diff --git a/bin/nexus_window.py b/bin/nexus_window.py
index aab5396..9769549 100644
--- a/bin/nexus_window.py
+++ b/bin/nexus_window.py
@@ -60,7 +60,11 @@ def _wait_for_backend(timeout: float = 40.0) -> bool:
     deadline = time.time() + timeout
     while time.time() < deadline:
         try:
-            with urllib.request.urlopen(status_url, timeout=2) as r:
+            # 5s, not 2: /status probes Ollama, and a wedged Ollama made it
+            # slower than a 2s ceiling - the backend was up and answering 200
+            # while this loop timed out on every attempt and declared it dead.
+            # The server side is fixed too; this is the margin.
+            with urllib.request.urlopen(status_url, timeout=5) as r:
                 if r.status == 200:
                     return True
         except Exception:
diff --git a/synapse/main.py b/synapse/main.py
index 2209e62..7e714ce 100644
--- a/synapse/main.py
+++ b/synapse/main.py
@@ -211,7 +211,12 @@ async def startup_event():
 @app.get("/status")
 async def root():
     try:
-        status = ollama.get_status() if (ollama is not None and hasattr(ollama, "get_status")) else None
+        # to_thread, not a direct call: get_status() does blocking IO (an httpx
+        # request and, once, a subprocess). Awaiting it inline stalled the whole
+        # event loop on every poll - and the UI polls /status continuously, so
+        # the server froze in lockstep with its own health check.
+        status = (await _asyncio.to_thread(ollama.get_status)
+                  if (ollama is not None and hasattr(ollama, "get_status")) else None)
     except Exception:
         status = None
     return {"status": "online", "version": VERSION, "ollama": status}