diff --git a/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin.go b/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin.go
index d2ff3172..708754ff 100644
--- a/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin.go
+++ b/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const DefaultLoadConfigTimeout = 30 * time.Second
 // indefinitely. The caller must invoke the returned CancelFunc.
 func ensureLoadConfigDeadline(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
 	if ctx == nil {
-		return context.WithTimeout(context.TODO(), DefaultLoadConfigTimeout)
+		return context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), DefaultLoadConfigTimeout)
 	}
 	if _, ok := ctx.Deadline(); ok {
 		return ctx, func() {}
diff --git a/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin_deadline_test.go b/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin_deadline_test.go
index 358c8d6a..b3803b03 100644
--- a/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin_deadline_test.go
+++ b/internal/plugins/backends/bedrock/plugin_deadline_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ func TestEnsureLoadConfigDeadline_todoYieldsDeadline(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestEnsureLoadConfigDeadline_nilYieldsDeadline(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	c, cancel := ensureLoadConfigDeadline(nil) //nolint:staticcheck // nil ctx: ensureLoadConfigDeadline must coerce to a usable deadline context
+	defer cancel()
+	if _, ok := c.Deadline(); !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected child deadline when parent is nil")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEnsureLoadConfigDeadline_backgroundYieldsDeadline(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	c, cancel := ensureLoadConfigDeadline(context.Background())