diff --git a/src/ckpool.c b/src/ckpool.c
index ccb708c3..4d00084e 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.c
+++ b/src/ckpool.c
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ void empty_buffer(connsock_t *cs)
 /* Read from a socket into cs->buf till we get an '\n', converting it to '\0'
  * and storing how much extra data we've received, to be moved to the beginning
  * of the buffer for use on the next receive. */
-int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, float timeout)
+int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, float *timeout)
 {
 	int fd = cs->fd, ret = -1;
 	char *eom = NULL;
@@ -519,7 +519,12 @@ int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, float timeout)
 
 	tv_time(&start);
 rewait:
-	ret = wait_read_select(fd, eom ? 0 : timeout);
+	if (*timeout <= 0) {
+		LOGDEBUG("Timed out in read_socket_line");
+		ret = 0;
+		goto out;
+	}
+	ret = wait_read_select(fd, eom ? 0 : *timeout);
 	if (ret < 1) {
 		if (!ret) {
 			if (eom)
@@ -531,7 +536,7 @@ rewait:
 	}
 	tv_time(&now);
 	diff = tvdiff(&now, &start);
-	timeout -= diff;
+	*timeout -= diff;
 	while (42) {
 		char readbuf[PAGESIZE] = {};
 		int backoff = 1;
@@ -543,7 +548,7 @@ rewait:
 			if (eom)
 				break;
 			/* Have we used up all the timeout yet? */
-			if (timeout > 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK || !ret))
+			if (*timeout > 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK || !ret))
 				goto rewait;
 			LOGERR("Failed to recv in read_socket_line");
 			goto out;
@@ -724,6 +729,7 @@ json_t *json_rpc_call(connsock_t *cs, const char *rpc_req)
 	char *http_req = NULL;
 	json_error_t err_val;
 	json_t *val = NULL;
+	float timeout = 60;
 	int len, ret;
 
 	if (unlikely(cs->fd < 0)) {
@@ -766,7 +772,7 @@ json_t *json_rpc_call(connsock_t *cs, const char *rpc_req)
 		LOGWARNING("Failed to write to socket in json_rpc_call");
 		goto out_empty;
 	}
-	ret = read_socket_line(cs, 5);
+	ret = read_socket_line(cs, &timeout);
 	if (ret < 1) {
 		LOGWARNING("Failed to read socket line in json_rpc_call");
 		goto out_empty;
@@ -776,7 +782,7 @@ json_t *json_rpc_call(connsock_t *cs, const char *rpc_req)
 		goto out_empty;
 	}
 	do {
-		ret = read_socket_line(cs, 5);
+		ret = read_socket_line(cs, &timeout);
 		if (ret < 1) {
 			LOGWARNING("Failed to read http socket lines in json_rpc_call");
 			goto out_empty;
diff --git a/src/ckpool.h b/src/ckpool.h
index f5bfdb20..d859ce89 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.h
+++ b/src/ckpool.h
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ ckpool_t *global_ckp;
 
 bool ping_main(ckpool_t *ckp);
 void empty_buffer(connsock_t *cs);
-int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, float timeout);
+int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, float *timeout);
 void _send_proc(proc_instance_t *pi, const char *msg, const char *file, const char *func, const int line);
 #define send_proc(pi, msg) _send_proc(pi, msg, __FILE__, __func__, __LINE__)
 char *_send_recv_proc(proc_instance_t *pi, const char *msg, const char *file, const char *func, const int line);
diff --git a/src/generator.c b/src/generator.c
index 90f054f4..576c8709 100644
--- a/src/generator.c
+++ b/src/generator.c
@@ -517,8 +517,9 @@ static char *cached_proxy_line(proxy_instance_t *proxi)
 static char *next_proxy_line(connsock_t *cs, proxy_instance_t *proxi)
 {
 	char *buf = cached_proxy_line(proxi);
+	float timeout = 10;
 
-	if (!buf && read_socket_line(cs, 5) > 0)
+	if (!buf && read_socket_line(cs, &timeout) > 0)
 		buf = strdup(cs->buf);
 	return buf;
 }
@@ -534,9 +535,10 @@ static void append_proxy_line(proxy_instance_t *proxi, const char *buf)
 /* Get a new line from the connsock and return a copy of it */
 static char *new_proxy_line(connsock_t *cs)
 {
+	float timeout = 10;
 	char *buf = NULL;
 
-	if (read_socket_line(cs, 5) < 1)
+	if (read_socket_line(cs, &timeout) < 1)
 		goto out;
 	buf = strdup(cs->buf);
 out:
@@ -719,6 +721,7 @@ out:
 static bool passthrough_stratum(connsock_t *cs, proxy_instance_t *proxi)
 {
 	json_t *req, *val = NULL, *res_val, *err_val;
+	float timeout = 10;
 	bool ret = false;
 
 	JSON_CPACK(req, "{s:s,s:[s]}",
@@ -730,7 +733,7 @@ static bool passthrough_stratum(connsock_t *cs, proxy_instance_t *proxi)
 		LOGWARNING("Failed to send message in passthrough_stratum");
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (read_socket_line(cs, 5) < 1) {
+	if (read_socket_line(cs, &timeout) < 1) {
 		LOGWARNING("Failed to receive line in passthrough_stratum");
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -1259,6 +1262,7 @@ static void *proxy_recv(void *arg)
 		notify_instance_t *ni, *tmp;
 		share_msg_t *share, *tmpshare;
 		int retries = 0, ret;
+		float timeout;
 		time_t now;
 
 		now = time(NULL);
@@ -1286,12 +1290,13 @@ static void *proxy_recv(void *arg)
 
 		/* If we don't get an update within 10 minutes the upstream pool
 		 * has likely stopped responding. */
+		timeout = 10;
 		do {
 			if (cs->fd == -1) {
 				ret = -1;
 				break;
 			}
-			ret = read_socket_line(cs, 5);
+			ret = read_socket_line(cs, &timeout);
 		} while (ret == 0 && ++retries < 120);
 
 		if (ret < 1) {
@@ -1393,10 +1398,11 @@ static void *passthrough_recv(void *arg)
 	rename_proc("passrecv");
 
 	while (42) {
+		float timeout = 60;
 		int ret;
 
 		do {
-			ret = read_socket_line(cs, 60);
+			ret = read_socket_line(cs, &timeout);
 		} while (ret == 0);
 
 		if (ret < 1) {