diff --git a/shared/redis_streams.py b/shared/redis_streams.py
index 718ed16..5e8095a 100644
--- a/shared/redis_streams.py
+++ b/shared/redis_streams.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import logging
 from typing import AsyncIterator
 
 from redis.asyncio import Redis
+from redis.exceptions import TimeoutError as RedisTimeoutError
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -57,13 +58,18 @@ class StreamConsumer:
         """
         await self.ensure_group()
         while True:
-            messages = await self.redis.xreadgroup(
-                self.group,
-                self.consumer,
-                {self.stream: ">"},
-                count=batch_size,
-                block=block_ms,
-            )
+            try:
+                messages = await self.redis.xreadgroup(
+                    self.group,
+                    self.consumer,
+                    {self.stream: ">"},
+                    count=batch_size,
+                    block=block_ms,
+                )
+            except RedisTimeoutError:
+                # redis-py raises this when a blocking read returns no data
+                # within block_ms (idle stream). Expected — keep polling.
+                continue
             for _stream_name, entries in messages:
                 for msg_id, fields in entries:
                     data = json.loads(fields[b"data"])
diff --git a/tests/test_redis_streams.py b/tests/test_redis_streams.py
index 6363565..863f8ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_redis_streams.py
+++ b/tests/test_redis_streams.py
@@ -95,3 +95,41 @@ async def test_consumer_consume_yields_and_acks() -> None:
     assert len(results) == 1
     assert results[0] == (b"1-0", payload)
     redis.xack.assert_called_once_with("test:stream", "grp", b"1-0")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_consume_survives_idle_blocking_timeout() -> None:
+    """A blocking-read TimeoutError on an idle stream must not kill the loop.
+
+    redis-py raises ``redis.exceptions.TimeoutError`` when a blocking
+    ``XREADGROUP`` returns no data within ``block_ms`` (idle stream). This is
+    an expected idle condition, not a fatal error — ``consume`` must swallow it
+    and keep polling.
+    """
+    from redis.exceptions import TimeoutError as RedisTimeoutError
+
+    redis = AsyncMock()
+    redis.xgroup_create = AsyncMock()
+
+    payload = {"ticker": "NVDA", "direction": "LONG"}
+    redis.xreadgroup = AsyncMock(
+        side_effect=[
+            RedisTimeoutError("Timeout reading from redis"),  # idle stream
+            [(b"test:stream", [(b"5-0", {b"data": json.dumps(payload).encode()})])],
+            KeyboardInterrupt,  # break the loop in the test
+        ]
+    )
+    redis.xack = AsyncMock()
+
+    consumer = StreamConsumer(redis, "test:stream", "grp", "c1")
+
+    results: list[tuple[str, dict]] = []
+    try:
+        async for msg_id, data in consumer.consume(batch_size=1, block_ms=100):
+            results.append((msg_id, data))
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        pass
+
+    # The idle timeout was swallowed; the next real message still came through.
+    assert results == [(b"5-0", payload)]
+    assert redis.xreadgroup.call_count == 3