diff --git a/src/utils/generate/registry.ts b/src/utils/generate/registry.ts
index 16fdda2e5..720294a0a 100644
--- a/src/utils/generate/registry.ts
+++ b/src/utils/generate/registry.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,26 @@ export function registryURLParser(input?: string) {
   }
 }
 
+const REGISTRY_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+
 export async function registryValidation(registryUrl?: string, registryAuth?: string, registryToken?: string) {
   if (!registryUrl) { return; }
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const timeout = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), REGISTRY_TIMEOUT_MS);
   try {
-    const response = await fetch(registryUrl as string);
+    const response = await fetch(registryUrl as string, {
+      method: 'HEAD',
+      signal: controller.signal,
+    });
+    clearTimeout(timeout);
     if (response.status === 401 && !registryAuth && !registryToken) {
       throw new Error('You Need to pass either registryAuth in username:password encoded in Base64 or need to pass registryToken');
     }
-  } catch {
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    clearTimeout(timeout);
+    if (err.name === 'AbortError') {
+      throw new Error(`Registry URL timed out after ${REGISTRY_TIMEOUT_MS / 1000}s: ${registryUrl}. The host is unreachable or too slow.`);
+    }
     throw new Error(`Can't fetch registryURL: ${registryUrl}`);
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/utils/registry.test.ts b/test/unit/utils/registry.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85185ea76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/utils/registry.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import { registryURLParser, registryValidation } from '../../../src/utils/generate/registry';
+
+describe('registryURLParser()', () => {
+  it('should return undefined for empty input', () => {
+    expect(registryURLParser(undefined)).to.equal(undefined);
+    expect(registryURLParser('')).to.equal(undefined);
+  });
+
+  it('should throw for invalid URL without protocol', () => {
+    expect(() => registryURLParser('not-a-url')).to.throw('Invalid --registry-url flag. The param requires a valid http/https url.');
+    expect(() => registryURLParser('ftp://example.com')).to.throw('Invalid --registry-url flag. The param requires a valid http/https url.');
+  });
+
+  it('should accept valid http URL', () => {
+    expect(() => registryURLParser('http://example.com')).to.not.throw();
+  });
+
+  it('should accept valid https URL', () => {
+    expect(() => registryURLParser('https://example.com')).to.not.throw();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('registryValidation()', () => {
+  it('should return undefined when no registryUrl is provided', async () => {
+    const result = await registryValidation(undefined, undefined, undefined);
+    expect(result).to.equal(undefined);
+  });
+
+  it('should throw when URL is unreachable (timeout)', async () => {
+    // 10.255.255.1 is a blackhole IP - will never respond
+    const blackholeUrl = 'http://10.255.255.1:9999';
+    try {
+      await registryValidation(blackholeUrl, undefined, undefined);
+      expect.fail('Should have thrown');
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      expect(err.message).to.include('timed out');
+      expect(err.message).to.include(blackholeUrl);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('should throw when URL is unreachable (connection refused)', async () => {
+    // localhost:9 is unlikely to have anything listening
+    const url = 'http://localhost:9';
+    try {
+      await registryValidation(url, undefined, undefined);
+      expect.fail('Should have thrown');
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      expect(err.message).to.include('Can\'t fetch registryURL');
+    }
+  });
+});