diff --git a/backend/scripts/parse_mc2_timeout.py b/backend/scripts/parse_mc2_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..335eaf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/scripts/parse_mc2_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Parse systemd timeout errors for mission-control-2.service from journalctl.
+
+Captures lines containing "State 'stop-sigterm' timed out" and appends them
+to ~/logs/mc2-timeout.log with ISO timestamps.
+
+Permission errors are handled gracefully.
+"""
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+LOG_DIR = Path.home() / "logs"
+LOG_FILE = LOG_DIR / "mc2-timeout.log"
+SERVICE_NAME = "mission-control-2.service"
+SEARCH_PATTERN = "State 'stop-sigterm' timed out"
+JOURNALCTL_LIMIT = 1000
+
+
+def ensure_log_dir() -> None:
+    """Create log directory if it doesn't exist."""
+    LOG_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+
+def get_timeout_entries() -> list[str]:
+    """Run journalctl and return lines matching the timeout pattern."""
+    cmd = [
+        "journalctl",
+        "-u", SERVICE_NAME,
+        "--no-pager",
+        "-n", str(JOURNALCTL_LIMIT),
+    ]
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            cmd,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            timeout=30,
+        )
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        print("journalctl timed out")
+        return []
+    except PermissionError:
+        print("Permission denied: journalctl requires access to system logs")
+        return []
+
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        if "Permission denied" in result.stderr:
+            print("Permission denied: journalctl requires access to system logs")
+        else:
+            print(f"journalctl failed: {result.stderr.strip()}")
+        return []
+
+    return [
+        line
+        for line in result.stdout.splitlines()
+        if SEARCH_PATTERN in line
+    ]
+
+
+def write_to_log(entries: list[str]) -> int:
+    """Append entries to log file with ISO timestamps. Returns count written."""
+    ensure_log_dir()
+
+    timestamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
+    written = 0
+
+    with LOG_FILE.open("a", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        for entry in entries:
+            f.write(f"[{timestamp}] {entry}\n")
+            written += 1
+
+    return written
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    entries = get_timeout_entries()
+    if not entries:
+        print("No timeout entries found.")
+        return
+
+    count = write_to_log(entries)
+    print(f"Appended {count} timeout entry/ies to {LOG_FILE}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()