diff --git a/db/schema.sql b/db/schema.sql
index 2df3959..bfb8d79 100644
--- a/db/schema.sql
+++ b/db/schema.sql
@@ -554,6 +554,10 @@ ALTER TABLE tasks ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS coverage_enabled BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEF
 -- exploration that already owns goals/history.
 ALTER TABLE tasks ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS queued_at TIMESTAMPTZ;
 ALTER TABLE tasks ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS queue_mode TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '';
+-- Pause freeze for the task timeout budget: stamped when a task is paused; on
+-- admission out of the paused state deadline_at is shifted forward by the paused
+-- interval (now() - paused_at) so pause time does not consume the timeout (#1).
+ALTER TABLE tasks ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS paused_at TIMESTAMPTZ;
 -- Optional task name; backfills old databases. Empty string=unnamed; the frontend falls back to the description.
 ALTER TABLE tasks ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS name TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '';
 ALTER TABLE tasks ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS category_id BIGINT REFERENCES task_categories(id) ON DELETE SET NULL;
diff --git a/db/tasks.go b/db/tasks.go
index f235578..d84c315 100644
--- a/db/tasks.go
+++ b/db/tasks.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ type Task struct {
 	// Task-level timeout (see the task-level timeout and wrap-up design doc).
 	TimeoutSeconds int        `json:"timeout_seconds"`        // 0=no time limit
 	FirstRunAt     *time.Time `json:"first_run_at,omitempty"` // when it first actually started running (not created_at); nil=not yet run
-	DeadlineAt     *time.Time `json:"deadline_at,omitempty"`  // = first_run_at + timeout_seconds; nil=unlimited or not yet run
+	DeadlineAt     *time.Time `json:"deadline_at,omitempty"`  // = first_run_at + timeout_seconds, shifted forward by paused intervals on resume; nil=unlimited or not yet run
 	// planner heartbeat trigger interval (seconds): when this much time has passed since the
 	// last plan round ended / the task started, with no trigger in between → trigger a round.
 	// Floor = default = 300 (5min); anything lower is raised to 300 (normalized in CreateTask). See docs/planner-trigger-impl-plan.md
diff --git a/server/manager.go b/server/manager.go
index 414837f..c28b4a0 100644
--- a/server/manager.go
+++ b/server/manager.go
@@ -1187,8 +1187,12 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyTaskAdmission(id, expectedStatus, status string, queued b
 	    END,
 	    deadline_at=CASE
 	        WHEN $6='timeout' AND $2 NOT IN ('done','failed','timeout') THEN NULL
+	        -- Leaving the paused state: credit the paused interval back onto the
+	        -- deadline so the timeout budget only counts running time (#1).
+	        WHEN paused_at IS NOT NULL AND deadline_at IS NOT NULL THEN deadline_at + (now() - paused_at)
 	        ELSE deadline_at
-	    END
+	    END,
+	    paused_at=NULL
 	WHERE id=$1 AND deleted_at IS NULL AND status=$6
 	RETURNING queued_at, queue_mode, completed_at, first_run_at, deadline_at`, n, status, queued, mode, preservePosition, expectedStatus).
 		Scan(&queuedAt, &committedMode, &completedAt, &firstRunAt, &deadlineAt)
@@ -1229,7 +1233,9 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyTaskAdmission(id, expectedStatus, status string, queued b
 }
 
 // ApplyTaskPause atomically removes a task from the admission queue and records
-// the user pause. queue_mode is intentionally retained so resuming a never-run
+// the user pause. paused_at is stamped so the admission that follows can credit
+// the paused interval back onto deadline_at — the timeout budget must not burn
+// while the task is parked (#1). queue_mode is intentionally retained so resuming a never-run
 // bootstrap task still performs goal decomposition, but the next enqueue receives
 // a new queued_at timestamp and therefore moves to the FIFO tail.
 func (m *Manager) ApplyTaskPause(id string) error {
@@ -1241,7 +1247,7 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyTaskPause(id string) error {
 	}
 	var mode string
 	err = m.pg.QueryRow(`UPDATE tasks
-		SET paused=true, queued=false, queued_at=NULL
+		SET paused=true, queued=false, queued_at=NULL, paused_at=now()
 		WHERE id=$1 AND deleted_at IS NULL AND paused=false
 		  AND status NOT IN ('done','failed','timeout')
 		RETURNING COALESCE(queue_mode,'')`, n).Scan(&mode)
diff --git a/server/task_pause_deadline_test.go b/server/task_pause_deadline_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de1b056
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/task_pause_deadline_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Pausing a task must freeze its wall-clock timeout budget: the admission that
+// ends the pause credits the paused interval back onto deadline_at, so a task
+// paused overnight (or while the machine is off) resumes with its remaining
+// time instead of immediately settling into the timeout terminal state (#1).
+func TestPauseShiftsTaskDeadlineOnResume(t *testing.T) {
+	s, _, _ := trafficEvidenceServer(t)
+	m := s.m
+	pg := s.m.pg
+
+	task, err := m.CreateTask("pause deadline test", "verify the deadline is frozen while paused", nil, 3600, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	id, err := strconv.ParseInt(task.ID, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { pg.Exec(`DELETE FROM tasks WHERE id=$1`, id) })
+
+	// A running task with a stamped deadline (first_run_at + 1h budget).
+	if _, err := m.StampTaskFirstRun(task.ID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := pg.Exec(`UPDATE tasks SET status='running' WHERE id=$1`, id); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var before time.Time
+	if err := pg.QueryRow(`SELECT deadline_at FROM tasks WHERE id=$1`, id).Scan(&before); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Pause stamps paused_at alongside the user pause.
+	if err := m.ApplyTaskPause(task.ID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var pausedAt sql.NullTime
+	if err := pg.QueryRow(`SELECT paused_at FROM tasks WHERE id=$1`, id).Scan(&pausedAt); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !pausedAt.Valid || pausedAt.Time.After(time.Now()) {
+		t.Fatalf("pause should stamp paused_at at the current time, got %v", pausedAt.Time)
+	}
+
+	// Keep the task parked long enough for the credited interval to be measurable.
+	const paused = 1100 * time.Millisecond
+	time.Sleep(paused)
+
+	// Admission out of the paused state (a paused task keeps its lifecycle status).
+	if err := m.ApplyTaskAdmission(task.ID, "running", "running", false, "resume", false); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	var after time.Time
+	var cleared sql.NullTime
+	if err := pg.QueryRow(`SELECT deadline_at, paused_at FROM tasks WHERE id=$1`, id).Scan(&after, &cleared); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if shifted := after.Sub(before); shifted < paused-100*time.Millisecond {
+		t.Fatalf("resume should credit the paused interval onto the deadline, got shift=%v (paused=%v)", shifted, paused)
+	}
+	if cleared.Valid {
+		t.Fatalf("admission should clear paused_at, got %v", cleared.Time)
+	}
+	// The live handle must mirror the shifted deadline (the engine clock context
+	// is built from it).
+	if got := task.lifecycleSnapshot().DeadlineAt; got != after.Unix() {
+		t.Fatalf("live handle deadline = %d, want the shifted %d", got, after.Unix())
+	}
+}