diff --git a/Exesh/config/coordinator/dev.yml b/Exesh/config/coordinator/dev.yml
index 3b6a2e06..4b5db66f 100644
--- a/Exesh/config/coordinator/dev.yml
+++ b/Exesh/config/coordinator/dev.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ job_factory:
 execution_scheduler:
   executions_interval: 5s
   max_concurrency: 10
-  execution_retry_after: 15s
+  execution_retry_after: 300s
 worker_pool:
   worker_die_after: 10s
 artifact_registry:
@@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ artifact_registry:
 sender:
   brokers:
     - 0.0.0.0:29092
-  topic: exesh.step-updates
\ No newline at end of file
+  topic: exesh.step-updates
diff --git a/Exesh/config/coordinator/docker.yml b/Exesh/config/coordinator/docker.yml
index 4f7eed68..6ab4802d 100644
--- a/Exesh/config/coordinator/docker.yml
+++ b/Exesh/config/coordinator/docker.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ job_factory:
 execution_scheduler:
   executions_interval: 3s
   max_concurrency: 10
-  execution_retry_after: 15s
+  execution_retry_after: 300s
 worker_pool:
   worker_die_after: 10s
 artifact_registry:
diff --git a/Exesh/example/.gitignore b/Exesh/example/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff966fb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Exesh/example/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+a.checker.out
+a.out
+out.txt
diff --git a/Exesh/example/in.txt b/Exesh/example/in.txt
index ccb07bfe..8d04f961 100644
--- a/Exesh/example/in.txt
+++ b/Exesh/example/in.txt
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 1 2
-
diff --git a/Exesh/example/main.go b/Exesh/example/main.go
index 90cac8cc..f4123871 100644
--- a/Exesh/example/main.go
+++ b/Exesh/example/main.go
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ func (dp *dummyOutputProvider) Locate(ctx context.Context, out execution.Output)
 	return out.GetFile(), func() {}, nil
 }
 
+func (dp *dummyOutputProvider) Reserve(ctx context.Context, out execution.Output) (path string, unlock func() error, smth func() error, err error) {
+	return out.GetFile(), func() error { return nil }, func() error { return nil }, nil
+}
+
 func (dp *dummyOutputProvider) Read(ctx context.Context, out execution.Output) (r io.Reader, unlock func(), err error) {
 	unlock = func() {}
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(out.GetFile(), os.O_RDONLY, 0o755)
@@ -124,7 +128,6 @@ func main() {
 		runJobId, inputs.NewArtifactInput("a.checker.out", checkJobId, workerID),
 		inputs.NewArtifactInput("correct.txt", checkJobId, workerID),
 		inputs.NewArtifactInput("out.txt", checkJobId, workerID),
-		outputs.NewArtifactOutput("verdict.txt", checkJobId),
 	)))
 	fmt.Printf("check: %#v\n", checkResult)
 }
diff --git a/Exesh/internal/runtime/docker/runtime.go b/Exesh/internal/runtime/docker/runtime.go
index 4ee237d4..d41e2577 100644
--- a/Exesh/internal/runtime/docker/runtime.go
+++ b/Exesh/internal/runtime/docker/runtime.go
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ import (
 	"archive/tar"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"exesh/internal/runtime"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
-	"exesh/internal/runtime"
-
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/network"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
@@ -76,8 +76,9 @@ func (dr *Runtime) Execute(ctx context.Context, cmd []string, params runtime.Exe
 	cpuPolicy(int64(params.Limits.Time) / int64(time.Second))(hostConfig)
 	memoryPolicy(int64(params.Limits.Memory))(hostConfig)
 
+	// we do not know why, but without StdinOnce, without CloseWrite stdin is not closed, and with it - stdout is empty
 	cr, err := dr.client.ContainerCreate(ctx,
-		&container.Config{Image: dr.baseImage, Cmd: cmd, OpenStdin: true},
+		&container.Config{Image: dr.baseImage, Cmd: cmd, OpenStdin: true, StdinOnce: true},
 		hostConfig,
 		&network.NetworkingConfig{},
 		&v1.Platform{OS: "linux", Architecture: "amd64"},
@@ -144,8 +145,7 @@ func (dr *Runtime) Execute(ctx context.Context, cmd []string, params runtime.Exe
 	if params.Stdin != nil {
 		go func(r io.Reader) {
 			_, _ = io.Copy(hjr.Conn, params.Stdin)
-			// BUG: why the fuck does this "CloseWrite" cause stdout to be empty
-			// hjr.CloseWrite()
+			hjr.CloseWrite()
 		}(params.Stdin)
 	}
 
@@ -154,9 +154,17 @@ func (dr *Runtime) Execute(ctx context.Context, cmd []string, params runtime.Exe
 		return fmt.Errorf("start container: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// force larger deadline because the submission may just hang waiting for input
+	timeout := 10 * time.Second
+	if params.Limits.Time != 0 {
+		timeout = 5 * time.Duration(params.Limits.Time)
+	}
+	ctxTimeout, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
 	var insp container.InspectResponse
 	for {
-		insp, err = dr.client.ContainerInspect(ctx, cr.ID)
+		insp, err = dr.client.ContainerInspect(ctxTimeout, cr.ID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("inspect container: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -164,6 +172,15 @@ func (dr *Runtime) Execute(ctx context.Context, cmd []string, params runtime.Exe
 		if !insp.State.Running {
 			break
 		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-ctxTimeout.Done():
+			if errors.Is(ctxTimeout.Err(), context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+				return runtime.ErrTimeout
+			}
+			return ctx.Err()
+		case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+		}
 	}
 
 	if insp.State.ExitCode == 137 {