diff --git a/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs b/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs
index 01224d15..9c1a3702 100644
--- a/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export function queueReader({ root, env = process.env, timeoutMs = 30000, maxByt
     const out = [], err = [];
     let size = 0, settled = false;
     const done = (fn, value) => { if (!settled) { settled = true; clearTimeout(timer); fn(value); } };
-    const timer = setTimeout(() => { child.kill('SIGKILL'); done(reject, new ReadError('read-failed', 'the queue read did not finish in time')); }, timeoutMs);
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => { child.kill('SIGKILL'); done(reject, new ReadError('read-failed', 'the queue read did not finish in time')); }, timeoutMs * 1000);
     child.stdout.on('data', chunk => {
       size += chunk.length;
       if (size > maxBytes) { child.kill('SIGKILL'); return done(reject, new ReadError('invalid-response', 'the queue read printed too much')); }