diff --git a/lib/matrix.dart b/lib/matrix.dart
index 426992c3..5a09bc14 100644
--- a/lib/matrix.dart
+++ b/lib/matrix.dart
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export 'src/utils/sync_update_extension.dart';
 export 'src/utils/to_device_event.dart';
 export 'src/utils/uia_request.dart';
 export 'src/utils/commands_extension.dart';
+export 'src/utils/http_timeout.dart';
 export 'src/client.dart';
 export 'src/event.dart';
 export 'src/room.dart';
diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index ad650669..20858763 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import 'user.dart';
 import 'utils/commands_extension.dart';
 import 'utils/device_keys_list.dart';
 import 'utils/event_update.dart';
+import 'utils/http_timeout.dart';
 import 'utils/matrix_file.dart';
 import 'utils/room_update.dart';
 import 'utils/to_device_event.dart';
@@ -170,7 +171,9 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
                 state: StateFilter(lazyLoadMembers: true),
               ),
             ),
-        super(httpClient: httpClient) {
+        super(
+            httpClient:
+                VariableTimeoutHttpClient(httpClient ?? http.Client())) {
     supportedLoginTypes ??= {AuthenticationTypes.password};
     verificationMethods ??= <KeyVerificationMethod>{};
     importantStateEvents ??= {};
diff --git a/lib/src/utils/http_timeout.dart b/lib/src/utils/http_timeout.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ebf4bce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/utils/http_timeout.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/*
+ *   Famedly Matrix SDK
+ *   Copyright (C) 2021 Famedly GmbH
+ *
+ *   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ *   published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ *   License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ *   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ *   along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+import 'dart:async';
+
+import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
+
+import '../../matrix.dart';
+
+/// Stream.timeout fails if no progress is made in timeLimit.
+/// In contrast, streamTotalTimeout fails if the stream isn't completed
+/// until timeoutFuture.
+Stream<T> streamTotalTimeout<T>(
+    Stream<T> stream, Future<Null> timeoutFuture) async* {
+  final si = StreamIterator(stream);
+  while (await Future.any([si.moveNext(), timeoutFuture])) {
+    yield si.current;
+  }
+}
+
+http.StreamedResponse replaceStream(
+        http.StreamedResponse base, Stream<List<int>> stream) =>
+    http.StreamedResponse(
+      http.ByteStream(stream),
+      base.statusCode,
+      contentLength: base.contentLength,
+      request: base.request,
+      headers: base.headers,
+      isRedirect: base.isRedirect,
+      persistentConnection: base.persistentConnection,
+      reasonPhrase: base.reasonPhrase,
+    );
+
+/// Http Client that enforces a timeout on requests.
+/// Timeout calculation is done in a subclass.
+abstract class TimeoutHttpClient extends http.BaseClient {
+  TimeoutHttpClient(this.inner);
+
+  http.Client inner;
+
+  Duration get timeout;
+
+  @override
+  Future<http.StreamedResponse> send(http.BaseRequest request) async {
+    final timeoutFuture = Completer<Null>().future.timeout(timeout);
+    final response = await Future.any([inner.send(request), timeoutFuture]);
+    return replaceStream(
+        response, streamTotalTimeout(response.stream, timeoutFuture));
+  }
+}
+
+class FixedTimeoutHttpClient extends TimeoutHttpClient {
+  FixedTimeoutHttpClient(http.Client inner, this.timeout) : super(inner);
+  @override
+  Duration timeout;
+
+  @override
+  Future<http.StreamedResponse> send(http.BaseRequest request) =>
+      super.send(request);
+}
+
+class VariableTimeoutHttpClient extends TimeoutHttpClient {
+  /// Matrix synchronisation is done with https long polling. This needs a
+  /// timeout which is usually 30 seconds.
+  int syncTimeoutSec;
+
+  int _timeoutFactor = 1;
+
+  @override
+  Duration get timeout =>
+      Duration(seconds: _timeoutFactor * syncTimeoutSec + 5);
+
+  VariableTimeoutHttpClient(http.Client inner, [this.syncTimeoutSec = 30])
+      : super(inner);
+
+  @override
+  Future<http.StreamedResponse> send(http.BaseRequest request,
+      {Duration timeout}) async {
+    try {
+      final response = await super.send(request);
+      return replaceStream(response, (() async* {
+        try {
+          await for (final chunk in response.stream) {
+            yield chunk;
+          }
+          _timeoutFactor = 1;
+        } on TimeoutException catch (e, s) {
+          _timeoutFactor *= 2;
+          throw MatrixConnectionException(e, s);
+        } catch (e, s) {
+          throw MatrixConnectionException(e, s);
+        }
+      })());
+    } on TimeoutException catch (e, s) {
+      _timeoutFactor *= 2;
+      throw MatrixConnectionException(e, s);
+    } catch (e, s) {
+      throw MatrixConnectionException(e, s);
+    }
+  }
+}