diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/upload/components/ConfigurationSelects.tsx b/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/upload/components/ConfigurationSelects.tsx
index 741ebf99..e2be22c2 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/upload/components/ConfigurationSelects.tsx
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/upload/components/ConfigurationSelects.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   PopoverTrigger,
 } from "@/components/ui/popover";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
 
 // Types
 interface ConfigurationSelectsProps {
@@ -41,28 +42,89 @@ const SLIDE_OPTIONS: SlideOption[] = ["5", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14
 const SlideCountSelect: React.FC<{
   value: string | null;
   onValueChange: (value: string) => void;
-}> = ({ value, onValueChange }) => (
-  <Select value={value || ""} onValueChange={onValueChange} name="slides">
-    <SelectTrigger
-      className="w-[180px] font-instrument_sans font-medium bg-blue-100 border-blue-200 focus-visible:ring-blue-300"
-      data-testid="slides-select"
-    >
-      <SelectValue placeholder="Select Slides" />
-    </SelectTrigger>
-    <SelectContent className="font-instrument_sans">
-      {SLIDE_OPTIONS.map((option) => (
-        <SelectItem
-          key={option}
-          value={option}
-          className="font-instrument_sans text-sm font-medium"
-          role="option"
+}> = ({ value, onValueChange }) => {
+  const [customInput, setCustomInput] = useState(
+    value && !SLIDE_OPTIONS.includes(value as SlideOption) ? value : ""
+  );
+
+  const sanitizeToPositiveInteger = (raw: string): string => {
+    const digitsOnly = raw.replace(/\D+/g, "");
+    if (!digitsOnly) return "";
+    // Remove leading zeros
+    const noLeadingZeros = digitsOnly.replace(/^0+/, "");
+    return noLeadingZeros;
+  };
+
+  const applyCustomValue = () => {
+    const sanitized = sanitizeToPositiveInteger(customInput);
+    if (sanitized && Number(sanitized) > 0) {
+      onValueChange(sanitized);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Select value={value || ""} onValueChange={onValueChange} name="slides">
+      <SelectTrigger
+        className="w-[180px] font-instrument_sans font-medium bg-blue-100 border-blue-200 focus-visible:ring-blue-300"
+        data-testid="slides-select"
+      >
+        <SelectValue placeholder="Select Slides" />
+      </SelectTrigger>
+      <SelectContent className="font-instrument_sans">
+        {/* Sticky custom input at the top */}
+        <div
+          className="sticky top-0 z-10 bg-white dark:bg-slate-900 p-2 border-b"
+          onMouseDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+          onPointerDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+          onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
         >
-          {option} slides
-        </SelectItem>
-      ))}
-    </SelectContent>
-  </Select>
-);
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            <Input
+              inputMode="numeric"
+              pattern="[0-9]*"
+              value={customInput}
+              onMouseDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+              onPointerDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+              onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+              onChange={(e) => {
+                const next = sanitizeToPositiveInteger(e.target.value);
+                setCustomInput(next);
+              }}
+              onKeyDown={(e) => {
+                if (e.key === "Enter") {
+                  e.preventDefault();
+                  applyCustomValue();
+                }
+              }}
+              onBlur={applyCustomValue}
+              placeholder="X"
+              className="h-8 w-16 px-2 text-sm"
+            />
+            <span className="text-sm font-medium">slides</span>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+
+        {/* Hidden item to allow SelectValue to render custom selection */}
+        {value && !SLIDE_OPTIONS.includes(value as SlideOption) && (
+          <SelectItem value={value} className="hidden">
+            {value} slides
+          </SelectItem>
+        )}
+
+        {SLIDE_OPTIONS.map((option) => (
+          <SelectItem
+            key={option}
+            value={option}
+            className="font-instrument_sans text-sm font-medium"
+            role="option"
+          >
+            {option} slides
+          </SelectItem>
+        ))}
+      </SelectContent>
+    </Select>
+  );
+};
 
 /**
  * Renders a language selection component with search functionality
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/api/export-as-pdf/route.ts b/servers/nextjs/app/api/export-as-pdf/route.ts
index 59ea3dda..836f633d 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/api/export-as-pdf/route.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/api/export-as-pdf/route.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
   });
   const page = await browser.newPage();
   await page.setViewport({ width: 1280, height: 720 });
+  page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(300000);
+  page.setDefaultTimeout(300000);
 
-  await page.goto(`http://localhost/pdf-maker?id=${id}`, { waitUntil: 'networkidle0', timeout: 180000 });
+  await page.goto(`http://localhost/pdf-maker?id=${id}`, { waitUntil: 'networkidle0', timeout: 300000 });
 
   await page.waitForFunction('() => document.readyState === "complete"')
 
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
         return (loadedElements / totalElements) >= 0.99;
       }
       `,
-      { timeout: 10000 }
+      { timeout: 300000 }
     );
 
     await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/api/layout/route.ts b/servers/nextjs/app/api/layout/route.ts
index 06287d8e..863fab44 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/api/layout/route.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/api/layout/route.ts
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ export async function GET(request: Request) {
     });
     const page = await browser.newPage();
     await page.setViewport({ width: 1280, height: 720 });
+    page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(300000);
+    page.setDefaultTimeout(300000);
     await page.goto(schemaPageUrl, {
       waitUntil: "networkidle0",
-      timeout: 80000,
+      timeout: 300000,
     });
     
-    await page.waitForSelector("[data-layouts]", { timeout: 30000 });
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-layouts]", { timeout: 300000 });
 
     // Extract both data-layouts and data-group-settings attributes
     const { dataLayouts, dataGroupSettings } = await page.$eval(
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/api/presentation_to_pptx_model/route.ts b/servers/nextjs/app/api/presentation_to_pptx_model/route.ts
index 3a312a18..0cebd027 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/api/presentation_to_pptx_model/route.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/api/presentation_to_pptx_model/route.ts
@@ -75,9 +75,11 @@ async function getBrowserAndPage(id: string): Promise<[Browser, Page]> {
   const page = await browser.newPage();
 
   await page.setViewport({ width: 1280, height: 720, deviceScaleFactor: 1 });
+  page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(300000);
+  page.setDefaultTimeout(300000);
   await page.goto(`http://localhost/pdf-maker?id=${id}`, {
     waitUntil: "networkidle0",
-    timeout: 180000,
+    timeout: 300000,
   });
   return [browser, page];
 }
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/api/template/route.ts b/servers/nextjs/app/api/template/route.ts
index 2b862d33..dec565b8 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/api/template/route.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/api/template/route.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ export async function GET(request: Request) {
     browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true, args: ["--no-sandbox", "--disable-web-security"] });
     const page = await browser.newPage();
     await page.setViewport({ width: 1280, height: 720 });
-    await page.goto(schemaPageUrl, { waitUntil: "networkidle0", timeout: 80000 });
+    page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(300000);
+    page.setDefaultTimeout(300000);
+    await page.goto(schemaPageUrl, { waitUntil: "networkidle0", timeout: 300000 });
 
-    await page.waitForSelector("[data-layouts]", { timeout: 30000 });
+    await page.waitForSelector("[data-layouts]", { timeout: 300000 });
 
     const { dataLayouts, dataGroupSettings } = await page.$eval(
       "[data-layouts]",