Developed and delivered a command_timeout feature for the in_exec plugin in the fluent/fluentd repository, enabling operators to limit the execution time of child processes within Fluentd pipelines. This Ruby-based enhancement focused on robust error handling and process management, aligning the in_exec plugin’s behavior with the existing out_exec plugin to ensure consistency and reliability. The implementation addressed the risk of long-running or hanging external commands, improving diagnosability and reducing troubleshooting time for site reliability engineers. Documentation and release notes were updated to communicate the new option, reflecting a thorough approach to plugin development and cross-plugin behavior alignment within the project.