diff --git a/src/contexts/NeoInstituteContext.tsx b/src/contexts/NeoInstituteContext.tsx
index e0fc0a7..4c36deb 100644
--- a/src/contexts/NeoInstituteContext.tsx
+++ b/src/contexts/NeoInstituteContext.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import { SchoolNeoDBService } from '../services/graph/schoolNeoDBService';
 import { CCSchoolNodeProps } from '../utils/tldraw/cc-base/cc-graph/cc-graph-types';
 import { logger } from '../debugConfig';
 
+const NEO_INSTITUTE_TIMEOUT_MS = 8000;
+
 export interface NeoInstituteContextType {
     schoolNode: CCSchoolNodeProps | null;
     isLoading: boolean;
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ const NeoInstituteContext = createContext<NeoInstituteContextType>({
 export const NeoInstituteProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) => {
     const { user } = useAuth();
     const { profile, isInitialized: isUserInitialized } = useUser();
-    
+
     const [schoolNode, setSchoolNode] = useState<CCSchoolNodeProps | null>(null);
     const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
     const [isInitialized, setIsInitialized] = useState(false);
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ export const NeoInstituteProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ childr
             hasUser: !!user,
             isInitialized
         });
-        
+
         // Wait for user profile to be ready
         if (!isUserInitialized) {
             logger.debug('neo-institute-context', '⏳ Waiting for user initialization...');
@@ -58,7 +60,17 @@ export const NeoInstituteProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ childr
                     userEmail: user?.email
                 });
 
-                const node = await SchoolNeoDBService.getSchoolNode(profile.school_db_name);
+                // Race the Neo4j call against a timeout so a slow/unavailable Neo4j
+                // never blocks the workspace from loading for more than 8 seconds.
+                const timeoutPromise = new Promise<null>((_, reject) =>
+                    setTimeout(() => reject(new Error(`Neo4j timed out after ${NEO_INSTITUTE_TIMEOUT_MS}ms`)), NEO_INSTITUTE_TIMEOUT_MS)
+                );
+
+                const node = await Promise.race([
+                    SchoolNeoDBService.getSchoolNode(profile.school_db_name),
+                    timeoutPromise
+                ]);
+
                 if (node) {
                     setSchoolNode(node);
                     logger.debug('neo-institute-context', '✅ School node loaded', {
@@ -71,7 +83,7 @@ export const NeoInstituteProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ childr
 
             } catch (error) {
                 const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Failed to load school node';
-                logger.error('neo-institute-context', '❌ Failed to load school node', {
+                logger.warn('neo-institute-context', '⚠️ School node unavailable — workspace will load without institute data', {
                     error: errorMessage,
                     schoolDbName: profile.school_db_name
                 });
@@ -79,7 +91,7 @@ export const NeoInstituteProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ childr
            } finally {
                setIsLoading(false);
                setIsInitialized(true);
-                logger.debug('neo-institute-context', '✅ Institute context initialization complete');
+               logger.debug('neo-institute-context', '✅ Institute context initialization complete');
            }
        };