diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/file/watcher.ts b/packages/opencode/src/file/watcher.ts
index 80e524349af..ef2d00ab683 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/file/watcher.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/file/watcher.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,40 @@ export namespace FileWatcher {
     return createWrapper(binding) as typeof import("@parcel/watcher")
   })
 
+  // WORKAROUND: Timeout for watcher subscribe - hangs indefinitely on x86 emulation via Rosetta (parcel-bundler/watcher#159)
+  // On timeout: no auto-detection of branch switches or external file changes
+  const SUBSCRIBE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000
+
+  async function subscribeWithTimeout(
+    dir: string,
+    callback: ParcelWatcher.SubscribeCallback,
+    options: Parameters<typeof ParcelWatcher.subscribe>[2],
+  ): Promise<ParcelWatcher.AsyncSubscription | null> {
+    let timeoutId: Timer | undefined
+    let resolved = false
+    const result = await Promise.race([
+      watcher()
+        .subscribe(dir, callback, options)
+        .then((sub) => {
+          resolved = true
+          return sub
+        }),
+      new Promise<null>((resolve) => {
+        timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+          if (!resolved) {
+            log.error("watcher subscribe timeout", { dir })
+            resolve(null)
+          }
+        }, SUBSCRIBE_TIMEOUT_MS)
+      }),
+    ]).catch((e) => {
+      log.error("watcher subscribe failed", { dir, error: e })
+      return null
+    })
+    if (timeoutId) clearTimeout(timeoutId)
+    return result
+  }
+
   const state = Instance.state(
     async () => {
       if (Instance.project.vcs !== "git") return {}
@@ -57,24 +91,22 @@ export namespace FileWatcher {
         }
       }
 
-      const subs = []
+      const subs: (ParcelWatcher.AsyncSubscription | null)[] = []
       const cfgIgnores = cfg.watcher?.ignore ?? []
 
-      subs.push(
-        await watcher().subscribe(Instance.directory, subscribe, {
-          ignore: [...FileIgnore.PATTERNS, ...cfgIgnores],
-          backend,
-        }),
-      )
+      const subDir = await subscribeWithTimeout(Instance.directory, subscribe, {
+        ignore: [...FileIgnore.PATTERNS, ...cfgIgnores],
+        backend,
+      })
+      if (subDir) subs.push(subDir)
 
-      const vcsDir = await $`git rev-parse --git-dir`.quiet().nothrow().cwd(Instance.worktree).text()
+      const vcsDir = (await $`git rev-parse --git-dir`.quiet().nothrow().cwd(Instance.worktree).text()).trim()
       if (vcsDir && !cfgIgnores.includes(".git") && !cfgIgnores.includes(vcsDir)) {
-        subs.push(
-          await watcher().subscribe(vcsDir, subscribe, {
-            ignore: ["hooks", "info", "logs", "objects", "refs", "worktrees", "modules", "lfs"],
-            backend,
-          }),
-        )
+        const subGit = await subscribeWithTimeout(vcsDir, subscribe, {
+          ignore: ["hooks", "info", "logs", "objects", "refs", "worktrees", "modules", "lfs"],
+          backend,
+        })
+        if (subGit) subs.push(subGit)
       }
 
       return { subs }