diff --git a/copyvios/checker.py b/copyvios/checker.py
index 93c4a61..e9108b9 100644
--- a/copyvios/checker.py
+++ b/copyvios/checker.py
@@ -51,9 +51,10 @@ def _get_results(query, follow=True):
         if urlparse(query.url).scheme not in ["http", "https"]:
             query.error = "bad URI"
             return
-        result = page.copyvio_compare(query.url)
+        max_time = 30
+        result = page.copyvio_compare(query.url, max_time=max_time)
         if result.source_chain is page.EMPTY:
-            query.error = "no data"
+            query.error = "timeout" if result.time > max_time else "no data"
             return
         query.result = result
         query.result.cached = False
diff --git a/templates/index.mako b/templates/index.mako
index 543c70f..d4e8e39 100644
--- a/templates/index.mako
+++ b/templates/index.mako
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
         <div id="info-box" class="red-box">
             <p>Couldn't find any text in <a href="${query.url | h}">${query.url | h}</a>. <i>Note:</i> only HTML and plain text pages are supported, and content generated by JavaScript or found inside iframes is ignored.</p>
         </div>
+    % elif query.error == "timeout":
+        <div id="info-box" class="red-box">
+            <p>The URL <a href="${query.url | h}">${query.url | h}</a> timed out before any data could be retrieved.</p>
+        </div>
     % elif not query.site:
         <div id="info-box" class="red-box">
             <p>The given site (project=<b><span class="mono">${query.project | h}</span></b>, language=<b><span class="mono">${query.lang | h}</span></b>) doesn't seem to exist. It may also be closed or private. <a href="//${query.lang | h}.${query.project | h}.org/">Confirm its URL.</a></p>