diff --git a/backend/services/deploy-mining.sh b/backend/services/deploy-mining.sh
index 15103a3d..46298963 100755
--- a/backend/services/deploy-mining.sh
+++ b/backend/services/deploy-mining.sh
@@ -336,7 +336,8 @@ run_kafka_cmd() {
 
     if [ "$DEPLOY_MODE" = "standalone" ]; then
         # Standalone: Kafka is remote, use temporary container with host networking
-        docker run --rm --network host confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.5.0 \
+        # Add timeout to prevent hangs when Kafka is unreachable across servers
+        timeout 30 docker run --rm --network host confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.5.0 \
             $cmd --bootstrap-server "$KAFKA_BROKERS" "$@"
         return $?
     fi
@@ -363,7 +364,7 @@ run_kafka_cmd_stdin() {
     shift
 
     if [ "$DEPLOY_MODE" = "standalone" ]; then
-        docker run --rm -i --network host confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.5.0 \
+        timeout 30 docker run --rm -i --network host confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.5.0 \
             $cmd --bootstrap-server "$KAFKA_BROKERS" "$@"
         return $?
     fi
@@ -823,32 +824,47 @@ sync_reset() {
 
     # Wait for consumer groups to become inactive
     log_step "Waiting for Kafka consumers to become inactive..."
-    log_info "Waiting 20 seconds for consumer group session timeout..."
-    sleep 20
+    log_info "Waiting 30 seconds for consumer group session timeout (cross-server)..."
+    sleep 30
 
     # Reset offsets for all consumer groups with retry logic
     log_step "Resetting consumer group offsets"
 
     for group in "${CDC_CONSUMER_GROUPS[@]}"; do
         log_info "Resetting: $group"
+
+        # Check if the group exists on the Kafka broker
+        local group_info
+        group_info=$(run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups --describe --group "$group" 2>&1 || true)
+
+        if echo "$group_info" | grep -qi "does not exist\|missing\|Error:.*GroupIdNotFoundException"; then
+            log_info "Consumer group $group does not exist, skipping"
+            continue
+        fi
+
         local reset_success=false
         local retry_count=0
-        local max_retries=3
+        local max_retries=5
 
         while [ "$reset_success" = false ] && [ $retry_count -lt $max_retries ]; do
-            if run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups \
+            local reset_output
+            reset_output=$(run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups \
                 --group "$group" \
                 --reset-offsets \
                 --to-earliest \
                 --all-topics \
-                --execute 2>&1 | grep -q "NEW-OFFSET"; then
-                reset_success=true
-            fi
+                --execute 2>&1 || true)
 
-            if [ "$reset_success" = false ]; then
+            if echo "$reset_output" | grep -q "NEW-OFFSET"; then
+                reset_success=true
+            elif echo "$reset_output" | grep -qi "does not exist"; then
+                log_info "Consumer group $group does not exist, skipping"
+                reset_success=true
+            else
                 retry_count=$((retry_count + 1))
                 if [ $retry_count -lt $max_retries ]; then
-                    log_warn "Consumer group still active, waiting 10s (retry $retry_count/$max_retries)..."
+                    log_warn "Reset failed for $group (retry $retry_count/$max_retries), waiting 10s..."
+                    log_info "Kafka output: $(echo "$reset_output" | head -3)"
                     sleep 10
                 fi
             fi
@@ -857,7 +873,12 @@ sync_reset() {
         if [ "$reset_success" = true ]; then
             log_success "Offsets reset for $group"
         else
-            log_warn "Could not reset offsets for $group after $max_retries attempts"
+            log_warn "Could not reset offsets for $group after $max_retries attempts, trying delete..."
+            if run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups --delete --group "$group" 2>&1 | grep -qi "deletion.*successful\|Deletion.*$group"; then
+                log_success "Deleted consumer group $group (will be recreated on service start)"
+            else
+                log_warn "Could not delete consumer group $group either, proceeding anyway"
+            fi
         fi
     done
 
@@ -1255,37 +1276,61 @@ full_reset() {
     done
 
     log_step "Step 2/19: Waiting for Kafka consumers to become inactive..."
-    log_info "Waiting 15 seconds for consumer group session timeout..."
-    sleep 15
+    log_info "Waiting 30 seconds for consumer group session timeout (cross-server)..."
+    sleep 30
 
     log_step "Step 3/19: Resetting CDC consumer offsets..."
     # Reset offsets BEFORE migrations (which may start containers)
     for group in "${CDC_CONSUMER_GROUPS[@]}"; do
         log_info "Resetting consumer group: $group"
+
+        # First check if the group exists on the remote Kafka broker
+        local group_info
+        group_info=$(run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups --describe --group "$group" 2>&1 || true)
+
+        if echo "$group_info" | grep -qi "does not exist\|missing\|Error:.*GroupIdNotFoundException"; then
+            log_info "Consumer group $group does not exist (fresh setup), skipping reset"
+            continue
+        fi
+
         local reset_success=false
         local retry_count=0
-        local max_retries=3
+        local max_retries=5
 
         while [ "$reset_success" = false ] && [ $retry_count -lt $max_retries ]; do
-            if run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups \
+            local reset_output
+            reset_output=$(run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups \
                 --group "$group" \
                 --reset-offsets \
                 --to-earliest \
                 --all-topics \
-                --execute 2>&1 | grep -q "NEW-OFFSET"; then
+                --execute 2>&1 || true)
+
+            if echo "$reset_output" | grep -q "NEW-OFFSET"; then
                 log_success "CDC offsets reset for $group"
                 reset_success=true
+            elif echo "$reset_output" | grep -qi "does not exist"; then
+                log_info "Consumer group $group does not exist, skipping"
+                reset_success=true
             else
                 retry_count=$((retry_count + 1))
                 if [ $retry_count -lt $max_retries ]; then
-                    log_warn "Consumer group still active, waiting 10s (retry $retry_count/$max_retries)..."
+                    log_warn "Reset failed for $group (retry $retry_count/$max_retries), waiting 10s..."
+                    log_info "Kafka output: $(echo "$reset_output" | head -3)"
                     sleep 10
                 fi
             fi
         done
 
         if [ "$reset_success" = false ]; then
-            log_warn "Could not reset offsets for $group after $max_retries attempts"
+            log_warn "Could not reset offsets for $group after $max_retries attempts, trying delete..."
+            # Fallback: delete the consumer group entirely
+            # When the service restarts with fromBeginning: true, it creates a new group
+            if run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups --delete --group "$group" 2>&1 | grep -qi "deletion.*successful\|Deletion.*$group"; then
+                log_success "Deleted consumer group $group (will be recreated on service start)"
+            else
+                log_warn "Could not delete consumer group $group either, proceeding anyway"
+            fi
         fi
     done
 
@@ -1446,36 +1491,57 @@ full_reset() {
         docker compose $COMPOSE_ARGS stop "$service" 2>/dev/null || true
     done
 
-    log_info "Waiting 20 seconds for consumer groups to become inactive..."
-    sleep 20
+    log_info "Waiting 30 seconds for consumer groups to become inactive (cross-server)..."
+    sleep 30
 
     # Reset CDC offsets again after migration
     for group in "${CDC_CONSUMER_GROUPS[@]}"; do
         log_info "Resetting consumer group: $group"
+
+        local group_info
+        group_info=$(run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups --describe --group "$group" 2>&1 || true)
+
+        if echo "$group_info" | grep -qi "does not exist\|missing\|Error:.*GroupIdNotFoundException"; then
+            log_info "Consumer group $group does not exist, skipping reset"
+            continue
+        fi
+
         local reset_success=false
         local retry_count=0
-        local max_retries=3
+        local max_retries=5
 
         while [ "$reset_success" = false ] && [ $retry_count -lt $max_retries ]; do
-            if run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups \
+            local reset_output
+            reset_output=$(run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups \
                 --group "$group" \
                 --reset-offsets \
                 --to-earliest \
                 --all-topics \
-                --execute 2>&1 | grep -q "NEW-OFFSET"; then
+                --execute 2>&1 || true)
+
+            if echo "$reset_output" | grep -q "NEW-OFFSET"; then
                 log_success "CDC offsets reset for $group"
                 reset_success=true
+            elif echo "$reset_output" | grep -qi "does not exist"; then
+                log_info "Consumer group $group does not exist, skipping"
+                reset_success=true
             else
                 retry_count=$((retry_count + 1))
                 if [ $retry_count -lt $max_retries ]; then
-                    log_warn "Consumer group still active, waiting 10s (retry $retry_count/$max_retries)..."
+                    log_warn "Reset failed for $group (retry $retry_count/$max_retries), waiting 10s..."
+                    log_info "Kafka output: $(echo "$reset_output" | head -3)"
                     sleep 10
                 fi
             fi
         done
 
         if [ "$reset_success" = false ]; then
-            log_warn "Could not reset offsets for $group after $max_retries attempts"
+            log_warn "Could not reset offsets for $group after $max_retries attempts, trying delete..."
+            if run_kafka_cmd kafka-consumer-groups --delete --group "$group" 2>&1 | grep -qi "deletion.*successful\|Deletion.*$group"; then
+                log_success "Deleted consumer group $group (will be recreated on service start)"
+            else
+                log_warn "Could not delete consumer group $group either, proceeding anyway"
+            fi
         fi
     done