diff --git a/apps/monitor/src/runner.rs b/apps/monitor/src/runner.rs
index 6f671e9..a95707c 100644
--- a/apps/monitor/src/runner.rs
+++ b/apps/monitor/src/runner.rs
@@ -127,18 +127,9 @@ async fn run_check(client: &reqwest::Client, monitor: &Monitor, scheduled_at: Op
         Ok::<_, reqwest::Error>((status, headers, body))
     }).await;
 
-    // Collect cert result — give it up to 2s after the main request finishes,
-    // then abort. This way a fast site still gets cert info, but a hung cert
-    // check never blocks the ping result.
-    let cert_expiry_days = match cert_handle {
-        Some(handle) => {
-            match tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2), handle).await {
-                Ok(Ok(Ok(Ok(days)))) => days,
-                _ => None,
-            }
-        },
-        None => None,
-    };
+    // Cert check runs after the main request completes — only if the site responded.
+    // This prevents a separate TCP SYN to a hung host from blocking the timeout.
+    let cert_expiry_days: Option<i64> = None; // populated below after successful response
 
     let latency_ms = start.elapsed().as_millis() as u64;
 
@@ -164,6 +155,20 @@ async fn run_check(client: &reqwest::Client, monitor: &Monitor, scheduled_at: Op
         Ok((status_raw, headers, body)) => {
             let status = status_raw.as_u16();
 
+            // Only attempt cert check if the site actually responded — avoids a second
+            // hung TCP connect to a down host.
+            let cert_expiry_days = if is_https {
+                match tokio::time::timeout(
+                    std::time::Duration::from_secs(5),
+                    check_cert_expiry(&url_clone),
+                ).await {
+                    Ok(Ok(days)) => days,
+                    _ => None,
+                }
+            } else {
+                cert_expiry_days
+            };
+
             // Evaluate query if present
             let (up, query_error) = if let Some(q) = &monitor.query {
                 let response = Response {