diff --git a/test_upload_coverage.py b/test_upload_coverage.py
index e5336ad..5e706a2 100644
--- a/test_upload_coverage.py
+++ b/test_upload_coverage.py
@@ -475,6 +475,60 @@ def test_telemetry_failure_does_not_affect_action_exit_code(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(0, exit_code)
 
+    @mock.patch("upload_coverage.threading.Thread")
+    def test_telemetry_thread_daemon_and_timeout_on_success(self, mock_thread_class):
+        mock_thread_instance = mock.Mock()
+        mock_thread_class.return_value = mock_thread_instance
+
+        opener = mock.Mock(return_value=FakeResponse())
+        status_opener = mock.Mock(return_value=FakeResponse())
+        stdout = io.StringIO()
+
+        with redirect_stdout(stdout):
+            upload_coverage.main(
+                environ=self.base_env, opener=opener, status_opener=status_opener,
+            )
+
+        # Verify thread constructor arguments
+        mock_thread_class.assert_called_once()
+        kwargs = mock_thread_class.call_args.kwargs
+        self.assertEqual("telemetry-starting", kwargs.get("name"))
+        self.assertTrue(kwargs.get("daemon"))
+
+        # Verify join was called with the configured timeout
+        from status_report import STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
+        mock_thread_instance.join.assert_called_once_with(timeout=STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
+
+    @mock.patch("upload_coverage.threading.Thread")
+    def test_telemetry_thread_timeout_on_missing_file(self, mock_thread_class):
+        mock_thread_instance = mock.Mock()
+        mock_thread_class.return_value = mock_thread_instance
+
+        env = dict(self.base_env, INPUT_FILE="/nonexistent")
+        status_opener = mock.Mock(return_value=FakeResponse())
+        stdout = io.StringIO()
+
+        with redirect_stdout(stdout):
+            upload_coverage.main(environ=env, opener=mock.Mock(), status_opener=status_opener)
+
+        from status_report import STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
+        mock_thread_instance.join.assert_called_once_with(timeout=STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
+
+    @mock.patch("upload_coverage.threading.Thread")
+    def test_telemetry_thread_timeout_on_invalid_input(self, mock_thread_class):
+        mock_thread_instance = mock.Mock()
+        mock_thread_class.return_value = mock_thread_instance
+
+        env = dict(self.base_env, INPUT_LANGUAGE="", REF="", PR_NUMBER="")  # will trigger ValueError in build_payload
+        status_opener = mock.Mock(return_value=FakeResponse())
+        stdout = io.StringIO()
+
+        with redirect_stdout(stdout):
+            upload_coverage.main(environ=env, opener=mock.Mock(), status_opener=status_opener)
+
+        from status_report import STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
+        mock_thread_instance.join.assert_called_once_with(timeout=STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/upload_coverage.py b/upload_coverage.py
index e6eee03..cc4536e 100755
--- a/upload_coverage.py
+++ b/upload_coverage.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 import sys
+import threading
 import time
 import urllib.error
 import urllib.request
@@ -174,23 +175,31 @@ def main(
     api_url = env.get("GITHUB_API_URL", "https://api.github.com")
     token = env.get("GH_TOKEN", "")
 
-    # Send "starting" telemetry report
+    # Send "starting" telemetry report in a background thread
     starting_report = status_report.build_starting_report(env)
     status_report.save_state("started_at", starting_report.get("started_at", ""))
     status_report.save_state("starting_report", json.dumps(starting_report))
-    status_report.send_status_report(
-        starting_report,
-        repository=repository,
-        api_url=api_url,
-        token=token,
-        opener=status_opener,
+    
+    telemetry_thread = threading.Thread(
+        target=status_report.send_status_report,
+        args=(starting_report,),
+        kwargs={
+            "repository": repository,
+            "api_url": api_url,
+            "token": token,
+            "opener": status_opener,
+        },
+        name="telemetry-starting",
+        daemon=True,
     )
+    telemetry_thread.start()
 
     upload_start = time.monotonic()
 
     file_path = env.get("INPUT_FILE", "")
     if not file_path or not Path(file_path).is_file():
         emit_annotation("error", f"Coverage file not found: {file_path}")
+        telemetry_thread.join(timeout=status_report.STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
         _send_completed_report(
             starting_report, "user-error",
             error_type="file_not_found", error_message=f"Coverage file not found: {file_path}",
@@ -226,6 +235,7 @@ def main(
         )
     except ValueError as error:
         emit_annotation("error", str(error))
+        telemetry_thread.join(timeout=status_report.STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
         _send_completed_report(
             starting_report, "user-error",
             error_type="invalid_input", error_message=str(error),
@@ -261,6 +271,7 @@ def main(
         error_type = f"http_{http_status}" if http_status else "network_error"
         error_message = _extract_message(body)
 
+    telemetry_thread.join(timeout=status_report.STATUS_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
     _send_completed_report(
         starting_report, telemetry_status,
         upload_duration_ms=upload_duration_ms,