diff --git a/imagepipeline/core/runner.py b/imagepipeline/core/runner.py
index f3f07e5..62c40ae 100644
--- a/imagepipeline/core/runner.py
+++ b/imagepipeline/core/runner.py
@@ -280,4 +280,7 @@ class PipelineRunner:
         if len(ordered_ids) != len(self.steps):
             raise CycleError("Pipeline contains a cycle in step dependencies")
 
-        return [step_by_id[step_id] for step_id in ordered_ids]
+        ordered = [step_by_id[step_id] for step_id in ordered_ids]
+        deferred = [step for step in ordered if step.module.runs_last]
+        regular = [step for step in ordered if not step.module.runs_last]
+        return regular + deferred
diff --git a/imagepipeline/modules/base.py b/imagepipeline/modules/base.py
index c4527e8..a083cdb 100644
--- a/imagepipeline/modules/base.py
+++ b/imagepipeline/modules/base.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class BaseModule(ABC):
 
     name: ClassVar[str]
     description: ClassVar[str] = ""
+    runs_last: ClassVar[bool] = False
     supported_input_formats: ClassVar[tuple[str, ...]] = (
         ".jpg",
         ".jpeg",
diff --git a/imagepipeline/modules/xcf_stack.py b/imagepipeline/modules/xcf_stack.py
index e0b9f59..c4efdda 100644
--- a/imagepipeline/modules/xcf_stack.py
+++ b/imagepipeline/modules/xcf_stack.py
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ from imagepipeline.utils.gimp import stack_images_to_xcf
 @register
 class XcfStackModule(SubprocessModule):
     name = "xcf_stack"
+    runs_last = True
     description = (
         "Stack all prior pipeline step outputs as GIMP layers into one XCF per image"
     )
     command_candidates = ("gimp-console", "gimp")
-    default_timeout = 600.0
 
     @classmethod
     def expected_output_filenames(
@@ -42,11 +42,17 @@ class XcfStackModule(SubprocessModule):
                 default=False,
                 help="Skip missing step outputs instead of failing",
             ),
+            "timeout": Param(
+                "float",
+                default=120.0,
+                help="Seconds to wait for gimp-console per image (default 120)",
+            ),
         }
 
     def run(self, ctx: ModuleContext) -> None:
         include_input = ctx.params["include_input"]
         skip_missing = ctx.params["skip_missing"]
+        timeout = ctx.params["timeout"]
 
         layer_sources: list[tuple[str, Path]] = []
         if include_input:
@@ -86,4 +92,9 @@ class XcfStackModule(SubprocessModule):
                 )
 
             dst = ctx.output_dir / f"{stem}.xcf"
-            stack_images_to_xcf(layers, dst, timeout=self.default_timeout)
+            stack_images_to_xcf(layers, dst, timeout=timeout)
+
+    def list_output_images(self, ctx: ModuleContext) -> list[Path]:
+        return sorted(
+            p for p in ctx.output_dir.iterdir() if p.is_file() and p.suffix.lower() == ".xcf"
+        )
diff --git a/imagepipeline/utils/gimp.py b/imagepipeline/utils/gimp.py
index c1837fe..402d0ed 100644
--- a/imagepipeline/utils/gimp.py
+++ b/imagepipeline/utils/gimp.py
@@ -69,21 +69,39 @@ def _run_gimp_batch(
     *,
     timeout: float | None,
     env: dict[str, str],
+    outfile: Path | None = None,
 ) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]:
+    """Run GIMP batch; tolerate exit hang when ``outfile`` was already written."""
+    process = subprocess.Popen(
+        cmd,
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        text=True,
+        env=env,
+    )
     try:
-        return subprocess.run(
-            cmd,
-            check=False,
-            capture_output=True,
-            text=True,
-            timeout=timeout,
-            env=env,
-        )
+        stdout, stderr = process.communicate(timeout=timeout)
     except subprocess.TimeoutExpired as exc:
+        process.kill()
+        stdout, stderr = process.communicate()
+        if outfile is not None and outfile.is_file() and outfile.stat().st_size > 0:
+            return subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+                cmd,
+                returncode=0,
+                stdout=stdout or "",
+                stderr=stderr or "",
+            )
         raise RuntimeError(
             f"Command timed out after {timeout}s: {' '.join(cmd)}"
         ) from exc
 
+    return subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+        cmd,
+        returncode=process.returncode if process.returncode is not None else -1,
+        stdout=stdout or "",
+        stderr=stderr or "",
+    )
+
 
 def stack_images_to_xcf(
     layers: list[tuple[str, Path]],
@@ -134,10 +152,7 @@ def stack_images_to_xcf(
             "--batch",
             f"(load {_scheme_string(str(script_path))})",
         ]
-        try:
-            result = _run_gimp_batch(cmd, timeout=timeout, env=env)
-        except RuntimeError:
-            raise
+        result = _run_gimp_batch(cmd, timeout=timeout, env=env, outfile=outfile)
         if not outfile.is_file():
             stderr = (result.stderr or "").strip()
             stdout = (result.stdout or "").strip()
diff --git a/tests/test_xcf_stack.py b/tests/test_xcf_stack.py
index d9b3ac5..29a3dd7 100644
--- a/tests/test_xcf_stack.py
+++ b/tests/test_xcf_stack.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import shutil
+import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
@@ -40,6 +41,38 @@ class TestModuleRegistration:
     def test_get_module_returns_xcf_stack_class(self) -> None:
         assert get_module("xcf_stack") is XcfStackModule
 
+    def test_xcf_stack_runs_last(self) -> None:
+        from imagepipeline.core.runner import PipelineRunner
+        from imagepipeline.core.step import StepDefinition
+        from imagepipeline.modules.imagemagick_grayscale import ImageMagickGrayscale
+
+        steps = [
+            StepDefinition(
+                step_id="xcf_stack_01",
+                module_name="xcf_stack",
+                module=XcfStackModule,
+                input_refs=["input"],
+                params={},
+                output_dir_name="xcf_stack_01",
+            ),
+            StepDefinition(
+                step_id="imagemagick_grayscale_01",
+                module_name="imagemagick_grayscale",
+                module=ImageMagickGrayscale,
+                input_refs=["input"],
+                params={},
+                output_dir_name="imagemagick_grayscale_01",
+            ),
+        ]
+        runner = PipelineRunner(
+            name="order",
+            input_dir=Path("/tmp/unused"),
+            output_base=Path("/tmp/unused"),
+            steps=steps,
+        )
+        ordered = runner._topological_sort()
+        assert ordered[-1].module_name == "xcf_stack"
+
 
 class TestExpectedOutputFilenames:
     def test_returns_xcf_for_jpg_input(self) -> None:
@@ -50,6 +83,14 @@ class TestExpectedOutputFilenames:
         )
         assert names == ["photo.xcf"]
 
+    def test_default_timeout(self) -> None:
+        params = XcfStackModule.validate_module_params({})
+        assert params["timeout"] == 120.0
+
+    def test_custom_timeout(self) -> None:
+        params = XcfStackModule.validate_module_params({"timeout": 45})
+        assert params["timeout"] == 45.0
+
 
 def _make_stack_fixture(tmp_path: Path) -> dict[str, Path]:
     root = tmp_path
@@ -185,3 +226,30 @@ class TestStackImagesToXcfIntegration:
         names = outfile.read_bytes()
         assert b"bottom" in names
         assert b"top" in names
+
+
+class TestGimpTimeoutHandling:
+    def test_accepts_outfile_when_gimp_hangs_on_exit(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+        from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+        from imagepipeline.utils.gimp import stack_images_to_xcf
+
+        layer = tmp_path / "layer.png"
+        layer.write_bytes(b"png")
+        outfile = tmp_path / "stack.xcf"
+        outfile.write_bytes(b"xcf-data")
+
+        def fake_popen(*_args, **_kwargs):
+            process = MagicMock()
+            process.communicate.side_effect = [
+                subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd="gimp", timeout=1),
+                ("", ""),
+            ]
+            process.kill = MagicMock()
+            return process
+
+        with patch("imagepipeline.utils.gimp.subprocess.Popen", side_effect=fake_popen):
+            with patch("imagepipeline.utils.gimp.require_gimp", return_value="gimp-console"):
+                stack_images_to_xcf([("layer", layer)], outfile, timeout=1.0)
+
+        assert outfile.read_bytes() == b"xcf-data"