diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-blacksmith.yml b/.github/workflows/test-blacksmith.yml
index 2297180..0fd7e60 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-blacksmith.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-blacksmith.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout action repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Assert BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR is advertised
+        run: test -n "$BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR"
+
       - name: Test checkout with git mirror (self)
         uses: ./
         with:
diff --git a/__test__/blacksmith-cache.test.ts b/__test__/blacksmith-cache.test.ts
index 144409e..2094ddc 100644
--- a/__test__/blacksmith-cache.test.ts
+++ b/__test__/blacksmith-cache.test.ts
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ describe('blacksmith-cache tests', () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
       jest.resetModules()
       process.env = {...originalEnv}
+      process.env['BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR'] = '192.168.127.1'
+      process.env['BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT'] = '5557'
       mockIsRunningInContainer.mockReturnValue(false)
     })
 
@@ -166,6 +168,18 @@ describe('blacksmith-cache tests', () => {
       expect(blacksmithCache.shouldUseBlacksmithCache()).toBe(false)
     })
 
+    it('returns false when BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR is not set', () => {
+      process.env['BLACKSMITH_VM_ID'] = 'test-vm-id'
+      delete process.env['BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR']
+      expect(blacksmithCache.shouldUseBlacksmithCache()).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('returns false when BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT is not set', () => {
+      process.env['BLACKSMITH_VM_ID'] = 'test-vm-id'
+      delete process.env['BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT']
+      expect(blacksmithCache.shouldUseBlacksmithCache()).toBe(false)
+    })
+
     it('returns false when BLACKSMITH_BYPASS_CHECKOUT=true (control-plane kill switch)', () => {
       process.env['BLACKSMITH_VM_ID'] = 'test-vm-id'
       process.env['BLACKSMITH_BYPASS_CHECKOUT'] = 'true'
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 0243e17..ce4a63e 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, P, ge
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", ({ value: true }));
 exports.getMountPoint = getMountPoint;
 exports.isBlacksmithEnvironment = isBlacksmithEnvironment;
+exports.getAgentAddr = getAgentAddr;
+exports.getGrpcPort = getGrpcPort;
 exports.isAllowedInsideContainer = isAllowedInsideContainer;
 exports.shouldUseBlacksmithCache = shouldUseBlacksmithCache;
 exports.getMirrorPath = getMirrorPath;
@@ -59,7 +61,9 @@ const connect_node_1 = __nccwpck_require__(1125);
 const stickydisk_connect_1 = __nccwpck_require__(2880);
 const retryHelper = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(2155));
 const container_detector_1 = __nccwpck_require__(6424);
-const GRPC_PORT = process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT || '5557';
+// Without a deadline, a black-holed dial stalls the checkout until the OS
+// gives up on the TCP handshake.
+const AGENT_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS = 45000;
 const MOUNT_BASE = '/blacksmith-git-mirror';
 const MIRROR_VERSION = 'v1';
 const REFRESH_TIMEOUT_SECS = 120; // 2 minutes
@@ -86,6 +90,12 @@ function getMountPoint(owner, repo) {
 function isBlacksmithEnvironment() {
     return !!process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID;
 }
+function getAgentAddr() {
+    return process.env.BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR || undefined;
+}
+function getGrpcPort() {
+    return process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT || undefined;
+}
 /**
  * Escape hatch for container jobs that deliberately pass the runner's
  * block devices through to the container (e.g. `options:
@@ -113,6 +123,10 @@ function shouldUseBlacksmithCache() {
     if (!isBlacksmithEnvironment()) {
         return false;
     }
+    if (!getAgentAddr() || !getGrpcPort()) {
+        core.info('[blacksmith] BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR or BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT is not set; the Blacksmith agent is not reachable from this runner, falling back to actions/checkout behavior');
+        return false;
+    }
     if (process.env.BLACKSMITH_BYPASS_CHECKOUT === 'true') {
         core.info('[blacksmith] BLACKSMITH_BYPASS_CHECKOUT=true — skipping Blacksmith git mirror cache and falling back to actions/checkout behavior');
         return false;
@@ -145,9 +159,14 @@ function getMirrorPath(owner, repo) {
  * Create a gRPC client for communicating with the Blacksmith VM agent
  */
 function createBlacksmithClient() {
-    core.debug(`Creating Blacksmith agent client with port: ${GRPC_PORT}`);
+    const addr = getAgentAddr();
+    const grpcPort = getGrpcPort();
+    if (!addr || !grpcPort) {
+        throw new Error('BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR or BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT is not set; cannot dial the Blacksmith agent');
+    }
+    core.debug(`Creating Blacksmith agent client for ${addr}:${grpcPort}`);
     const transport = (0, connect_node_1.createGrpcTransport)({
-        baseUrl: `http://192.168.127.1:${GRPC_PORT}`,
+        baseUrl: `http://${addr}:${grpcPort}`,
         httpVersion: '2'
     });
     return (0, connect_1.createClient)(stickydisk_connect_1.StickyDiskService, transport);
@@ -219,14 +238,18 @@ function setupCache(owner, repo) {
     return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
         const client = createBlacksmithClient();
         const stickyDiskKey = `${owner}-${repo}`;
-        // Test connection
+        const controller = new AbortController();
+        const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), AGENT_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS);
+        // Rethrow the original error so callers can classify it from the gRPC code.
         core.info(`[git-mirror] Connecting to Blacksmith agent for ${stickyDiskKey}`);
         try {
-            yield client.up({});
+            yield client.up({}, { signal: controller.signal });
             core.debug('[git-mirror] Successfully connected to Blacksmith agent');
         }
         catch (error) {
-            throw new Error(`gRPC connection test failed: ${error.message}`);
+            clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+            core.warning(`[git-mirror] gRPC connection test failed: ${error.message}`);
+            throw error;
         }
         core.info(`[git-mirror] Requesting sticky disk for ${stickyDiskKey}`);
         // Request sticky disk from VM agent
@@ -243,7 +266,7 @@ function setupCache(owner, repo) {
                 vmId: process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID || '',
                 repoName: repoName,
                 stickyDiskToken: process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKYDISK_TOKEN || ''
-            });
+            }, { signal: controller.signal });
         }
         catch (error) {
             // Check if this is a gRPC Aborted error indicating hydration in progress
@@ -266,6 +289,9 @@ function setupCache(owner, repo) {
             // Re-throw other errors
             throw error;
         }
+        finally {
+            clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+        }
         const exposeId = response.exposeId || '';
         const device = response.diskIdentifier || '';
         if (!device) {
@@ -3034,7 +3060,7 @@ const core = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(2186));
 const http = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(3685));
 const METRICS_PORT = process.env.BLACKSMITH_METRICS_HTTP_PORT || '';
 const VM_ID = process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID || '';
-const AGENT_IP = '192.168.127.1';
+const AGENT_IP = process.env.BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR || '';
 /**
  * Report an internal metric to the Blacksmith agent.
  * Fire-and-forget: errors are logged but never thrown.
@@ -3045,6 +3071,10 @@ function reportInternalMetric(metricType, value, attributes) {
             core.debug('[metrics] BLACKSMITH_METRICS_HTTP_PORT not set, skipping metric');
             return;
         }
+        if (!AGENT_IP) {
+            core.debug('[metrics] BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR not set, skipping metric');
+            return;
+        }
         const payload = JSON.stringify({
             metric_type: metricType,
             value,
diff --git a/src/blacksmith-cache.ts b/src/blacksmith-cache.ts
index 2819bda..275ea08 100644
--- a/src/blacksmith-cache.ts
+++ b/src/blacksmith-cache.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ import {StickyDiskService} from '@buf/blacksmith_vm-agent.connectrpc_es/stickydi
 import * as retryHelper from './retry-helper'
 import {isRunningInContainer} from './container-detector'
 
-const GRPC_PORT = process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT || '5557'
+// Without a deadline, a black-holed dial stalls the checkout until the OS
+// gives up on the TCP handshake.
+const AGENT_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS = 45000
 const MOUNT_BASE = '/blacksmith-git-mirror'
 const MIRROR_VERSION = 'v1'
 
@@ -72,6 +74,14 @@ export function isBlacksmithEnvironment(): boolean {
   return !!process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID
 }
 
+export function getAgentAddr(): string | undefined {
+  return process.env.BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR || undefined
+}
+
+export function getGrpcPort(): string | undefined {
+  return process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT || undefined
+}
+
 /**
  * Escape hatch for container jobs that deliberately pass the runner's
  * block devices through to the container (e.g. `options:
@@ -102,6 +112,12 @@ export function shouldUseBlacksmithCache(): boolean {
   if (!isBlacksmithEnvironment()) {
     return false
   }
+  if (!getAgentAddr() || !getGrpcPort()) {
+    core.info(
+      '[blacksmith] BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR or BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT is not set; the Blacksmith agent is not reachable from this runner, falling back to actions/checkout behavior'
+    )
+    return false
+  }
   if (process.env.BLACKSMITH_BYPASS_CHECKOUT === 'true') {
     core.info(
       '[blacksmith] BLACKSMITH_BYPASS_CHECKOUT=true — skipping Blacksmith git mirror cache and falling back to actions/checkout behavior'
@@ -141,9 +157,16 @@ export function getMirrorPath(owner: string, repo: string): string {
  * Create a gRPC client for communicating with the Blacksmith VM agent
  */
 function createBlacksmithClient() {
-  core.debug(`Creating Blacksmith agent client with port: ${GRPC_PORT}`)
+  const addr = getAgentAddr()
+  const grpcPort = getGrpcPort()
+  if (!addr || !grpcPort) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR or BLACKSMITH_STICKY_DISK_GRPC_PORT is not set; cannot dial the Blacksmith agent'
+    )
+  }
+  core.debug(`Creating Blacksmith agent client for ${addr}:${grpcPort}`)
   const transport = createGrpcTransport({
-    baseUrl: `http://192.168.127.1:${GRPC_PORT}`,
+    baseUrl: `http://${addr}:${grpcPort}`,
     httpVersion: '2'
   })
 
@@ -228,13 +251,20 @@ export async function setupCache(
   const client = createBlacksmithClient()
   const stickyDiskKey = `${owner}-${repo}`
 
-  // Test connection
+  const controller = new AbortController()
+  const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), AGENT_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS)
+
+  // Rethrow the original error so callers can classify it from the gRPC code.
   core.info(`[git-mirror] Connecting to Blacksmith agent for ${stickyDiskKey}`)
   try {
-    await client.up({})
+    await client.up({}, {signal: controller.signal})
     core.debug('[git-mirror] Successfully connected to Blacksmith agent')
   } catch (error) {
-    throw new Error(`gRPC connection test failed: ${(error as Error).message}`)
+    clearTimeout(timeoutId)
+    core.warning(
+      `[git-mirror] gRPC connection test failed: ${(error as Error).message}`
+    )
+    throw error
   }
 
   core.info(`[git-mirror] Requesting sticky disk for ${stickyDiskKey}`)
@@ -245,15 +275,18 @@ export async function setupCache(
   const repoName = `${owner}/${repo}`
   let response
   try {
-    response = await client.getStickyDisk({
-      stickyDiskKey: stickyDiskKey,
-      stickyDiskType: 'git_mirror',
-      region: process.env.BLACKSMITH_REGION || '',
-      installationModelId: process.env.BLACKSMITH_INSTALLATION_MODEL_ID || '',
-      vmId: process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID || '',
-      repoName: repoName,
-      stickyDiskToken: process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKYDISK_TOKEN || ''
-    })
+    response = await client.getStickyDisk(
+      {
+        stickyDiskKey: stickyDiskKey,
+        stickyDiskType: 'git_mirror',
+        region: process.env.BLACKSMITH_REGION || '',
+        installationModelId: process.env.BLACKSMITH_INSTALLATION_MODEL_ID || '',
+        vmId: process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID || '',
+        repoName: repoName,
+        stickyDiskToken: process.env.BLACKSMITH_STICKYDISK_TOKEN || ''
+      },
+      {signal: controller.signal}
+    )
   } catch (error) {
     // Check if this is a gRPC Aborted error indicating hydration in progress
     if (error instanceof ConnectError && error.code === Code.Aborted) {
@@ -279,6 +312,8 @@ export async function setupCache(
     }
     // Re-throw other errors
     throw error
+  } finally {
+    clearTimeout(timeoutId)
   }
 
   const exposeId = (response as {exposeId?: string}).exposeId || ''
diff --git a/src/internal-metrics.ts b/src/internal-metrics.ts
index 519c481..8336149 100644
--- a/src/internal-metrics.ts
+++ b/src/internal-metrics.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import * as http from 'http'
 
 const METRICS_PORT = process.env.BLACKSMITH_METRICS_HTTP_PORT || ''
 const VM_ID = process.env.BLACKSMITH_VM_ID || ''
-const AGENT_IP = '192.168.127.1'
+const AGENT_IP = process.env.BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR || ''
 
 /**
  * Report an internal metric to the Blacksmith agent.
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ export async function reportInternalMetric(
     )
     return
   }
+  if (!AGENT_IP) {
+    core.debug('[metrics] BLACKSMITH_AGENT_ADDR not set, skipping metric')
+    return
+  }
 
   const payload = JSON.stringify({
     metric_type: metricType,