diff --git a/src/apps/operator-dashboard.mjs b/src/apps/operator-dashboard.mjs
index 0d09d5c..14fdefd 100644
--- a/src/apps/operator-dashboard.mjs
+++ b/src/apps/operator-dashboard.mjs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   createDashboardLiveState,
   listDashboardServices,
   resolveDashboardControl,
+  resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs,
 } from '../core/operator-dashboard.mjs';
 import {
   buildDashboardAuthChallengeHeader,
@@ -524,7 +525,7 @@ async function invokeControl(control, body) {
         'content-type': 'application/json',
       },
       body: JSON.stringify(body || {}),
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(config.operatorDashboardUpstreamTimeoutMs),
+      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs({ control, config })),
     },
   );
 
diff --git a/src/core/operator-dashboard.mjs b/src/core/operator-dashboard.mjs
index 54785fd..7570c7d 100644
--- a/src/core/operator-dashboard.mjs
+++ b/src/core/operator-dashboard.mjs
@@ -260,6 +260,27 @@ export function buildDashboardControlErrorResponse(error, { control = null } = {
   };
 }
 
+export function resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs({ control, config } = {}) {
+  const baseTimeoutMs = Number(config?.operatorDashboardUpstreamTimeoutMs || 3_000);
+  if (control?.service !== 'trade-executor') return baseTimeoutMs;
+
+  if (control.action === 'intent-request-preflight') {
+    return Math.max(baseTimeoutMs, Number(config?.intentRequestQuoteTimeoutMs || 10_000) + 2_000);
+  }
+  if (control.action === 'intent-request-submit') {
+    return Math.max(
+      baseTimeoutMs,
+      Number(config?.intentRequestPublishTimeoutMs || 10_000)
+        + Number(config?.intentRequestStatusTimeoutMs || 10_000)
+        + 5_000,
+    );
+  }
+  if (control.action === 'intent-request-refresh-outcomes') {
+    return Math.max(baseTimeoutMs, Number(config?.intentRequestStatusTimeoutMs || 10_000) + 5_000);
+  }
+  return baseTimeoutMs;
+}
+
 export function listDashboardServices(config) {
   return SERVICE_DEFINITIONS.map(([service, label, configKey]) => ({
     service,
diff --git a/src/lib/postgres.mjs b/src/lib/postgres.mjs
index 21211ab..69f68e2 100644
--- a/src/lib/postgres.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/postgres.mjs
@@ -1363,6 +1363,8 @@ function humanizeIntentRequestReason(reason) {
       'Relay reported the intent as not found or not valid.',
     relay_settled_without_expected_inventory_delta:
       'Relay reports settlement, but durable inventory does not show the expected EURe decrease and BTC increase.',
+    solver_quote_unanswered:
+      'The relay returned no solver quotes for this request.',
   };
   return labels[normalized] || normalized.replaceAll('_', ' ');
 }
diff --git a/test/operator-dashboard.test.mjs b/test/operator-dashboard.test.mjs
index 9f986e9..2dcd9e3 100644
--- a/test/operator-dashboard.test.mjs
+++ b/test/operator-dashboard.test.mjs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   createDashboardLiveState,
   deriveQuoteLifecycleRows,
   resolveDashboardControl,
+  resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs,
 } from '../src/core/operator-dashboard.mjs';
 import {
   buildDashboardSessionToken,
@@ -105,6 +106,31 @@ test('profitability summary flags cash-flow-adjusted benchmarks after later fund
   assert.match(summary.caveats[0], /external cash flows/);
 });
 
+test('request creation controls get enough upstream time for relay quote and status waits', () => {
+  const preflight = resolveDashboardControl({
+    service: 'trade-executor',
+    action: 'intent-request-preflight',
+  });
+  const submit = resolveDashboardControl({
+    service: 'trade-executor',
+    action: 'intent-request-submit',
+  });
+  const refresh = resolveDashboardControl({
+    service: 'inventory-sync',
+    action: 'refresh',
+  });
+  const config = {
+    operatorDashboardUpstreamTimeoutMs: 3000,
+    intentRequestQuoteTimeoutMs: 10000,
+    intentRequestPublishTimeoutMs: 10000,
+    intentRequestStatusTimeoutMs: 10000,
+  };
+
+  assert.equal(resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs({ control: preflight, config }), 12000);
+  assert.equal(resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs({ control: submit, config }), 25000);
+  assert.equal(resolveDashboardControlTimeoutMs({ control: refresh, config }), 3000);
+});
+
 test('dashboard control errors become structured responses instead of uncaught failures', () => {
   const control = resolveDashboardControl({
     service: 'trade-executor',
diff --git a/test/postgres-intent-requests.test.mjs b/test/postgres-intent-requests.test.mjs
index 6b4f586..1c8f90e 100644
--- a/test/postgres-intent-requests.test.mjs
+++ b/test/postgres-intent-requests.test.mjs
@@ -115,3 +115,40 @@ test('intent request status refresh loader normalizes accepted relay submissions
   assert.equal(row.submitted_at, '2026-04-12T16:45:43.133Z');
   assert.equal(row.status_checked_at, '2026-04-12T16:45:44.000Z');
 });
+
+
+test('intent request normalization explains unanswered solver quotes in plain terms', () => {
+  const row = normalizeIntentRequestRow({
+    preflight_observed_at: '2026-04-12T17:20:19.476Z',
+    preflight_ingested_at: '2026-04-12T17:20:19.476Z',
+    preflight_payload: {
+      request_id: 'request-unanswered',
+      idempotency_key: 'intent-request:request-unanswered',
+      state: 'blocked',
+      reason_code: 'solver_quote_unanswered',
+      reason_text: 'The relay returned no solver quotes for this request.',
+      source_asset_id: 'nep141:eure.omft.near',
+      source_symbol: 'EURe',
+      source_decimals: 18,
+      destination_asset_id: 'nep141:btc.omft.near',
+      destination_symbol: 'BTC',
+      destination_decimals: 8,
+      source_amount_units: '5000000000000000000',
+      min_destination_amount_units: '8090',
+      solver_quote_count: 0,
+      created_at: '2026-04-12T17:20:19.476Z',
+    },
+    outcome_payload: {
+      request_id: 'request-unanswered',
+      outcome_status: 'blocked',
+      outcome_reason: 'solver_quote_unanswered',
+      attribution_status: 'unattributed',
+      attributed_inventory_delta: null,
+    },
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(row.state, 'blocked');
+  assert.equal(row.reason_code, 'solver_quote_unanswered');
+  assert.equal(row.reason_text, 'The relay returned no solver quotes for this request.');
+  assert.equal(row.live_submit_capable, false);
+});