diff --git a/src/Pools/Connection.php b/src/Pools/Connection.php
index 3d2ba4d..0da6bef 100644
--- a/src/Pools/Connection.php
+++ b/src/Pools/Connection.php
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ class Connection
      */
     protected ?Pool $pool = null;
 
+    protected float $checkedOutAt = 0;
+
     /**
      * @param TResource $resource
      */
@@ -23,6 +25,27 @@ public function __construct(protected mixed $resource)
     {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Mark the connection as checked out (record timestamp)
+     *
+     * @return $this<TResource>
+     */
+    public function markCheckedOut(): static
+    {
+        $this->checkedOutAt = microtime(true);
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the timestamp when this connection was checked out
+     *
+     * @return float
+     */
+    public function getCheckedOutAt(): float
+    {
+        return $this->checkedOutAt;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return string
      */
diff --git a/src/Pools/Pool.php b/src/Pools/Pool.php
index 541d91e..781c0ed 100644
--- a/src/Pools/Pool.php
+++ b/src/Pools/Pool.php
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ class Pool
      */
     protected int $synchronizedTimeout = 3; // seconds
 
+    /**
+     * Maximum time (seconds) a connection can be checked out before being
+     * considered leaked. 0 means disabled (no stale detection).
+     *
+     * @var int
+     */
+    protected int $maxUseTime = 0;
+
     protected PoolAdapter $pool;
 
     /**
@@ -189,6 +197,26 @@ public function getSynchronizationTimeout(): int
         return $this->synchronizedTimeout;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the maximum time a connection can be checked out before being
+     * considered leaked. When the pool is exhausted, connections exceeding
+     * this time will have their slots reclaimed, allowing new connections
+     * to be created.
+     *
+     * @param int $seconds Maximum use time in seconds. 0 to disable.
+     * @return $this
+     */
+    public function setMaxUseTime(int $seconds): static
+    {
+        $this->maxUseTime = $seconds;
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    public function getMaxUseTime(): int
+    {
+        return $this->maxUseTime;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param Telemetry $telemetry
      * @return $this<TResource>
@@ -272,6 +300,7 @@ public function pop(): Connection
                 if ($shouldCreateConnections) {
                     try {
                         $connection = $this->createConnection();
+                        $connection->markCheckedOut();
                         $this->pool->synchronized(function () use ($connection) {
                             $this->active[$connection->getID()] = $connection;
                         });
@@ -289,6 +318,16 @@ public function pop(): Connection
                 $connection = $this->pool->pop($this->getSynchronizationTimeout());
 
                 if ($connection === false || $connection === null) {
+                    // Before giving up, try to recover slots from leaked connections
+                    if ($this->maxUseTime > 0) {
+                        $recovered = $this->recoverStaleConnections();
+                        if ($recovered > 0) {
+                            // Slots freed, don't count this as a retry attempt
+                            $attempts--;
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    }
+
                     if ($attempts >= $this->getRetryAttempts()) {
                         $activeCount = count($this->active);
                         $idleCount = $this->pool->count();
@@ -300,6 +339,7 @@ public function pop(): Connection
                     sleep($this->getRetrySleep());
                 } else {
                     if ($connection instanceof Connection) {
+                        $connection->markCheckedOut();
                         $this->pool->synchronized(function () use ($connection) {
                             $this->active[$connection->getID()] = $connection;
                         });
@@ -466,6 +506,31 @@ public function isFull(): bool
         return count($this->active) === 0;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Detect and recover slots from connections that have been checked out
+     * longer than maxUseTime (likely leaked). Returns the number of
+     * recovered slots.
+     *
+     * @return int Number of recovered connection slots
+     */
+    private function recoverStaleConnections(): int
+    {
+        $now = microtime(true);
+        $recovered = 0;
+
+        return $this->pool->synchronized(function () use ($now, &$recovered): int {
+            foreach ($this->active as $id => $connection) {
+                $checkedOutAt = $connection->getCheckedOutAt();
+                if ($checkedOutAt > 0 && ($now - $checkedOutAt) > $this->maxUseTime) {
+                    unset($this->active[$id]);
+                    $this->connectionsCreated--;
+                    $recovered++;
+                }
+            }
+            return $recovered;
+        });
+    }
+
     private function recordPoolTelemetry(): void
     {
         $activeConnections = count($this->active);
diff --git a/tests/Pools/Scopes/PoolTestScope.php b/tests/Pools/Scopes/PoolTestScope.php
index c40a77b..2d06135 100644
--- a/tests/Pools/Scopes/PoolTestScope.php
+++ b/tests/Pools/Scopes/PoolTestScope.php
@@ -384,6 +384,75 @@ public function testUseReclainsConnectionOnCallbackException(): void
         });
     }
 
+    public function testPoolRecoversStaleConnections(): void
+    {
+        $this->execute(function (): void {
+            $pool = new Pool($this->getAdapter(), 'test-stale', 2, fn () => 'resource');
+            $pool->setRetryAttempts(1);
+            $pool->setRetrySleep(0);
+            $pool->setMaxUseTime(1); // 1 second max use time
+
+            // Pop both connections to exhaust the pool
+            $conn1 = $pool->pop();
+            $conn2 = $pool->pop();
+
+            $this->assertSame(0, $pool->count());
+
+            // Simulate time passing by backdating the checkout timestamp
+            // so connections appear stale
+            $reflection = new \ReflectionProperty($conn1, 'checkedOutAt');
+            $reflection->setValue($conn1, microtime(true) - 2); // 2 seconds ago
+            $reflection = new \ReflectionProperty($conn2, 'checkedOutAt');
+            $reflection->setValue($conn2, microtime(true) - 2); // 2 seconds ago
+
+            // Without stale recovery, this would throw "Pool is empty"
+            // With stale recovery, it should detect the leaked connections,
+            // free their slots, and create a new connection
+            $conn3 = $pool->pop();
+            $this->assertSame('resource', $conn3->getResource());
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function testPoolDoesNotRecoverNonStaleConnections(): void
+    {
+        $this->execute(function (): void {
+            $pool = new Pool($this->getAdapter(), 'test-no-stale', 2, fn () => 'resource');
+            $pool->setRetryAttempts(1);
+            $pool->setRetrySleep(0);
+            $pool->setMaxUseTime(60); // 60 seconds - connections won't be stale
+
+            // Pop both connections
+            $conn1 = $pool->pop();
+            $conn2 = $pool->pop();
+
+            $this->assertSame(0, $pool->count());
+
+            // Connections are not stale (just checked out), so pool should still throw
+            $this->expectException(Exception::class);
+            $this->expectExceptionMessage("Pool 'test-no-stale' is empty");
+            $pool->pop();
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function testPoolStaleRecoveryDisabledByDefault(): void
+    {
+        $this->execute(function (): void {
+            $pool = new Pool($this->getAdapter(), 'test-disabled', 1, fn () => 'resource');
+            $pool->setRetryAttempts(1);
+            $pool->setRetrySleep(0);
+            // maxUseTime defaults to 0 (disabled)
+
+            $conn1 = $pool->pop();
+
+            // Even if we backdate the checkout time, stale recovery shouldn't trigger
+            $reflection = new \ReflectionProperty($conn1, 'checkedOutAt');
+            $reflection->setValue($conn1, microtime(true) - 100);
+
+            $this->expectException(Exception::class);
+            $pool->pop();
+        });
+    }
+
     public function testPoolTelemetry(): void
     {
         $this->execute(function (): void {