
-  });
+    const files = await retry({
+      fn: () => gitea.getPullFiles(owner, repo, prNumber),
+      retries: 2,
+      initialDelayMs: 300,
+      operationName: "getPullFiles",
+      correlationId: input.correlationId
+    });
+    const maxInlineComments = repoConfig.max_inline_comments ?? input.env.MAX_INLINE_COMMENTS;
+    const prompt = buildReviewPrompt({
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      pull,
+      files,
+      maxInlineComments,
+      repoRuleFiles: ruleFiles
+    });
+    const review = await retry({
+      fn: () =>
+        runCursorReview({
+          apiKey: input.env.CURSOR_API_KEY,
+          prompt,
+          timeoutMs: input.env.REVIEW_TIMEOUT_MS,
+          model: repoConfig.model,
+          correlationId: input.correlationId
+        }),
+      retries: 1,
+      initialDelayMs: 500,
+      operationName: "runCursorReview",
+      correlationId: input.correlationId,
+      shouldRetry: (error) => !isTimeoutError(error)
+    });
 
-  await retry({
-    fn: () =>
-      postReview({
-        gitea,
-        owner,
-        repo,
-        prNumber,
-        files,
-        review,
-        maxInlineComments
-      }),
-    retries: 2,
-    initialDelayMs: 300,
-    operationName: "postReview",
-    correlationId: input.correlationId
-  });
+    await retry({
+      fn: () =>
+        deletePriorBotReviews({
+          gitea,
+          owner,
+          repo,
+          prNumber,
+          botLogin: input.env.GITEA_BOT_LOGIN
+        }),
+      retries: 2,
+      initialDelayMs: 300,
+      operationName: "deletePriorBotReviews",
+      correlationId: input.correlationId
+    });
 
-  await retry({
-    fn: () =>
-      removeBotFromReviewers({
-        gitea,
-        owner,
-        repo,
-        prNumber,
-        botLogin: input.env.GITEA_BOT_LOGIN
-      }),
-    retries: 2,
-    initialDelayMs: 300,
-    operationName: "removeBotFromReviewers",
-    correlationId: input.correlationId
-  });
+    await retry({
+      fn: () =>
+        postReview({
+          gitea,
+          owner,
+          repo,
+          prNumber,
+          files,
+          review,
+          maxInlineComments
+        }),
+      retries: 2,
+      initialDelayMs: 300,
+      operationName: "postReview",
+      correlationId: input.correlationId
+    });
 
-  input.dedupe.complete(dedupeKey);
+    await retry({
+      fn: () =>
+        removeBotFromReviewers({
+          gitea,
+          owner,
+          repo,
+          prNumber,
+          botLogin: input.env.GITEA_BOT_LOGIN
+        }),
+      retries: 2,
+      initialDelayMs: 300,
+      operationName: "removeBotFromReviewers",
+      correlationId: input.correlationId
+    });
 
-  log("info", "Review completed", {
-    correlation_id: input.correlationId,
-    owner,
-    repo,
-    pr_number: prNumber,
-    head_sha: headSha,
-    outcome: "success"
-  });
-  return "success";
+    input.dedupe.complete(dedupeKey);
+
+    log("info", "Review completed", {
+      correlation_id: input.correlationId,
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      pr_number: prNumber,
+      head_sha: headSha,
+      outcome: "success"
+    });
+    return "success";
+  } finally {
+    if (progressCommentId !== undefined) {
+      try {
+        await deleteProgressComment({ gitea, owner, repo, commentId: progressCommentId });
+        log("info", "Removed progress comment from PR", {
+          correlation_id: input.correlationId,
+          pr_number: prNumber,
+          comment_id: progressCommentId
+        });
+      } catch (error) {
+        log("warn", "Failed to remove progress comment from PR", {
+          correlation_id: input.correlationId,
+          pr_number: prNumber,
+          comment_id: progressCommentId,
+          error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function isTimeoutError(error: unknown): boolean {
+  return error instanceof Error && error.message.toLowerCase().includes("timed out");
 }