feat(config): optional TOML config loading behind config-file feature

A file-based way to set tuning knobs without recompiling. urus is a
library, so it never presumes a config path or reads the environment — the
binary hands the text in:

- Config::with_toml_str(&str) -> Result<Config, ConfigError>: sparse overlay
  onto an existing Config (built with the addr the binary chose). Only keys
  present are applied; durations are integer seconds; unknown keys are a
  hard error (deny_unknown_fields) so a typo is loud, not a silent no-op.
- Scope: the four slowloris knobs (head_timeout_secs, body_timeout_secs,
  body_burst_bytes, body_stall_timeout_secs). Migrating the rest of Config
  into the file is a separate, additive job — TomlOverrides just grows.
- Feature `config-file = ["dep:serde", "dep:toml"]`; the optional serde dep
  gains the derive feature. The default build is unchanged (deps + code are
  all gated).
- examples/serve_toml.rs (required-features = ["config-file"]): a `--config
  PATH` demo with no presumed default location. plain_serve and its env
  vars are left untouched.

Tests (feature-gated): empty keeps defaults, partial overrides only named,
full overrides all, unknown key errors, malformed errors. 84 lib with the
feature / 79 without; clippy --lib clean both ways; e2e smoke serves 200
from a file and rejects an unknown key loudly.

Cargo.toml

@@ -14,14 +14,17 @@ sha1_smol = "1"
 
 # dep #4, ratified 2026-06-12: serde/serde_json behind the opt-in
 # "phoenix" feature only — the "channels" core stays dependency-free.
-serde      = { version = "1", optional = true }
+serde      = { version = "1", optional = true, features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = { version = "1", optional = true }
+# config-file feature: TOML loader for tuning knobs (dep #5, 2026-08-12)
+toml       = { version = "0.8", optional = true }
 
 [features]
 smarm-trace  = ["smarm/smarm-trace"]
 smarm-causal = ["smarm/smarm-causal"]
 channels     = []
 phoenix      = ["channels", "dep:serde", "dep:serde_json"]
+config-file  = ["dep:serde", "dep:toml"]
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 serde      = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
@@ -47,3 +50,7 @@ path = "examples/crud.rs"
 name = "channels_chat"
 path = "examples/channels_chat.rs"
 required-features = ["phoenix"]
+
+[[example]]
+name = "serve_toml"
+required-features = ["config-file"]

examples/serve_toml.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+//! Serve with an optional TOML config overlay.
+//!
+//! urus is a library and never presumes a config path or reads the
+//! environment for one — the binary decides where the file lives and hands
+//! the text to `Config::with_toml_str`. Here that's a `--config PATH` flag;
+//! with no flag, the compiled defaults are used unchanged.
+//!
+//! Requires the `config-file` feature:
+//!   cargo run --example serve_toml --features config-file -- --config urus.toml
+//!
+//! Example urus.toml (all keys optional, sparse override; seconds):
+//!   head_timeout_secs       = 15
+//!   body_timeout_secs       = 300
+//!   body_burst_bytes        = 4096
+//!   body_stall_timeout_secs = 20
+
+use std::net::SocketAddr;
+
+use urus::{serve_with, Config, Conn, Next, Pipeline, Router};
+
+fn json_id(conn: Conn, _next: Next) -> Conn {
+    let id: u64 = conn.params.get("id").and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0);
+    conn.put_status(200)
+        .put_header("content-type", "application/json")
+        .put_body(format!("{{\"id\":{id}}}"))
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let addr: SocketAddr = "0.0.0.0:8080".parse().expect("addr");
+    let mut cfg = Config::new(addr);
+
+    // Minimal flag scan: `--config PATH`. No presumed default location.
+    let mut args = std::env::args().skip(1);
+    while let Some(arg) = args.next() {
+        if arg == "--config" {
+            let path = args.next().expect("--config needs a PATH");
+            let toml = std::fs::read_to_string(&path)
+                .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("reading config {path}: {e}"));
+            cfg = cfg
+                .with_toml_str(&toml)
+                .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("invalid config {path}: {e}"));
+            eprintln!("serve_toml: loaded config from {path}");
+        }
+    }
+
+    let pipe = Pipeline::new().plug(Router::new().get("/json/:id", json_id));
+    serve_with(cfg, pipe).expect("serve");
+}

src/conn_actor.rs

@@ -46,14 +46,34 @@ pub struct ConnLimits {
     /// connection). Expiry closes the connection silently — nothing is
     /// owed to a client that isn't talking.
     pub keep_alive_timeout: Duration,
-    /// Per-request wall-clock budget, measured from the first byte of a
+    /// Wall-clock budget for reading the request HEAD, measured from the
-    /// request until the request (head + body) is fully read. Expiry
+    /// first byte of a request until the head is fully parsed. Expiry
-    /// mid-head gets a best-effort 408; expiry mid-body just closes.
+    /// mid-head gets a best-effort 408. Kept short: an incomplete head is
-    /// Pipeline run time is NOT covered — that's the handler's business.
+    /// the classic slowloris, and a legitimate client sends its head in a
-    /// Covers the READ phase only; the write phase has its own
+    /// single burst. The BODY has its own, larger budget (`body_timeout`)
-    /// per-write budget (`write_timeout`) so a streaming response can
+    /// so a slow-but-legit upload is not judged by the head clock.
-    /// legitimately outlive any whole-request clock.
+    pub head_timeout:       Duration,
-    pub request_timeout:    Duration,
+    /// Absolute wall-clock cap on reading the request BODY, measured from
+    /// the moment the head finished parsing until the body is fully read.
+    /// Sized for slow links (e.g. a trickling cellular IoT client), so it
+    /// is much larger than `head_timeout`. Expiry mid-body just closes —
+    /// nothing is owed to a client this far gone. Pipeline run time is NOT
+    /// covered (that's the handler's business); the write phase has its own
+    /// per-write budget (`write_timeout`).
+    pub body_timeout:       Duration,
+    /// Burst-gated body stall eviction: the bytes that must accumulate
+    /// since the last advance to count as a "burst" and reset the stall
+    /// clock. A body that dribbles fewer than this per `body_stall_timeout`
+    /// window is evicted — the discriminator between a slowloris trickle
+    /// (near-zero, smooth) and a slow-but-legit client (delivers real
+    /// bursts). The pair implies an effective floor of
+    /// body_burst_bytes / body_stall_timeout, enforced in bursts.
+    pub body_burst_bytes:   usize,
+    /// Max time since the last qualifying burst (`body_burst_bytes`)
+    /// before a stalled body read is evicted. Must comfortably exceed a
+    /// legit client's worst quiet gap (e.g. cellular RRC/handover/DRX
+    /// stalls). The absolute `body_timeout` always backstops it.
+    pub body_stall_timeout: Duration,
     /// Per-write budget for response bytes: every `write_all` (the fixed
     /// head+body, and each streamed chunk) must complete within this.
     /// A client that stops reading mid-response is dropped when its
@@ -76,7 +96,10 @@ impl Default for ConnLimits {
             max_head_bytes:     64 * 1024,
             max_body_bytes:     16 * 1024 * 1024,
             keep_alive_timeout: Duration::from_secs(60),
-            request_timeout:    Duration::from_secs(30),
+            head_timeout:       Duration::from_secs(30),
+            body_timeout:       Duration::from_secs(300),
+            body_burst_bytes:   4 * 1024,
+            body_stall_timeout: Duration::from_secs(20),
             write_timeout:      Duration::from_secs(30),
             max_frame_payload:  1024 * 1024,
             max_message_bytes:  4 * 1024 * 1024,
@@ -111,7 +134,7 @@ pub fn run_connection(
         // ----- 1. Read until we have a full request head. -----
         // We are idle until a head parses: stoppable by a draining
         // registry while parked here.
-        let (parsed, request_deadline) = match read_head(raw, &mut buf, &limits) {
+        let parsed = match read_head(raw, &mut buf, &limits) {
             Ok(p) => p,
             Err(ReadHeadErr::ClientClosed) => {
                 // Clean EOF between requests (or before any request). Normal.
@@ -122,8 +145,8 @@ pub fn run_connection(
                 // a request. Nothing is owed; close silently.
                 return;
             }
-            Err(ReadHeadErr::RequestTimeout) => {
+            Err(ReadHeadErr::HeadTimeout) => {
-                // request_timeout expired mid-head (slowloris and friends).
+                // head_timeout expired mid-head (slowloris and friends).
                 // Best-effort 408 WITHOUT parking on writability — a client
                 // that stalls reads must not defeat the timeout by making
                 // the 408 write park forever.
@@ -142,6 +165,11 @@ pub fn run_connection(
         let _ = registry.cast(Cast::ConnBusy(me));
 
         // ----- 2. Read body. -----
+        // The body has its OWN absolute budget, anchored here (head just
+        // parsed) and independent of the head clock — a slow-but-legit
+        // upload must not be judged by the short head deadline. Expiry
+        // closes the connection (nothing owed mid-body).
+        let body_deadline = Instant::now() + limits.body_timeout;
         // Content-Length pre-check only applies to fixed bodies; a chunked
         // body is bounded incrementally by the decoder.
         let body_len = parsed.content_length.unwrap_or(0);
@@ -169,7 +197,7 @@ pub fn run_connection(
         // bottom of the loop must drop exactly this much to land on the
         // next pipelined request.
         let (body, consumed_past_head) = if parsed.chunked {
-            match read_chunked_body(raw, &mut buf, parsed.head_len, &limits, request_deadline) {
+            match read_chunked_body(raw, &mut buf, parsed.head_len, &limits, body_deadline) {
                 Ok(ok) => ok,
                 Err(ChunkedBodyErr::TooLarge) => {
                     let _ = write_all(
@@ -191,7 +219,7 @@ pub fn run_connection(
                 Err(ChunkedBodyErr::Io(_)) => return,
             }
         } else {
-            match read_body(raw, &mut buf, parsed.head_len, body_len, request_deadline) {
+            match read_body(raw, &mut buf, parsed.head_len, body_len, &limits, body_deadline) {
                 Ok(b) => (b, body_len),
                 // Timeout mid-body (and any other body io error) -> just
                 // close; there's no point talking HTTP to a client this far
@@ -330,9 +358,9 @@ enum ReadHeadErr {
     /// keep_alive_timeout expired while waiting for the first byte of a
     /// request. Close silently.
     IdleTimeout,
-    /// request_timeout expired after the request had started arriving.
+    /// head_timeout expired after the request had started arriving but
-    /// Best-effort 408.
+    /// before the head finished parsing. Best-effort 408.
-    RequestTimeout,
+    HeadTimeout,
     Io(io::Error),
     Parse(ParseError),
 }
@@ -347,22 +375,22 @@ enum ReadHeadErr {
 /// - while `buf` is empty and nothing has arrived, we are *idle* and the
 ///   wait is bounded by `keep_alive_timeout`;
 /// - the instant the request has started (first byte read, or pipelined
-///   bytes already in `buf` at entry), the *request* clock starts: an
+///   bytes already in `buf` at entry), the *head* clock starts: an
-///   `Instant` deadline of `request_timeout` from that moment, which also
+///   `Instant` deadline of `head_timeout` from that moment. This budget
-///   covers body reads — it is returned alongside the parsed head so the
+///   covers the HEAD only; the body has its own budget (`body_timeout`),
-///   caller can thread it into `read_body`.
+///   which the caller anchors once the head has parsed.
 fn read_head(
     fd: RawFd,
     buf: &mut Vec<u8>,
     limits: &ConnLimits,
-) -> Result<(parser::ParsedHead, Instant), ReadHeadErr> {
+) -> Result<parser::ParsedHead, ReadHeadErr> {
     let entry = Instant::now();
     let idle_deadline = entry + limits.keep_alive_timeout;
     // Pipelined leftovers count as a started request.
-    let mut request_deadline: Option<Instant> = if buf.is_empty() {
+    let mut head_deadline: Option<Instant> = if buf.is_empty() {
         None
     } else {
-        Some(entry + limits.request_timeout)
+        Some(entry + limits.head_timeout)
     };
 
     loop {
@@ -375,11 +403,7 @@ fn read_head(
                 parser::parse_head(buf, limits.max_headers)
             };
             match head {
-                Ok(h)  => {
+                Ok(h)  => return Ok(h),
-                    let deadline = request_deadline
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|| Instant::now() + limits.request_timeout);
-                    return Ok((h, deadline));
-                }
                 Err(ParseError::Incomplete) => {} // need more bytes
                 Err(e) => return Err(ReadHeadErr::Parse(e)),
             }
@@ -390,19 +414,19 @@ fn read_head(
         }
 
         // Read more, bounded by whichever budget is active.
-        let deadline = request_deadline.unwrap_or(idle_deadline);
+        let deadline = head_deadline.unwrap_or(idle_deadline);
         match read_some(fd, buf, limits.initial_read_buf, deadline) {
             Ok(0)  => return Err(ReadHeadErr::ClientClosed),
             Ok(_)  => {
-                if request_deadline.is_none() {
+                if head_deadline.is_none() {
-                    // First byte(s) of this request: the request clock
+                    // First byte(s) of this request: the head clock
                     // starts now.
-                    request_deadline = Some(Instant::now() + limits.request_timeout);
+                    head_deadline = Some(Instant::now() + limits.head_timeout);
                 }
             }
             Err(e) if e.kind() == ErrorKind::TimedOut => {
-                return Err(if request_deadline.is_some() {
+                return Err(if head_deadline.is_some() {
-                    ReadHeadErr::RequestTimeout
+                    ReadHeadErr::HeadTimeout
                 } else {
                     ReadHeadErr::IdleTimeout
                 });
@@ -412,6 +436,58 @@ fn read_head(
     }
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// BodyStallGate — burst-gated stall eviction for body reads
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// Each body read is bounded by the SOONER of two deadlines: the absolute
+// body cap (`body_timeout`, passed in as `cap`) and a sliding stall window
+// (`mark + body_stall_timeout`). The stall mark only advances when the
+// client delivers a full burst (`body_burst_bytes` accumulated since the
+// last advance) — so a steady sub-burst trickle never moves the mark and
+// is evicted at ~body_stall_timeout, while a bursty slow-but-legit client
+// keeps resetting it and survives up to the absolute cap.
+//
+// State is two words (`mark`, `since_mark`); the per-read cost is one add
+// and one compare. Bytes counted are RAW socket bytes (progress = the
+// client is sending *something*), so chunked framing counts too, and a
+// burst that the kernel fragments into several reads still accumulates.
+struct BodyStallGate {
+    cap:           Instant,
+    stall_timeout: Duration,
+    burst_bytes:   usize,
+    mark:          Instant,
+    since_mark:    usize,
+}
+
+impl BodyStallGate {
+    fn new(cap: Instant, limits: &ConnLimits, now: Instant) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            cap,
+            stall_timeout: limits.body_stall_timeout,
+            burst_bytes:   limits.body_burst_bytes,
+            mark:          now,
+            since_mark:    0,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Deadline for the next read: the sooner of the absolute cap and the
+    /// current stall window.
+    fn deadline(&self) -> Instant {
+        (self.mark + self.stall_timeout).min(self.cap)
+    }
+
+    /// Record `n` freshly-read raw body bytes; advance the stall mark if a
+    /// full burst has accumulated since the last advance.
+    fn record(&mut self, n: usize, now: Instant) {
+        self.since_mark += n;
+        if self.since_mark >= self.burst_bytes {
+            self.mark = now;
+            self.since_mark = 0;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // read_body
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -421,7 +497,8 @@ fn read_body(
     buf: &mut Vec<u8>,
     head_len: usize,
     body_len: usize,
-    deadline: Instant,
+    limits: &ConnLimits,
+    cap: Instant,
 ) -> io::Result<Vec<u8>> {
     // Bytes already in `buf` past the head belong to the body.
     let already = buf.len().saturating_sub(head_len);
@@ -433,13 +510,17 @@ fn read_body(
         return Ok(buf[head_len..head_len + body_len].to_vec());
     }
 
-    // Read until we have the rest, on the same request budget that the
+    // Read until we have the rest, bounded by the body cap AND the
-    // head was read under.
+    // burst-gated stall window (whichever is sooner).
+    let mut gate = BodyStallGate::new(cap, limits, Instant::now());
     let mut total_read = already;
     while total_read < body_len {
-        match read_some(fd, buf, 8 * 1024, deadline) {
+        match read_some(fd, buf, 8 * 1024, gate.deadline()) {
             Ok(0)  => return Err(io::Error::new(ErrorKind::UnexpectedEof, "client closed during body")),
-            Ok(n)  => total_read += n,
+            Ok(n)  => {
+                total_read += n;
+                gate.record(n, Instant::now());
+            }
             Err(e) => return Err(e),
         }
     }
@@ -451,8 +532,9 @@ fn read_body(
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
 // Decodes `Transfer-Encoding: chunked` from `buf[head_len..]`, reading more
-// from the socket as needed on the SAME request deadline the head was read
+// from the socket as needed on the body deadline (anchored by the caller
-// under. Returns (decoded_body, raw_bytes_consumed_past_head) — the raw
+// when the head finished parsing, independent of the head clock).
+// Returns (decoded_body, raw_bytes_consumed_past_head) — the raw
 // count includes all framing and the trailer section, so the caller's
 // keep-alive drain lands exactly on the next pipelined request.
 //
@@ -479,23 +561,25 @@ fn read_chunked_body(
     limits: &ConnLimits,
     deadline: Instant,
 ) -> Result<(Vec<u8>, usize), ChunkedBodyErr> {
-    // Ensure `buf` holds at least `until` bytes, reading on the request
+    // Ensure `buf` holds at least `until` bytes, reading under the body
-    // deadline. Io(TimedOut) on expiry, UnexpectedEof on early close.
+    // stall gate (absolute cap AND burst-gated stall window). Io(TimedOut)
+    // on expiry, UnexpectedEof on early close. All chunked socket reads
+    // funnel through here, so recording bytes here covers the whole path.
     fn fill_to(
         fd: RawFd,
         buf: &mut Vec<u8>,
         until: usize,
-        deadline: Instant,
+        gate: &mut BodyStallGate,
     ) -> Result<(), ChunkedBodyErr> {
         while buf.len() < until {
-            match read_some(fd, buf, 8 * 1024, deadline) {
+            match read_some(fd, buf, 8 * 1024, gate.deadline()) {
                 Ok(0) => {
                     return Err(ChunkedBodyErr::Io(io::Error::new(
                         ErrorKind::UnexpectedEof,
                         "client closed during chunked body",
                     )))
                 }
-                Ok(_) => {}
+                Ok(n) => gate.record(n, Instant::now()),
                 Err(e) => return Err(ChunkedBodyErr::Io(e)),
             }
         }
@@ -510,7 +594,7 @@ fn read_chunked_body(
         buf: &mut Vec<u8>,
         from: usize,
         max_line: usize,
-        deadline: Instant,
+        gate: &mut BodyStallGate,
     ) -> Result<usize, ChunkedBodyErr> {
         let mut scan = from;
         loop {
@@ -523,16 +607,19 @@ fn read_chunked_body(
                     return Err(ChunkedBodyErr::Malformed);
                 }
             }
-            fill_to(fd, buf, buf.len() + 1, deadline)?;
+            fill_to(fd, buf, buf.len() + 1, gate)?;
         }
     }
 
+    // `deadline` is the absolute body cap; the gate layers the burst-gated
+    // stall window under it. All reads below go through find_crlf/fill_to.
+    let mut gate = BodyStallGate::new(deadline, limits, Instant::now());
     let mut pos = head_len;
     let mut decoded: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
 
     loop {
         // ----- size line: HEX[;extensions]\r\n -----
-        let line_end = find_crlf(fd, buf, pos, MAX_SIZE_LINE, deadline)?;
+        let line_end = find_crlf(fd, buf, pos, MAX_SIZE_LINE, &mut gate)?;
         let line = &buf[pos..line_end];
         let size_str = match line.iter().position(|&b| b == b';') {
             Some(i) => &line[..i], // chunk extensions: ignored
@@ -549,7 +636,7 @@ fn read_chunked_body(
             // ----- trailer section: zero or more header lines, then CRLF -----
             let trailer_start = pos;
             loop {
-                let t_end = find_crlf(fd, buf, pos, MAX_SIZE_LINE.max(1024), deadline)?;
+                let t_end = find_crlf(fd, buf, pos, MAX_SIZE_LINE.max(1024), &mut gate)?;
                 let empty = t_end == pos;
                 pos = t_end + 2;
                 if empty {
@@ -566,7 +653,7 @@ fn read_chunked_body(
         }
 
         // ----- chunk payload + trailing CRLF -----
-        fill_to(fd, buf, pos + size + 2, deadline)?;
+        fill_to(fd, buf, pos + size + 2, &mut gate)?;
         decoded.extend_from_slice(&buf[pos..pos + size]);
         if &buf[pos + size..pos + size + 2] != b"\r\n" {
             return Err(ChunkedBodyErr::Malformed);
@@ -773,6 +860,8 @@ fn emit_error_response(fd: RawFd, err: &ParseError, deadline: Instant) {
             b"HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request\r\ncontent-length: 0\r\nconnection: close\r\n\r\n",
         ParseError::Unsupported =>
             b"HTTP/1.1 411 Length Required\r\ncontent-length: 0\r\nconnection: close\r\n\r\n",
+        ParseError::UnknownTransferCoding =>
+            b"HTTP/1.1 501 Not Implemented\r\ncontent-length: 0\r\nconnection: close\r\n\r\n",
         // Incomplete and Malformed both lead here; Incomplete shouldn't
         // appear (read_head loops on it).
         _ =>

src/lib.rs

@@ -44,3 +44,5 @@ pub use ws::{Message, WsClosed, WsHandler, WsSender};
 pub use serve::{
     serve, serve_with, serve_with_shutdown, shutdown_handle, Config, Handle, ShutdownSignal,
 };
+#[cfg(feature = "config-file")]
+pub use serve::ConfigError;

src/parser.rs

@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@
 //!   - No body header — empty body.
 //!   - `Transfer-Encoding: chunked` (HTTP/1.1) — flagged in `ParsedHead`;
 //!     the connection actor decodes incrementally (`read_chunked_body`).
-//!     Chunked + Content-Length together, or chunked on HTTP/1.0, is
+//!     TE is 1.1-only and overrides Content-Length: TE on HTTP/1.0, or TE
-//!     Malformed (request-smuggling ambiguity; RFC 7230 §3.3.3).
+//!     together with a Content-Length, is Malformed (400). `chunked` must be
+//!     the final coding (non-final -> 400); any other coding is unimplemented
+//!     (-> 501). Only a sole final `chunked` sets the flag (RFC 9112 §6.1/§6.3).
 
 use crate::conn::{Body, Conn, HeaderMap, HttpVersion, Method, RespBody};
 
@@ -33,6 +35,10 @@ pub enum ParseError {
     /// (chunked decoding landed in v0.3); kept for future unsupported
     /// framings. Connection actor responds 411 + close.
     Unsupported,
+    /// `Transfer-Encoding` names a transfer coding we don't implement
+    /// (`chunked` is the only one urus decodes). Connection actor responds
+    /// 501 Not Implemented + close (RFC 9112 §6.1, §7).
+    UnknownTransferCoding,
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -100,6 +106,11 @@ pub fn parse_head(buf: &[u8], max_headers: usize) -> Result<ParsedHead, ParseErr
     let mut connection_hdr = None;
     let mut chunked        = false;
     let mut expect_100     = false;
+    let mut host_count     = 0usize;
+    let mut host_ok        = true;
+    let mut cl_count       = 0usize;
+    let mut te_present     = false;
+    let mut te_codings: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
 
     for h in req.headers.iter() {
         let name_lower = h.name.to_ascii_lowercase();
@@ -107,6 +118,10 @@ pub fn parse_head(buf: &[u8], max_headers: usize) -> Result<ParsedHead, ParseErr
 
         match name_lower.as_str() {
             "content-length" => {
+                // Count occurrences; duplicates (even equal) are rejected
+                // post-loop. A single value must be one decimal integer —
+                // a comma-list ("5, 5") or non-numeric fails parse here.
+                cl_count += 1;
                 content_length = Some(
                     value.trim()
                         .parse::<usize>()
@@ -114,10 +129,17 @@ pub fn parse_head(buf: &[u8], max_headers: usize) -> Result<ParsedHead, ParseErr
                 );
             }
             "transfer-encoding" => {
-                // We only care whether it includes "chunked". Multiple codings
+                // Collect the ordered coding list across any number of TE
-                // can appear; chunked is the only one we'd need to decode.
+                // headers; finality/known-ness is decided post-loop. Empty
-                if value.to_ascii_lowercase().split(',').any(|t| t.trim() == "chunked") {
+                // list elements (legacy `#rule`, e.g. a trailing comma) are
-                    chunked = true;
+                // skipped; a wholly empty value leaves te_codings empty and
+                // is caught below.
+                te_present = true;
+                for coding in value.split(',') {
+                    let c = coding.trim().to_ascii_lowercase();
+                    if !c.is_empty() {
+                        te_codings.push(c);
+                    }
                 }
             }
             "connection" => {
@@ -126,19 +148,68 @@ pub fn parse_head(buf: &[u8], max_headers: usize) -> Result<ParsedHead, ParseErr
             "expect" if value.eq_ignore_ascii_case("100-continue") => {
                 expect_100 = true;
             }
+            "host" => {
+                // Presence/uniqueness enforced post-loop; validity here.
+                host_count += 1;
+                if !valid_host(value) {
+                    host_ok = false;
+                }
+            }
             _ => {}
         }
         headers.append(&name_lower, value.to_string());
     }
 
-    if chunked {
+    // Host (RFC 9112 §3.2): an HTTP/1.1 request MUST carry exactly one valid
-        // Transfer-Encoding is an HTTP/1.1 mechanism; a 1.0 request
+    // Host; a missing, duplicate, or malformed Host is a 400. HTTP/1.0 may
-        // carrying it is malformed. And a request carrying BOTH a
+    // omit Host, but a duplicate or invalid one is still rejected on any
-        // Content-Length and TE: chunked is the classic request-smuggling
+    // version (ambiguous / malformed authority).
-        // ambiguity — RFC 7230 §3.3.3 lets a server reject it, and we do.
+    if host_count > 1 || !host_ok {
-        if version == HttpVersion::Http10 || content_length.is_some() {
+        return Err(ParseError::Malformed);
+    }
+    if version == HttpVersion::Http11 && host_count == 0 {
+        return Err(ParseError::Malformed);
+    }
+
+    // Content-Length (RFC 9112 §6.3): more than one Content-Length is an
+    // unrecoverable framing ambiguity (CL.CL request smuggling). We are
+    // strict — reject any duplicate, not only differing values.
+    if cl_count > 1 {
+        return Err(ParseError::BadContentLength);
+    }
+
+    // Transfer-Encoding (RFC 9112 §6.1/§6.3). TE is a 1.1 mechanism and
+    // overrides Content-Length; only `chunked` is implemented here.
+    if te_present {
+        // TE on HTTP/1.0 is malformed (no 1.0 chunked).
+        if version == HttpVersion::Http10 {
             return Err(ParseError::Malformed);
         }
+        // TE together with Content-Length is the classic smuggling
+        // ambiguity; TE overrides CL and we reject rather than forward.
+        if content_length.is_some() {
+            return Err(ParseError::Malformed);
+        }
+        // A Transfer-Encoding header that carries no coding frames nothing.
+        if te_codings.is_empty() {
+            return Err(ParseError::Malformed);
+        }
+
+        let last_is_chunked = te_codings.last().map(String::as_str) == Some("chunked");
+        let has_chunked     = te_codings.iter().any(|c| c == "chunked");
+
+        if has_chunked && !last_is_chunked {
+            // chunked present but not final: body length isn't reliably
+            // determinable -> 400.
+            return Err(ParseError::Malformed);
+        }
+        if te_codings.iter().any(|c| c != "chunked") {
+            // Some coding we don't implement (chunked is the only decodable
+            // one). Whether or not chunked is final, we can't apply it -> 501.
+            return Err(ParseError::UnknownTransferCoding);
+        }
+        // Sole, final `chunked`: the connection actor decodes the body.
+        chunked = true;
     }
 
     // Keep-alive logic, RFC 7230 §6.3:
@@ -163,6 +234,32 @@ pub fn parse_head(buf: &[u8], max_headers: usize) -> Result<ParsedHead, ParseErr
     })
 }
 
+/// Conservative RFC 3986 check for a `Host` field-value: non-empty and every
+/// byte drawn from the `host[:port]` productions (reg-name / IP-literal
+/// brackets / port colon). This is charset-level, not full structural
+/// validation (no bracket matching, no pct-encoding well-formedness) — enough
+/// to reject the smuggling-relevant garbage (whitespace, controls, `@`, `/`,
+/// `?`, `#`) while accepting every legitimate host. Tighter structural checks
+/// (bracketed IPv6, single port colon) are a possible follow-up.
+fn valid_host(value: &str) -> bool {
+    !value.is_empty()
+        && value.bytes().all(|b| {
+            b.is_ascii_alphanumeric()
+                || matches!(
+                    b,
+                    // unreserved punctuation
+                    b'-' | b'.' | b'_' | b'~'
+                    // sub-delims
+                    | b'!' | b'$' | b'&' | b'\'' | b'(' | b')'
+                    | b'*' | b'+' | b',' | b';' | b'='
+                    // pct-encoded lead
+                    | b'%'
+                    // IP-literal brackets + port separator
+                    | b'[' | b']' | b':'
+                )
+        })
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Conn assembly
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -403,6 +500,128 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    // --- Host (RFC 9112 §3.2) -------------------------------------------
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_missing_host_http11_is_malformed() {
+        let req = b"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\n\r\n";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::Malformed) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected Malformed for missing Host on 1.1"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_missing_host_http10_is_allowed() {
+        // Host is optional in HTTP/1.0.
+        let req = b"GET / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n";
+        assert!(parse_head(req, 64).is_ok(), "1.0 may omit Host");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_duplicate_host_is_malformed() {
+        let req = b"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: a\r\nHost: b\r\n\r\n";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::Malformed) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected Malformed for duplicate Host"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_invalid_host_value_is_malformed() {
+        // Embedded whitespace — invalid in an RFC 3986 authority.
+        let req = b"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: bad host\r\n\r\n";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::Malformed) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected Malformed for invalid Host"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_valid_hosts_accepted() {
+        // Positive controls: reg-name, reg-name:port, and IPv6-literal:port.
+        for req in [
+            b"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: example.com\r\n\r\n".as_slice(),
+            b"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: example.com:8080\r\n\r\n".as_slice(),
+            b"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: [::1]:443\r\n\r\n".as_slice(),
+        ] {
+            assert!(parse_head(req, 64).is_ok(), "should accept a valid Host");
+        }
+    }
+
+    // --- Content-Length (RFC 9112 §6.3) ---------------------------------
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_conflicting_content_length_is_rejected() {
+        // Two differing Content-Length values — classic CL.CL smuggling.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nContent-Length: 5\r\nContent-Length: 7\r\n\r\nhello!!";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::BadContentLength) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected BadContentLength for conflicting CL"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_duplicate_equal_content_length_is_rejected() {
+        // Strict: even identical duplicates are rejected.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nContent-Length: 5\r\nContent-Length: 5\r\n\r\nhello";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::BadContentLength) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected BadContentLength for duplicate CL"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_single_content_length_still_ok() {
+        // Regression: the ordinary single-CL path is unchanged.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nContent-Length: 5\r\n\r\nhello";
+        let head = parse_head(req, 64).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(head.content_length, Some(5));
+    }
+
+    // --- Transfer-Encoding (RFC 9112 §6.1/§6.3) -------------------------
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_non_final_chunked_is_malformed() {
+        // chunked must be the FINAL coding.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nTransfer-Encoding: chunked, gzip\r\n\r\n";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::Malformed) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected Malformed for non-final chunked"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_unknown_transfer_coding_is_unimplemented() {
+        // A coding urus doesn't implement, no chunked at all -> 501.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nTransfer-Encoding: nonsense\r\n\r\n";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::UnknownTransferCoding) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected UnknownTransferCoding for unknown coding"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_gzip_then_chunked_is_unimplemented() {
+        // chunked IS final, but gzip is still a coding we can't apply -> 501.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nTransfer-Encoding: gzip, chunked\r\n\r\n";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::UnknownTransferCoding) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected UnknownTransferCoding for gzip,chunked"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_te_with_content_length_is_malformed() {
+        // ANY Transfer-Encoding + Content-Length -> reject (smuggling),
+        // not only chunked+CL. This closes the old TE:unknown + CL gap.
+        let req = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nTransfer-Encoding: bogus\r\nContent-Length: 5\r\n\r\nhello";
+        match parse_head(req, 64) {
+            Err(ParseError::Malformed) => {}
+            _ => panic!("expected Malformed for TE + CL"),
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn serialise_basic_200() {
         let conn = Conn::new().put_status(200).put_body("hi");

src/serve.rs

@@ -37,7 +37,21 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub keep_alive_timeout: Duration,
     pub max_header_count:   usize,
     pub read_buf_size:      usize,
-    pub request_timeout:    Duration,
+    /// Wall-clock budget for reading the request HEAD (from first byte to
+    /// full head parse). Kept short — an incomplete head is the classic
+    /// slowloris. See `ConnLimits::head_timeout`.
+    pub head_timeout:       Duration,
+    /// Absolute wall-clock cap on reading the request BODY (from head-parse
+    /// to full body). Sized for slow links, so much larger than
+    /// `head_timeout`. See `ConnLimits::body_timeout`.
+    pub body_timeout:       Duration,
+    /// Burst size that resets the body stall clock. A body dribbling fewer
+    /// than this per `body_stall_timeout` window is evicted — the slowloris
+    /// / slow-legit discriminator. See `ConnLimits::body_burst_bytes`.
+    pub body_burst_bytes:   usize,
+    /// Max time since the last qualifying body burst before eviction;
+    /// backstopped by `body_timeout`. See `ConnLimits::body_stall_timeout`.
+    pub body_stall_timeout: Duration,
     /// Per-write budget for response bytes (the fixed head+body write, and
     /// each streamed chunk). See `ConnLimits::write_timeout`.
     pub write_timeout:      Duration,
@@ -65,6 +79,12 @@ pub struct Config {
     /// Default: 256 KiB. The reserve is virtual/demand-paged, so raising it
     /// costs address space, not RSS, until a handler actually uses it.
     pub conn_stack_reserve: usize,
+    /// Maximum concurrently-live actors — smarm's fixed slot slab, allocated
+    /// once at init. Each connection is one actor, so this is also the hard
+    /// cap on concurrent connections. `None` uses smarm's default (16_384).
+    /// Slots are ~256 B, so raising this is cheap relative to per-connection
+    /// stacks; size it to peak concurrent connections.
+    pub max_actors: Option<usize>,
 }
 
 /// Default per-connection actor stack reserve (see [`Config::conn_stack_reserve`]).
@@ -82,7 +102,10 @@ impl Config {
             keep_alive_timeout: Duration::from_secs(60),
             max_header_count:   64,
             read_buf_size:      8 * 1024,
-            request_timeout:    Duration::from_secs(30),
+            head_timeout:       Duration::from_secs(30),
+            body_timeout:       Duration::from_secs(300),
+            body_burst_bytes:   4 * 1024,
+            body_stall_timeout: Duration::from_secs(20),
             write_timeout:      Duration::from_secs(30),
             max_body_bytes:     16 * 1024 * 1024,
             drain_timeout:      Duration::from_secs(30),
@@ -90,6 +113,7 @@ impl Config {
             max_message_bytes:  4 * 1024 * 1024,
             scheduler_threads:  None,
             conn_stack_reserve: DEFAULT_CONN_STACK_RESERVE,
+            max_actors:         None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -100,7 +124,10 @@ impl Config {
             max_head_bytes:     64 * 1024,
             max_body_bytes:     self.max_body_bytes,
             keep_alive_timeout: self.keep_alive_timeout,
-            request_timeout:    self.request_timeout,
+            head_timeout:       self.head_timeout,
+            body_timeout:       self.body_timeout,
+            body_burst_bytes:   self.body_burst_bytes,
+            body_stall_timeout: self.body_stall_timeout,
             write_timeout:      self.write_timeout,
             max_frame_payload:  self.max_frame_payload,
             max_message_bytes:  self.max_message_bytes,
@@ -108,6 +135,79 @@ impl Config {
     }
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// config-file: TOML overlay for tuning knobs
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// urus is a library, so it never presumes a config-file path or reads the
+// environment — the embedding binary decides where a file lives and hands
+// the text here. This overlays a sparse TOML document onto an existing
+// `Config` (built with an addr the binary chose): only the keys present are
+// applied, everything else keeps the compiled default. Durations are
+// integer seconds. Unknown keys are a hard error so a typo is loud, not a
+// silent no-op.
+//
+// Scope for now: the slowloris-tuning knobs only. Migrating the rest of the
+// Config surface into the file is a separate, additive job (the loader
+// mechanism is general — it just extends `TomlOverrides`).
+
+/// Error from [`Config::with_toml_str`]: the TOML failed to parse or carried
+/// an unknown/mistyped key.
+#[cfg(feature = "config-file")]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum ConfigError {
+    Toml(String),
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "config-file")]
+impl std::fmt::Display for ConfigError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            ConfigError::Toml(m) => write!(f, "config TOML error: {m}"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "config-file")]
+impl std::error::Error for ConfigError {}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "config-file")]
+#[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
+#[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
+struct TomlOverrides {
+    head_timeout_secs:       Option<u64>,
+    body_timeout_secs:       Option<u64>,
+    body_burst_bytes:        Option<usize>,
+    body_stall_timeout_secs: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "config-file")]
+impl Config {
+    /// Overlay a TOML document of tuning knobs onto this config (sparse:
+    /// only the keys present are applied). Durations are integer seconds.
+    ///
+    /// Recognized keys: `head_timeout_secs`, `body_timeout_secs`,
+    /// `body_burst_bytes`, `body_stall_timeout_secs`. Unknown keys error.
+    /// Other `Config` knobs are not yet file-configurable.
+    pub fn with_toml_str(mut self, s: &str) -> Result<Self, ConfigError> {
+        let o: TomlOverrides =
+            toml::from_str(s).map_err(|e| ConfigError::Toml(e.to_string()))?;
+        if let Some(v) = o.head_timeout_secs {
+            self.head_timeout = Duration::from_secs(v);
+        }
+        if let Some(v) = o.body_timeout_secs {
+            self.body_timeout = Duration::from_secs(v);
+        }
+        if let Some(v) = o.body_burst_bytes {
+            self.body_burst_bytes = v;
+        }
+        if let Some(v) = o.body_stall_timeout_secs {
+            self.body_stall_timeout = Duration::from_secs(v);
+        }
+        Ok(self)
+    }
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // dup helper
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -326,10 +426,13 @@ pub fn serve_with_shutdown(
     let conn_stack_reserve = config.conn_stack_reserve;
     let drain_timeout      = config.drain_timeout;
 
-    let smarm_cfg = match config.scheduler_threads {
+    let mut smarm_cfg = match config.scheduler_threads {
         Some(n) => smarm::Config::exact(n),
         None    => smarm::Config::default(),
     };
+    if let Some(m) = config.max_actors {
+        smarm_cfg = smarm_cfg.max_actors(m);
+    }
     let rt = smarm::init(smarm_cfg);
     // Listener self-termination flag — see the shutdown sequence below.
     let shutdown_flag = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
@@ -440,3 +543,61 @@ pub fn serve(addr: impl ToSocketAddrs, pipeline: Pipeline) -> io::Result<()> {
         .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::new(ErrorKind::InvalidInput, "no addresses resolved"))?;
     serve_with(Config::new(addr), pipeline)
 }
+
+#[cfg(all(test, feature = "config-file"))]
+mod config_file_tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn base() -> Config {
+        Config::new("127.0.0.1:0".parse().unwrap())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn toml_empty_keeps_defaults() {
+        let d = base();
+        let c = base().with_toml_str("").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(c.head_timeout, d.head_timeout);
+        assert_eq!(c.body_timeout, d.body_timeout);
+        assert_eq!(c.body_burst_bytes, d.body_burst_bytes);
+        assert_eq!(c.body_stall_timeout, d.body_stall_timeout);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn toml_partial_overrides_only_named() {
+        let d = base();
+        let c = base().with_toml_str("head_timeout_secs = 5").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(c.head_timeout, Duration::from_secs(5)); // overridden
+        assert_eq!(c.body_timeout, d.body_timeout);         // default kept
+        assert_eq!(c.body_burst_bytes, d.body_burst_bytes); // default kept
+        assert_eq!(c.body_stall_timeout, d.body_stall_timeout);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn toml_full_overrides_all() {
+        let c = base()
+            .with_toml_str(
+                "head_timeout_secs = 10\n\
+                 body_timeout_secs = 120\n\
+                 body_burst_bytes = 8192\n\
+                 body_stall_timeout_secs = 15\n",
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(c.head_timeout, Duration::from_secs(10));
+        assert_eq!(c.body_timeout, Duration::from_secs(120));
+        assert_eq!(c.body_burst_bytes, 8192);
+        assert_eq!(c.body_stall_timeout, Duration::from_secs(15));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn toml_unknown_key_errors() {
+        // A mistyped/unknown key is a hard error, not a silent no-op.
+        let e = base().with_toml_str("body_timeout_sec = 120"); // typo: missing 's'
+        assert!(e.is_err(), "unknown key should error");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn toml_malformed_errors() {
+        let e = base().with_toml_str("this is not = valid = toml");
+        assert!(e.is_err(), "malformed TOML should error");
+    }
+}

src/sse.rs

@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
 //! write — event or heartbeat — stalls past `write_timeout`; the conn
 //! actor then drops the stream and the producer's next [`EventSender`]
 //! call returns `Err(SseClosed)`. There is no request clock on an SSE
-//! response: `request_timeout` covers only the read phase, by design.
+//! response: the head/body read budgets cover only the read phase, by
+//! design.
 
 use crate::conn::{Conn, RespBody, StreamBody};
 

tests/integration.rs

@@ -437,7 +437,8 @@ fn shutdown_force_stops_at_drain_deadline() {
 fn spawn_server_with_timeouts(
     pipeline: Pipeline,
     keep_alive: Duration,
-    request: Duration,
+    head: Duration,
+    body: Duration,
 ) -> u16 {
     let port = free_port();
     let addr: SocketAddr = format!("127.0.0.1:{port}").parse().unwrap();
@@ -446,7 +447,41 @@ fn spawn_server_with_timeouts(
             listener_pool:      2,
             scheduler_threads:  Some(2),
             keep_alive_timeout: keep_alive,
-            request_timeout:    request,
+            head_timeout:       head,
+            body_timeout:       body,
+            ..Config::new(addr)
+        };
+        serve_with(cfg, pipeline).unwrap();
+    });
+    for _ in 0..50 {
+        if TcpStream::connect(addr).is_ok() {
+            return port;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+    }
+    panic!("server didn't come up on {addr}");
+}
+
+/// Spawn a server with the body stall-gate knobs under test; keep-alive
+/// and head budgets are set out of the way so only the body path matters.
+fn spawn_server_with_body_gate(
+    pipeline: Pipeline,
+    head: Duration,
+    body: Duration,
+    burst_bytes: usize,
+    stall: Duration,
+) -> u16 {
+    let port = free_port();
+    let addr: SocketAddr = format!("127.0.0.1:{port}").parse().unwrap();
+    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        let cfg = Config {
+            listener_pool:      2,
+            scheduler_threads:  Some(2),
+            keep_alive_timeout: Duration::from_secs(30),
+            head_timeout:       head,
+            body_timeout:       body,
+            body_burst_bytes:   burst_bytes,
+            body_stall_timeout: stall,
             ..Config::new(addr)
         };
         serve_with(cfg, pipeline).unwrap();
@@ -486,7 +521,8 @@ fn idle_keepalive_reaped_at_keep_alive_timeout() {
     let port = spawn_server_with_timeouts(
         pipe,
         Duration::from_millis(300), // keep_alive_timeout under test
-        Duration::from_secs(10),    // request_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_secs(10),    // head_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_secs(10),    // body_timeout out of the way
     );
 
     let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
@@ -511,17 +547,18 @@ fn idle_keepalive_reaped_at_keep_alive_timeout() {
 }
 
 /// A slowloris client that sends a partial head and then stalls is killed
-/// at request_timeout with a best-effort 408, even though the (large)
+/// at head_timeout with a best-effort 408, even though the (large)
-/// keep-alive budget hasn't expired.
+/// keep-alive and body budgets haven't expired.
 #[test]
-fn slowloris_partial_head_killed_at_request_timeout() {
+fn slowloris_partial_head_killed_at_head_timeout() {
     let pipe = Pipeline::new().plug(
         Router::new().get("/", |c: Conn, _n: Next| c.put_status(200))
     );
     let port = spawn_server_with_timeouts(
         pipe,
         Duration::from_secs(10),    // keep_alive_timeout out of the way
-        Duration::from_millis(300), // request_timeout under test
+        Duration::from_millis(300), // head_timeout under test
+        Duration::from_secs(10),    // body_timeout out of the way
     );
 
     let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
@@ -913,14 +950,16 @@ fn chunked_plus_content_length_400() {
     assert_eq!(http_status(&resp), 400);
 }
 
-/// A chunked body that stalls mid-stream is killed by the request
+/// A chunked body that stalls mid-stream is killed by the BODY deadline
-/// deadline: the connection just closes (no response owed mid-body).
+/// (head budget generous): the connection just closes (no response owed
+/// mid-body).
 #[test]
-fn chunked_request_stall_killed_at_request_timeout() {
+fn chunked_body_stall_killed_at_body_timeout() {
     let port = spawn_server_with_timeouts(
         echo_pipeline(),
-        Duration::from_secs(30),
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // keep_alive_timeout out of the way
-        Duration::from_millis(400), // request_timeout
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // head_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_millis(400), // body_timeout under test
     );
     let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
     s.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(5))).unwrap();
@@ -936,6 +975,139 @@ fn chunked_request_stall_killed_at_request_timeout() {
     assert!(start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(3), "close took too long");
 }
 
+/// The core of the head/body split: a client that sends a COMPLETE head
+/// promptly and then trickles its (small) body over a span LONGER than
+/// head_timeout still succeeds, because the body runs on its own, larger
+/// budget. Under the old shared request clock this would have been killed
+/// mid-body at head_timeout. This is the slow-but-legit IoT upload we must
+/// not punish.
+#[test]
+fn slow_body_outlives_head_timeout() {
+    let port = spawn_server_with_timeouts(
+        echo_pipeline(),
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // keep_alive_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_millis(500), // head_timeout: SHORT
+        Duration::from_secs(8),     // body_timeout: generous
+    );
+    let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
+    s.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(10))).unwrap();
+    // Full head at once (parses well within head_timeout), Connection:
+    // close so the server closes after responding and read_to_end lands
+    // the whole response.
+    s.write_all(
+        b"POST /echo HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nContent-Length: 4\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    // Trickle the 4-byte body at 250ms/byte => ~1s total, well past the
+    // 500ms head_timeout but inside the 8s body_timeout.
+    for b in b"test" {
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(250));
+        s.write_all(&[*b]).unwrap();
+    }
+    let mut resp = Vec::new();
+    s.read_to_end(&mut resp).expect("expected full response");
+    assert_eq!(http_status(&resp), 200, "resp: {:?}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&resp));
+    assert!(
+        resp.ends_with(b"test"),
+        "expected echoed body 'test', got: {:?}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&resp)
+    );
+}
+
+/// A fixed-Content-Length body that stalls before completing is killed by
+/// the BODY deadline (head budget generous): silent close, nothing owed
+/// mid-body. The fixed-path twin of chunked_body_stall_killed_at_body_timeout.
+#[test]
+fn fixed_body_stall_killed_at_body_timeout() {
+    let port = spawn_server_with_timeouts(
+        echo_pipeline(),
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // keep_alive_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // head_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_millis(400), // body_timeout under test
+    );
+    let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
+    s.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(5))).unwrap();
+    // Promises 100 bytes, sends a few, then stalls forever.
+    s.write_all(b"POST /echo HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nContent-Length: 100\r\n\r\npartial")
+        .unwrap();
+    let start = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let mut resp = Vec::new();
+    s.read_to_end(&mut resp).unwrap(); // server closes; EOF
+    assert!(resp.is_empty(), "expected silent close, got: {:?}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&resp));
+    assert!(start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(3), "close took too long");
+}
+
+/// Burst gate, NEGATIVE (chunked path): a client that ACTIVELY but SMOOTHLY
+/// trickles sub-burst bytes is evicted at ~body_stall_timeout — even though
+/// the absolute body_timeout is far away and the client never goes fully
+/// silent. This is the slowloris-body case the gate exists to catch, and
+/// exercises the fill_to gate in read_chunked_body.
+#[test]
+fn body_smooth_trickle_evicted_at_stall_timeout() {
+    let port = spawn_server_with_body_gate(
+        echo_pipeline(),
+        Duration::from_secs(30),     // head_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_secs(30),     // body_timeout out of the way (prove it's the STALL gate)
+        4096,                        // body_burst_bytes
+        Duration::from_millis(800),  // body_stall_timeout under test
+    );
+    let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
+    s.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(5))).unwrap();
+    // Head + a chunk-size line announcing a 4096-byte chunk, then trickle
+    // its payload one byte at a time: never a full burst, so the stall mark
+    // never advances.
+    s.write_all(b"POST /echo HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nTransfer-Encoding: chunked\r\n\r\n1000\r\n")
+        .unwrap();
+    let start = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let mut evicted = false;
+    for _ in 0..200 { // up to ~20s; eviction expected at ~800ms
+        if s.write_all(&[b'x']).is_err() {
+            evicted = true; // server closed on us -> write failed
+            break;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(100));
+    }
+    assert!(evicted, "server never evicted the smooth sub-burst trickle");
+    assert!(
+        start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(3),
+        "eviction took {:?}, expected ~800ms (stall gate, not the 30s cap)", start.elapsed()
+    );
+}
+
+/// Burst gate, POSITIVE (fixed-CL path): a slow-but-legit client that
+/// delivers real bursts with gaps SHORTER than body_stall_timeout keeps
+/// resetting the stall mark and completes intact. This is the slow IoT
+/// upload the gate must NOT punish; exercises the read_body gate.
+#[test]
+fn bursty_slow_body_survives_stall_gate() {
+    let port = spawn_server_with_body_gate(
+        echo_pipeline(),
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // head_timeout out of the way
+        Duration::from_secs(30),    // body_timeout out of the way
+        4096,                       // body_burst_bytes
+        Duration::from_secs(2),     // body_stall_timeout: gaps stay under this
+    );
+    let mut s = TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).unwrap();
+    s.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(10))).unwrap();
+    // Promise 3 * 4096 bytes, Connection: close so read_to_end lands the
+    // full echo.
+    let burst = vec![b'x'; 4096];
+    s.write_all(b"POST /echo HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: x\r\nContent-Length: 12288\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n")
+        .unwrap();
+    for i in 0..3 {
+        s.write_all(&burst).unwrap();
+        if i < 2 {
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)); // < 2s stall window
+        }
+    }
+    let mut resp = Vec::new();
+    s.read_to_end(&mut resp).expect("expected full response");
+    assert_eq!(http_status(&resp), 200, "resp head: {:?}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&resp[..resp.len().min(120)]));
+    let body_at = resp.windows(4).position(|w| w == b"\r\n\r\n").expect("no head terminator") + 4;
+    let body = &resp[body_at..];
+    assert_eq!(body.len(), 12288, "echoed body truncated: {} bytes", body.len());
+    assert!(body.iter().all(|&b| b == b'x'), "echoed body corrupted");
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // SSE (v0.3 chunk 3)
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------