diff --git a/inc/Engine/AI/RequestBuilder.php b/inc/Engine/AI/RequestBuilder.php
index c0561e70..4bd36585 100644
--- a/inc/Engine/AI/RequestBuilder.php
+++ b/inc/Engine/AI/RequestBuilder.php
@@ -137,7 +137,11 @@ public static function build(
 		$timeout_filter  = static function ( $default_timeout ) use ( $request_timeout ) {
 			return max( (float) $default_timeout, $request_timeout );
 		};
-		$curl_filter     = static function ( $handle ) use ( $request_timeout ) {
+		$curl_filter     = static function ( $handle ) use ( $request_timeout, $connect_timeout ) {
+			if ( defined( 'CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT' ) ) {
+				curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT, (int) ceil( $connect_timeout ) ); // phpcs:ignore WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_setopt -- WordPress exposes the cURL handle only through this hook.
+			}
+
 			if ( defined( 'CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_TIME' ) ) {
 				curl_setopt( $handle, CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_TIME, (int) ceil( $request_timeout ) ); // phpcs:ignore WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_setopt -- WordPress exposes the cURL handle only through this hook.
 			}
diff --git a/tests/wp-ai-client-request-timeout-smoke.php b/tests/wp-ai-client-request-timeout-smoke.php
index 5ba26cf0..5d3468c0 100644
--- a/tests/wp-ai-client-request-timeout-smoke.php
+++ b/tests/wp-ai-client-request-timeout-smoke.php
@@ -278,6 +278,10 @@ function ( float $timeout, string $mode, string $provider, string $model, array
 assert_timeout_smoke( 'continue' === $captured_prompt, 'Data Machine passes latest user message as wp-ai-client prompt' );
 assert_timeout_smoke( 1 === ( TimeoutPromptBuilderDouble::$captured_request['curl_filter_count'] ?? null ), 'Data Machine scopes cURL low-speed settings during wp-ai-client dispatch' );
 
+$request_builder_source = file_get_contents( __DIR__ . '/../inc/Engine/AI/RequestBuilder.php' );
+assert_timeout_smoke( is_string( $request_builder_source ) && str_contains( $request_builder_source, 'CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT' ), 'Data Machine scopes cURL connect timeout during wp-ai-client dispatch' );
+assert_timeout_smoke( is_string( $request_builder_source ) && str_contains( $request_builder_source, 'use ( $request_timeout, $connect_timeout )' ), 'Data Machine cURL timeout hook receives request and connect timeouts' );
+
 assert_timeout_smoke( 0 === timeout_smoke_filter_count( 'wp_ai_client_default_request_timeout' ), 'Data Machine removes temporary wp-ai-client timeout filter after dispatch' );
 assert_timeout_smoke( 0 === timeout_smoke_filter_count( 'http_api_curl' ), 'Data Machine removes temporary cURL low-speed filter after dispatch' );