diff --git a/.changeset/stale-agent-timeout.md b/.changeset/stale-agent-timeout.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..854fb107e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/stale-agent-timeout.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@livekit/components-react': patch
+---
+
+Fix the agent-connect timeout leaking when a session ends early, which could fail the next session before its agent had a chance to connect.
diff --git a/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.test.ts b/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..890a39689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import { act, cleanup, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { DEFAULT_AGENT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLISECONDS, useAgentTimeoutIdStore } from './useAgent';
+
+const TIMEOUT_MS = DEFAULT_AGENT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLISECONDS;
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.useFakeTimers();
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+});
+
+describe('useAgentTimeoutIdStore', () => {
+  test('ending a session early clears its timeout so it cannot fail the next session', () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useAgentTimeoutIdStore());
+
+    // Like useAgent's effect, hold on to the callbacks from the first render rather than reading
+    // the latest ones off result.current.
+    const { startAgentTimeout, clearAgentTimeout } = result.current;
+
+    // Start a session, end it after 5s, then start a new one at 6s.
+    act(() => startAgentTimeout(TIMEOUT_MS));
+    act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000));
+    act(() => clearAgentTimeout());
+    act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(1_000));
+    act(() => startAgentTimeout(TIMEOUT_MS));
+
+    // When the first session's timer would have fired, nothing should have failed.
+    act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(TIMEOUT_MS - 6_000 + 1));
+    expect(result.current.agentTimeoutFailureReason).toBeNull();
+
+    // The second session's own timer should fire 6s later.
+    act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(6_000));
+    expect(result.current.agentTimeoutFailureReason).toBe('Agent did not join the room.');
+  });
+
+  test('start and clear callbacks keep the same identity across renders', () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useAgentTimeoutIdStore());
+    const { startAgentTimeout, clearAgentTimeout } = result.current;
+
+    act(() => result.current.startAgentTimeout(TIMEOUT_MS));
+
+    expect(result.current.startAgentTimeout).toBe(startAgentTimeout);
+    expect(result.current.clearAgentTimeout).toBe(clearAgentTimeout);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.ts b/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.ts
index 903a7b7d1..6b15f9b61 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/hooks/useAgent.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { useRemoteParticipants } from './useRemoteParticipants';
 import { UseSessionReturn } from './useSession';
 
 // FIXME: make this 10 seconds once room dispatch booting info is discoverable
-const DEFAULT_AGENT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLISECONDS = 20_000;
+export const DEFAULT_AGENT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLISECONDS = 20_000;
 
 /** @see https://github.com/livekit/agents/blob/65170238db197f62f479eb7aaef1c0e18bfad6e7/livekit-agents/livekit/agents/voice/events.py#L97 */
 type AgentSdkStates = 'initializing' | 'idle' | 'listening' | 'thinking' | 'speaking';
@@ -315,9 +315,9 @@ export const useAgentTimeoutIdStore = (): {
   const [agentTimeoutFailureReason, setAgentTimeoutFailureReason] = React.useState<string | null>(
     null,
   );
-  const [agentTimeoutId, setAgentTimeoutId] = React.useState<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(
-    null,
-  );
+  // Stored in a ref (not state) so that start / clear always see the current timer, even when
+  // called through a callback reference captured in an earlier render.
+  const agentTimeoutIdRef = React.useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
 
   const agentStateRef = React.useRef<AgentState>('connecting');
   const agentParticipantExistsRef = React.useRef(false);
@@ -339,29 +339,26 @@ export const useAgentTimeoutIdStore = (): {
 
   return {
     agentTimeoutFailureReason,
-    startAgentTimeout: React.useCallback(
-      (agentConnectTimeoutMilliseconds?: number) => {
-        if (agentTimeoutId) {
-          clearTimeout(agentTimeoutId);
-        }
-
-        setAgentTimeoutFailureReason(null);
-        setAgentTimeoutId(startAgentConnectedTimeout(agentConnectTimeoutMilliseconds));
-        agentStateRef.current = 'connecting';
-        agentParticipantExistsRef.current = false;
-      },
-      [agentTimeoutId],
-    ),
+    startAgentTimeout: React.useCallback((agentConnectTimeoutMilliseconds?: number) => {
+      if (agentTimeoutIdRef.current) {
+        clearTimeout(agentTimeoutIdRef.current);
+      }
+
+      setAgentTimeoutFailureReason(null);
+      agentTimeoutIdRef.current = startAgentConnectedTimeout(agentConnectTimeoutMilliseconds);
+      agentStateRef.current = 'connecting';
+      agentParticipantExistsRef.current = false;
+    }, []),
     clearAgentTimeout: React.useCallback(() => {
-      if (agentTimeoutId) {
-        clearTimeout(agentTimeoutId);
+      if (agentTimeoutIdRef.current) {
+        clearTimeout(agentTimeoutIdRef.current);
+        agentTimeoutIdRef.current = null;
       }
 
       setAgentTimeoutFailureReason(null);
-      setAgentTimeoutId(null);
       agentStateRef.current = 'connecting';
       agentParticipantExistsRef.current = false;
-    }, [agentTimeoutId]),
+    }, []),
     clearAgentTimeoutFailureReason: React.useCallback(() => {
       setAgentTimeoutFailureReason(null);
     }, []),