Linux 7.3’s merged EFI changes put a 120-second limit on waiting for a queued runtime call to complete. When it expires, the kernel disables EFI runtime services. This contains the wait; it does not turn the failed firmware operation into a success.
What actually changes at the deadline
The August 23 EFI merge includes Breno Leitao’s timeout work. The merged implementation defines 120 seconds for the completion wait, clears EFI_RUNTIME_SERVICES on expiry and returns EFI_ABORTED. Later wrapped calls encounter disabled services rather than reusing the wedged work item.
The original problem report describes firmware that never returned on a Grace server. The worker inside that firmware cannot simply be cancelled. Additional handling retires it if the call eventually comes back.
A timeout is a containment boundary
Imagine two maintenance jobs. A enters an EFI operation that stalls; B later needs another EFI operation. Previously, waiting behind A could continue indefinitely. With the new path, the timed completion wait ends and later EFI access fails because runtime services have been disabled.
That is better information for an operator, but B’s requested firmware change has still not happened. A boot-order update should not be marked successful merely because its process returned. Likewise, a service that depends on working firmware calls may remain degraded even while unrelated workloads keep running.
The 120 seconds apply to this completion wait, not to every possible firmware execution path or an end-to-end deadline for every application. Time spent waiting elsewhere, scheduling delays and other firmware faults are separate concerns.
Preserve evidence for the actual repair
For incident records, distinguish the kernel’s timeout diagnosis, the operation that triggered it, the firmware version and the result observed by the calling tool. Retain the relevant log and hardware identification before a planned recovery action. Do not infer that every generic workqueue warning is this bug.
Compare affected machines by firmware and kernel build, including distribution backports. A release-candidate version label alone is not an instruction to replace a production kernel. The committed mitigation and a vendor firmware correction address different layers of the incident. No EFI variables were changed to prepare this article.
Verify merged implementation: 120-second completion wait disables runtime services and returns EFI_ABORTED; it neither cancels firmware nor repairs all callers.