diff --git a/src/barabadb/core/raft.nim b/src/barabadb/core/raft.nim
index ce0ab61..55ae65e 100644
--- a/src/barabadb/core/raft.nim
+++ b/src/barabadb/core/raft.nim
@@ -548,12 +548,14 @@ type
     socket*: AsyncSocket
     running*: bool
     peerSockets*: Table[string, AsyncSocket]
+    timer*: ElectionTimer
 
 proc newRaftNetwork*(node: RaftNode): RaftNetwork =
   RaftNetwork(
     node: node,
     running: false,
     peerSockets: initTable[string, AsyncSocket](),
+    timer: newElectionTimer(node, node.electionTimeout),
   )
 
 proc connectToPeer(net: RaftNetwork, peerId: string) {.async.} =
@@ -585,7 +587,7 @@ proc broadcast*(net: RaftNetwork, msgs: seq[RaftMessage]) {.async.} =
     if i < msgs.len:
       await net.send(peer, msgs[i])
 
-proc processMessage(net: RaftNetwork, msg: RaftMessage) {.async.} =
+proc processMessage*(net: RaftNetwork, msg: RaftMessage) {.async.} =
   case msg.kind
   of rmkRequestVote:
     let reply = net.node.handleRequestVote(msg)
@@ -593,6 +595,11 @@ proc processMessage(net: RaftNetwork, msg: RaftMessage) {.async.} =
   of rmkRequestVoteReply:
     net.node.handleVoteReply(msg)
   of rmkAppendEntries:
+    # A plausible current leader (same acceptance condition as
+    # handleAppendEntries) resets the election timer; stale-term
+    # messages must not.
+    if msg.term >= net.node.currentTerm:
+      net.timer.resetTimeout()
     let reply = net.node.handleAppendEntries(msg)
     await net.send(msg.senderId, reply)
   of rmkAppendEntriesReply:
@@ -630,13 +637,17 @@ proc heartbeatLoop(net: RaftNetwork) {.async.} =
         await net.send(peer, msg)
     await sleepAsync(net.node.heartbeatTimeout)
 
+proc timerLoop*(net: RaftNetwork) {.async.}
+
 proc run*(net: RaftNetwork) {.async.} =
   net.socket = newAsyncSocket()
   net.socket.setSockOpt(OptReuseAddr, true)
   net.socket.bindAddr(Port(net.node.raftPort))
   net.socket.listen()
   net.running = true
+  net.timer.resetTimeout()
   asyncCheck net.heartbeatLoop()
+  asyncCheck net.timerLoop()
   while net.running:
     try:
       let client = await net.socket.accept()
@@ -646,6 +657,7 @@ proc run*(net: RaftNetwork) {.async.} =
 
 proc stop*(net: RaftNetwork) =
   net.running = false
+  net.timer.stop()
   if net.socket != nil:
     net.socket.close()
   for peerId, sock in net.peerSockets:
@@ -683,3 +695,10 @@ proc tick*(timer: ElectionTimer, net: RaftNetwork = nil) =
       timer.resetTimeout()
   of rsLeader:
     timer.resetTimeout()  # Keep alive
+
+proc timerLoop*(net: RaftNetwork) {.async.} =
+  ## Production election timer: ticks the node's ElectionTimer until the
+  ## network transport is stopped.
+  while net.running:
+    tick(net.timer, net)
+    await sleepAsync(50)
diff --git a/tests/test_all.nim b/tests/test_all.nim
index 273c8a0..f398247 100644
--- a/tests/test_all.nim
+++ b/tests/test_all.nim
@@ -2390,6 +2390,75 @@ suite "Raft Network Transport":
     if n3.isLeader: inc leaderCount
     check leaderCount == 1
 
+  test "timerLoop elects a leader without manual ticks":
+    var n1 = newRaftNode("n1", @["n2", "n3"], raftPort = 29011)
+    var n2 = newRaftNode("n2", @["n1", "n3"], raftPort = 29012)
+    var n3 = newRaftNode("n3", @["n1", "n2"], raftPort = 29013)
+
+    # Distinct deterministic timeouts avoid split-vote livelock
+    n1.electionTimeout = 150
+    n2.electionTimeout = 250
+    n3.electionTimeout = 350
+
+    n1.peerAddrs["n2"] = ("127.0.0.1", 29012)
+    n1.peerAddrs["n3"] = ("127.0.0.1", 29013)
+    n2.peerAddrs["n1"] = ("127.0.0.1", 29011)
+    n2.peerAddrs["n3"] = ("127.0.0.1", 29013)
+    n3.peerAddrs["n1"] = ("127.0.0.1", 29011)
+    n3.peerAddrs["n2"] = ("127.0.0.1", 29012)
+
+    let net1 = newRaftNetwork(n1)
+    let net2 = newRaftNetwork(n2)
+    let net3 = newRaftNetwork(n3)
+
+    asyncCheck net1.run()
+    asyncCheck net2.run()
+    asyncCheck net3.run()
+    waitFor sleepAsync(50)
+
+    # No manual ticks — the production timerLoop must drive the election
+    var leaderCount = 0
+    var waited = 0
+    while waited < 3000:
+      leaderCount = 0
+      if n1.isLeader: inc leaderCount
+      if n2.isLeader: inc leaderCount
+      if n3.isLeader: inc leaderCount
+      if leaderCount == 1: break
+      waitFor sleepAsync(100)
+      waited += 100
+
+    net1.stop()
+    net2.stop()
+    net3.stop()
+    waitFor sleepAsync(50)
+
+    check leaderCount == 1
+
+  test "inbound AppendEntries resets the election timer":
+    var nodeA = newRaftNode("a", @["leader"], raftPort = 0)
+    nodeA.electionTimeout = 0  # any elapsed millisecond counts as a timeout
+    let netA = newRaftNetwork(nodeA)
+    let timer = netA.timer
+
+    waitFor sleepAsync(5)
+    check timer.checkTimeout()  # currently timed out
+
+    # Valid AppendEntries from a plausible current leader (term >= currentTerm)
+    let msg = RaftMessage(kind: rmkAppendEntries, term: nodeA.currentTerm,
+                          senderId: "leader")
+    waitFor netA.processMessage(msg)
+    check not timer.checkTimeout()
+
+    # Stale-term AppendEntries must NOT reset the timer
+    nodeA.currentTerm = 5
+    waitFor sleepAsync(5)
+    check timer.checkTimeout()
+    let staleMsg = RaftMessage(kind: rmkAppendEntries, term: 1,
+                               senderId: "leader")
+    waitFor netA.processMessage(staleMsg)
+    check timer.checkTimeout()
+
 suite "CLI Autocomplete":
   test "Autocomplete commands":
     let res = autocomplete("he")