diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/CosmosClientOptions.cs b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/CosmosClientOptions.cs
index 80a9478dab..4c69b04ef4 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/CosmosClientOptions.cs
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/CosmosClientOptions.cs
@@ -306,6 +306,24 @@ public int GatewayModeMaxConnectionLimit
         /// <seealso cref="CosmosClientBuilder.WithRequestTimeout(TimeSpan)"/>
         public TimeSpan RequestTimeout { get; set; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets or sets the request timeout for inference service operations (e.g., semantic reranking).
+        /// The number specifies the time to wait for a response from the inference service before the request is cancelled.
+        /// This is a single-attempt timeout with no retries.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <value>Default value is 5 seconds.</value>
+        /// <remarks>
+        /// This timeout is specific to inference service operations and is separate from the standard <see cref="RequestTimeout"/>.
+        /// If the request does not complete within the specified duration, a <see cref="CosmosException"/> with status 408 (Request Timeout) is thrown.
+        /// No retries are attempted on timeout.
+        /// </remarks>
+#if PREVIEW
+        public
+#else
+        internal
+#endif
+        TimeSpan InferenceRequestTimeout { get; set; } = InferenceService.DefaultInferenceRequestTimeout;
+
         /// <summary>
         /// The SDK does a background refresh based on the time interval set to refresh the token credentials.
         /// This avoids latency issues because the old token is used until the new token is retrieved.
diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Fluent/CosmosClientBuilder.cs b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Fluent/CosmosClientBuilder.cs
index e93229ae70..e33de132e0 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Fluent/CosmosClientBuilder.cs
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Fluent/CosmosClientBuilder.cs
@@ -387,6 +387,26 @@ public CosmosClientBuilder WithRequestTimeout(TimeSpan requestTimeout)
             return this;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Sets the request timeout for inference service operations (e.g., semantic reranking).
+        /// This is a single-attempt timeout with no retries; if the request does not complete
+        /// within the specified duration, a <see cref="CosmosException"/> with status 408 (Request Timeout) is thrown.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="inferenceRequestTimeout">A time to use as timeout for inference operations.</param>
+        /// <value>Default value is 5 seconds.</value>
+        /// <returns>The current <see cref="CosmosClientBuilder"/>.</returns>
+        /// <seealso cref="CosmosClientOptions.InferenceRequestTimeout"/>
+#if PREVIEW
+        public
+#else
+        internal
+#endif
+        CosmosClientBuilder WithInferenceRequestTimeout(TimeSpan inferenceRequestTimeout)
+        {
+            this.clientOptions.InferenceRequestTimeout = inferenceRequestTimeout;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Sets the connection mode to Direct. This is used by the client when connecting to the Azure Cosmos DB service.
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Inference/InferenceService.cs b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Inference/InferenceService.cs
index bf05c9698d..4436f536c5 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Inference/InferenceService.cs
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Inference/InferenceService.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos
     using System.Threading;
     using System.Threading.Tasks;
     using global::Azure.Core;
+    using Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Resource.CosmosExceptions;
     using Microsoft.Azure.Documents;
     using Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Collections;
 
@@ -32,9 +33,16 @@ internal class InferenceService : IDisposable
         private const string InferenceTokenPrefix = "Bearer ";
         private const int inferenceServiceDefaultMaxConnectionLimit = 50;
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Default per-request timeout for inference requests. Referenced by
+        /// <see cref="CosmosClientOptions.InferenceRequestTimeout"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static readonly TimeSpan DefaultInferenceRequestTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5);
+
         private readonly int inferenceServiceMaxConnectionLimit;
         private readonly string inferenceServiceBaseUrl;
         private readonly Uri inferenceEndpoint;
+        private readonly TimeSpan inferenceRequestTimeout;
 
         private HttpClient httpClient;
         private AuthorizationTokenProvider cosmosAuthorization;
@@ -59,6 +67,9 @@ public InferenceService(CosmosClient client)
                 "AZURE_COSMOS_SEMANTIC_RERANKER_INFERENCE_SERVICE_MAX_CONNECTION_LIMIT",
                 inferenceServiceDefaultMaxConnectionLimit) ?? inferenceServiceDefaultMaxConnectionLimit;
 
+            Debug.Assert(client.ClientOptions != null, "ClientOptions should not be null");
+            this.inferenceRequestTimeout = client.ClientOptions.InferenceRequestTimeout;
+
             // Create and configure HttpClient for inference requests.
             HttpMessageHandler httpMessageHandler = CosmosHttpClientCore.CreateHttpClientHandler(
                         gatewayModeMaxConnectionLimit: this.inferenceServiceMaxConnectionLimit,
@@ -95,6 +106,7 @@ public InferenceService(CosmosClient client)
         /// </summary>
         internal InferenceService(HttpMessageHandler messageHandler, Uri inferenceEndpoint, AuthorizationTokenProvider cosmosAuthorization)
         {
+            this.inferenceRequestTimeout = InferenceService.DefaultInferenceRequestTimeout;
             this.httpClient = new HttpClient(messageHandler);
             this.CreateClientHelper(this.httpClient);
             this.inferenceEndpoint = inferenceEndpoint;
@@ -115,6 +127,8 @@ public async Task<SemanticRerankResult> SemanticRerankAsync(
             IDictionary<string, object> options = null,
             CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
         {
+            DateTime startDateTimeUtc = DateTime.UtcNow;
+
             // Prepare HTTP request for semantic reranking.
             HttpRequestMessage message = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, this.inferenceEndpoint);
             INameValueCollection additionalHeaders = new RequestNameValueCollection();
@@ -139,8 +153,29 @@ await this.cosmosAuthorization.AddAuthorizationHeaderAsync(
                 Encoding.UTF8,
                 RuntimeConstants.MediaTypes.Json);
 
-            // Send the request and check for success.
-            HttpResponseMessage responseMessage = await this.httpClient.SendAsync(message, cancellationToken);
+            // Enforce a single-attempt, no-retry timeout for the inference request.
+            // HttpClient.Timeout is intentionally left unchanged; this linked CTS is the authoritative
+            // per-request timeout for inference calls.
+            using CancellationTokenSource linkedCts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken);
+            linkedCts.CancelAfter(this.inferenceRequestTimeout);
+
+            HttpResponseMessage responseMessage;
+            try
+            {
+                responseMessage = await this.httpClient.SendAsync(message, linkedCts.Token);
+            }
+            catch (OperationCanceledException operationCanceledException) when (!cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)
+            {
+                // Timeout triggered by the linked CTS (not the caller's cancellationToken).
+                string errorMessage = $"Inference Service Request Timeout. Start Time UTC:{startDateTimeUtc}; Total Duration:{(DateTime.UtcNow - startDateTimeUtc).TotalMilliseconds} Ms; Inference Request Timeout:{this.inferenceRequestTimeout.TotalMilliseconds} Ms; Activity id: {System.Diagnostics.Trace.CorrelationManager.ActivityId};";
+                throw CosmosExceptionFactory.CreateRequestTimeoutException(
+                    message: errorMessage,
+                    headers: new Headers()
+                    {
+                        ActivityId = System.Diagnostics.Trace.CorrelationManager.ActivityId.ToString()
+                    },
+                    innerException: operationCanceledException);
+            }
 
             if (!responseMessage.IsSuccessStatusCode)
             {
diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/Contracts/DotNetPreviewSDKAPI.net6.json b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/Contracts/DotNetPreviewSDKAPI.net6.json
index 9e75de23de..9a78dbe18a 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/Contracts/DotNetPreviewSDKAPI.net6.json
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/Contracts/DotNetPreviewSDKAPI.net6.json
@@ -392,11 +392,30 @@
           "Attributes": [],
           "MethodInfo": "System.Nullable`1[System.Int32] ThroughputBucket;CanRead:True;CanWrite:True;System.Nullable`1[System.Int32] get_ThroughputBucket();IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;Void set_ThroughputBucket(System.Nullable`1[System.Int32]);IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
         },
+        "System.TimeSpan get_InferenceRequestTimeout()[System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilerGeneratedAttribute()]": {
+          "Type": "Method",
+          "Attributes": [
+            "CompilerGeneratedAttribute"
+          ],
+          "MethodInfo": "System.TimeSpan get_InferenceRequestTimeout();IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
+        },
+        "System.TimeSpan InferenceRequestTimeout": {
+          "Type": "Property",
+          "Attributes": [],
+          "MethodInfo": "System.TimeSpan InferenceRequestTimeout;CanRead:True;CanWrite:True;System.TimeSpan get_InferenceRequestTimeout();IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;Void set_InferenceRequestTimeout(System.TimeSpan);IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
+        },
         "Void set_EnableRemoteRegionPreferredForSessionRetry(Boolean)": {
           "Type": "Method",
           "Attributes": [],
           "MethodInfo": "Void set_EnableRemoteRegionPreferredForSessionRetry(Boolean);IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
         },
+        "Void set_InferenceRequestTimeout(System.TimeSpan)[System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilerGeneratedAttribute()]": {
+          "Type": "Method",
+          "Attributes": [
+            "CompilerGeneratedAttribute"
+          ],
+          "MethodInfo": "Void set_InferenceRequestTimeout(System.TimeSpan);IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
+        },
         "Void set_ReadConsistencyStrategy(System.Nullable`1[Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.ReadConsistencyStrategy])[System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilerGeneratedAttribute()]": {
           "Type": "Method",
           "Attributes": [
@@ -1232,6 +1251,11 @@
           "Attributes": [],
           "MethodInfo": "Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Fluent.CosmosClientBuilder WithEnableRemoteRegionPreferredForSessionRetry(Boolean);IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
         },
+        "Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Fluent.CosmosClientBuilder WithInferenceRequestTimeout(System.TimeSpan)": {
+          "Type": "Method",
+          "Attributes": [],
+          "MethodInfo": "Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Fluent.CosmosClientBuilder WithInferenceRequestTimeout(System.TimeSpan);IsAbstract:False;IsStatic:False;IsVirtual:False;IsGenericMethod:False;IsConstructor:False;IsFinal:False;"
+        },
         "Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Fluent.CosmosClientBuilder WithReadConsistencyStrategy(Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.ReadConsistencyStrategy)": {
           "Type": "Method",
           "Attributes": [],
diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/InferenceServiceTests.cs b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/InferenceServiceTests.cs
index 47ebf31e80..1949f65385 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/InferenceServiceTests.cs
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/InferenceServiceTests.cs
@@ -94,6 +94,60 @@ public async Task SemanticRerankAsync_SuccessResponse_ReturnsResult()
             Assert.AreEqual(0, result.RerankScores[0].Index);
         }
 
+        [TestMethod]
+        public async Task SemanticRerankAsync_RequestExceedsInferenceTimeout_Throws408CosmosException()
+        {
+            // Handler delays for 10 seconds; the internal InferenceService ctor uses the
+            // DefaultInferenceRequestTimeout (5 seconds), so the linked CTS should cancel first.
+            DelayedMessageHandler delayedHandler = new DelayedMessageHandler(
+                delay: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10),
+                statusCode: HttpStatusCode.OK,
+                responseContent: "{}");
+
+            Mock<AuthorizationTokenProvider> mockAuth = InferenceServiceTests.CreateMockAuthorizationTokenProvider();
+
+            using InferenceService service = new InferenceService(delayedHandler, TestEndpoint, mockAuth.Object);
+
+            CosmosException exception = await Assert.ThrowsExceptionAsync<CosmosException>(
+                () => service.SemanticRerankAsync(
+                    rerankContext: "test query",
+                    documents: new List<string> { "doc1", "doc2" }));
+
+            Assert.AreEqual(HttpStatusCode.RequestTimeout, exception.StatusCode);
+            Assert.IsTrue(
+                exception.Message.Contains("Inference Service Request Timeout"),
+                $"Expected timeout message. Actual: {exception.Message}");
+        }
+
+        [TestMethod]
+        public async Task SemanticRerankAsync_UserCancellation_PropagatesOperationCanceledException()
+        {
+            // Handler delays long enough that user cancellation should fire first.
+            DelayedMessageHandler delayedHandler = new DelayedMessageHandler(
+                delay: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10),
+                statusCode: HttpStatusCode.OK,
+                responseContent: "{}");
+
+            Mock<AuthorizationTokenProvider> mockAuth = InferenceServiceTests.CreateMockAuthorizationTokenProvider();
+
+            using InferenceService service = new InferenceService(delayedHandler, TestEndpoint, mockAuth.Object);
+            using CancellationTokenSource cts = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(200));
+
+            try
+            {
+                await service.SemanticRerankAsync(
+                    rerankContext: "test query",
+                    documents: new List<string> { "doc1", "doc2" },
+                    cancellationToken: cts.Token);
+                Assert.Fail("Expected OperationCanceledException to propagate when the caller cancels.");
+            }
+            catch (OperationCanceledException)
+            {
+                // Expected: user cancellation should surface as OperationCanceledException (or its
+                // TaskCanceledException subclass), not be swallowed into a timeout CosmosException.
+            }
+        }
+
         private static Mock<AuthorizationTokenProvider> CreateMockAuthorizationTokenProvider()
         {
             Mock<AuthorizationTokenProvider> mockAuth = new Mock<AuthorizationTokenProvider>();
@@ -132,5 +186,35 @@ protected override Task<HttpResponseMessage> SendAsync(
                 return Task.FromResult(response);
             }
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// HttpMessageHandler that delays for a configurable duration before responding.
+        /// Used to exercise the per-request inference timeout.
+        /// </summary>
+        private class DelayedMessageHandler : HttpMessageHandler
+        {
+            private readonly TimeSpan delay;
+            private readonly HttpStatusCode statusCode;
+            private readonly string responseContent;
+
+            public DelayedMessageHandler(TimeSpan delay, HttpStatusCode statusCode, string responseContent)
+            {
+                this.delay = delay;
+                this.statusCode = statusCode;
+                this.responseContent = responseContent;
+            }
+
+            protected override async Task<HttpResponseMessage> SendAsync(
+                HttpRequestMessage request,
+                CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+            {
+                await Task.Delay(this.delay, cancellationToken);
+
+                return new HttpResponseMessage(this.statusCode)
+                {
+                    Content = new StringContent(this.responseContent, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json")
+                };
+            }
+        }
     }
 }