diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java b/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java
index 65dc8af0b9..a7f994cce3 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ public abstract class Request<T extends Result> {
             HttpRequest request = Instance.httpRequestFactory.buildGetRequest(
                     new GenericUrl(url)
             );
+            setTimeouts(request);
             request(request);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
@@ -147,6 +148,7 @@ public abstract class Request<T extends Result> {
                             getPostBody().getBytes()
                     )
             );
+            setTimeouts(request);
             request(request);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
@@ -159,4 +161,10 @@ public abstract class Request<T extends Result> {
         future = request.executeAsync();
     }
 
+    private void setTimeouts(HttpRequest request) {
+        // timeouts are 20s by default
+        int threeMinutesInMs = 1000 * 60 * 3;
+        request.setReadTimeout(threeMinutesInMs);
+    }
+
 }