diff --git a/backend/app/notify/telegram.go b/backend/app/notify/telegram.go
index 61a9d159..5e13e738 100644
--- a/backend/app/notify/telegram.go
+++ b/backend/app/notify/telegram.go
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ func NewTelegram(token string, channelID string, timeout time.Duration, api stri
 	}
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] create new telegram notifier for cham %s, timeout=%s, api=%s", channelID, res.timeout, res.timeout)
 
-	err := repeater.NewDefault(5, time.Millisecond*250).Do(func() error {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	err := repeater.NewDefault(5, time.Millisecond*250).Do(ctx, func() error {
 		client := http.Client{Timeout: telegramTimeOut}
 		resp, err := client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s/getMe", res.apiPrefix, token))
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go b/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go
index 17160658..5ad0b805 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package proxy
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ type Image struct {
 	RemarkURL string
 	RoutePath string
 	Enabled   bool
+	Timeout   time.Duration
 }
 
 // Convert all img src links without https to proxied links
@@ -51,11 +53,23 @@ func (p Image) Routes() chi.Router {
 			return
 		}
 
+		timeout := 60 * time.Second // default
+		if p.Timeout > 0 {
+			timeout = p.Timeout
+		}
+
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+		defer cancel()
+
 		client := http.Client{Timeout: 30 * time.Second}
 		var resp *http.Response
-		err = repeater.NewDefault(5, time.Second).Do(func() error {
+		err = repeater.NewDefault(5, time.Second).Do(ctx, func() error {
 			var e error
-			resp, e = client.Get(string(src))
+			req, e := http.NewRequest("GET", string(src), nil)
+			if e != nil {
+				return errors.Wrapf(e, "failed to make request for %s", r.URL.Query().Get("src"))
+			}
+			resp, e = client.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
 			return e
 		})
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/proxy/image_test.go b/backend/app/rest/proxy/image_test.go
index b7b90098..dc8eae0c 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/proxy/image_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/proxy/image_test.go
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ package proxy
 import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -87,6 +90,25 @@ func TestImage_Routes(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 400, resp.StatusCode)
 }
 
+func TestImage_RoutesTimedOut(t *testing.T) {
+	img := Image{Enabled: true, RemarkURL: "https://demo.remark42.com", RoutePath: "/api/v1/proxy", Timeout: 50 * time.Millisecond}
+	router := img.Routes()
+
+	httpSrv := imgHTTPServer(t)
+	defer httpSrv.Close()
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(router)
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	encodedImgURL := base64.URLEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(httpSrv.URL + "/image/img-slow.png"))
+	resp, err := http.Get(ts.URL + "/?src=" + encodedImgURL)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 400, resp.StatusCode)
+	b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	t.Log(string(b))
+	assert.True(t, strings.Contains(string(b), "deadline exceeded"))
+}
+
 func TestPicture_Convert(t *testing.T) {
 	img := Image{Enabled: true, RoutePath: "/img"}
 	r := img.Convert(`<img src="http://radio-t.com/img3.png"/> xyz <img src="http://images.pexels.com/67636/img4.jpeg">`)
@@ -113,6 +135,11 @@ func imgHTTPServer(t *testing.T) *httptest.Server {
 			w.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("%123s", "X")))
 			return
 		}
+		if r.URL.Path == "/image/img-slow.png" {
+			time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+			w.WriteHeader(500)
+			return
+		}
 		t.Log("http img request - not found", r.URL)
 		w.WriteHeader(404)
 	}))