diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
index a13e03e6..a081e6a9 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
@@ -205,7 +205,11 @@ func (p *CPProvisioner) IsRunning(ctx context.Context, workspaceID string) (bool
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("cp provisioner: status: unexpected %d", resp.StatusCode)
 	}
 	var result struct{ State string `json:"state"` }
-	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&result); err != nil {
+	// Cap body read at 64 KiB for parity with Start — a misconfigured
+	// or compromised CP streaming a huge body could otherwise exhaust
+	// memory in this hot path (called reactively per-request from
+	// a2a_proxy and periodically from healthsweep).
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 64<<10)).Decode(&result); err != nil {
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("cp provisioner: status decode: %w", err)
 	}
 	return result.State == "running", nil
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go
index 2500bcf6..162e8717 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go
@@ -478,6 +478,36 @@ func TestIsRunning_ContractCompat_A2AProxy(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestIsRunning_BoundedBodyRead — IsRunning caps the decoded body at
+// 64 KiB so a misconfigured/compromised CP streaming a huge body can't
+// exhaust memory in this hot path. We serve a body larger than the cap
+// and assert the decode either succeeds (json terminated within cap) or
+// fails with a decode error (json truncated) — what MUST NOT happen is
+// the whole body getting buffered.
+//
+// Implementation note: the test server writes a valid JSON object
+// whose trailing whitespace pads the body past 64 KiB. The decoder
+// only needs the prefix to produce a value, so the decode succeeds —
+// and the LimitReader enforces the cap regardless.
+func TestIsRunning_BoundedBodyRead(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(200)
+		// Valid JSON prefix, then pad well past the 64 KiB cap.
+		_, _ = io.WriteString(w, `{"state":"running"}`)
+		_, _ = io.WriteString(w, strings.Repeat(" ", 128<<10))
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	p := &CPProvisioner{baseURL: srv.URL, orgID: "org-1", httpClient: srv.Client()}
+	got, err := p.IsRunning(context.Background(), "ws-1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode of prefix should succeed, got err %v", err)
+	}
+	if !got {
+		t.Errorf("state=running in prefix should decode to true, got false")
+	}
+}
+
 // TestClose_Noop — explicit contract: Close has no side effects and
 // no error. Exists for the Provisioner interface; compliance guard.
 func TestClose_Noop(t *testing.T) {