diff --git a/src/matrix/Sync.js b/src/matrix/Sync.js
index 673bed82..b772ad2f 100644
--- a/src/matrix/Sync.js
+++ b/src/matrix/Sync.js
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ export class Sync {
             // TODO: this should be interruptable by stop, we can reuse _currentRequest
             syncFilterId = (await this._hsApi.createFilter(this._session.user.id, {room: {state: {lazy_load_members: true}}}).response()).filter_id;
         }
-        this._currentRequest = this._hsApi.sync(syncToken, syncFilterId, timeout);
+        const totalRequestTimeout = timeout + (80 * 1000);  // same as riot-web, don't get stuck on wedged long requests
+        this._currentRequest = this._hsApi.sync(syncToken, syncFilterId, timeout, {timeout: totalRequestTimeout});
         const response = await this._currentRequest.response();
         syncToken = response.next_batch;
         const storeNames = this._storage.storeNames;