diff --git a/invenio_uploadbyurl/config.py b/invenio_uploadbyurl/config.py
index d44f1673c82629f850080051709cf5a95b7e32ae..849b51964339144a353e65bcfca1e97be18df67a 100644
--- a/invenio_uploadbyurl/config.py
+++ b/invenio_uploadbyurl/config.py
@@ -57,7 +57,10 @@ UPLOADBYURL_COMMENT = 'key@uploadbyurl.de'
 """Name of key to be added in authorized_keys."""
 
 UPLOADBYURL_TIMEOUT = 60 * 60  # 1 hour
-"""Timeout after which upload task should be quit."""
+"""Timeout in s after which upload task should be quit."""
+
+UPLOADBYURL_SHORT_TIMEOUT = 30
+"""Timeout in s after which short tasks, e.g. echo, should be quit."""
 
 UPLOADBYURL_SENDER_EMAIL = 'rodare@hzdr.de'
 """Email address for sending mails."""
diff --git a/invenio_uploadbyurl/tasks.py b/invenio_uploadbyurl/tasks.py
index acd7a65407fb5a6071591ac83a6f740f05e7cd20..78163b00113f072154d25e70cb34e4dbd4e4029e 100644
--- a/invenio_uploadbyurl/tasks.py
+++ b/invenio_uploadbyurl/tasks.py
@@ -141,16 +141,22 @@ def download_via_sftp(bucket_id, remote_server_id, user_id, filepath):
                     '/usr/bin/sftp', arguments.split(),
                     timeout=current_app.config['UPLOADBYURL_TIMEOUT']
                 )
-                sftp_proc.expect('Enter passphrase for key .*', timeout=60)
+                sftp_proc.expect(
+                    'Enter passphrase for key .*',
+                    timeout=current_app.config['UPLOADBYURL_SHORT_TIMEOUT'])
                 sftp_proc.sendline(secret)
-                sftp_proc.expect('sftp>', timeout=60)
+                sftp_proc.expect(
+                    'sftp>',
+                    timeout=current_app.config['UPLOADBYURL_SHORT_TIMEOUT'])
                 # download file with timeout specified in configuration
                 sftp_proc.sendline(cmd_get)
                 sftp_proc.expect(
                     'sftp>', timeout=current_app.config['UPLOADBYURL_TIMEOUT']
                 )
                 sftp_proc.sendline('exit')
-                sftp_proc.expect(pexpect.EOF)
+                sftp_proc.expect(
+                    pexpect.EOF,
+                    timeout=current_app.config['UPLOADBYURL_SHORT_TIMEOUT'])
                 sftp_proc.close()
             except (pexpect.EOF, pexpect.TIMEOUT):
                 # clean up in case of failure
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index f2d3f1330ee47cd030784390fb8dcbbec3457d7f..988a64587ddfebf2158d27ef0581f78b6dde75de 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ def base_app(instance_path):
         UPLOADBYURL_NOTIFICATION_ENABLED=False,
         UPLOADBYURL_REDISSTORE_URL=os.getenv('UPLOADBYURL_REDISSTORE_URL',
                                              'redis://localhost:6379/0'),
+        UPLOADBYURL_TIMEOUT=30,
+        UPLOADBYURL_SHORT_TIMEOUT=10,
         FILES_REST_DEFAULT_QUOTA_SIZE=100 * 1024 * 1024,
         MAIL_SUPPRESS_SEND=True,
     )