diff --git a/activity.go b/activity.go
index c7f85e6..53e649a 100644
--- a/activity.go
+++ b/activity.go
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ var falsenames = []string{
 var itiswhatitis = "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams"
 var thewholeworld = "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
 
+var fastTimeout time.Duration = 5
+var slowTimeout time.Duration = 30
+
 func friendorfoe(ct string) bool {
 	ct = strings.ToLower(ct)
 	for _, at := range falsenames {
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ func PostMsg(keyname string, key httpsig.PrivateKey, url string, msg []byte) err
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "honksnonk/5.0; "+serverName)
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", theonetruename)
 	httpsig.SignRequest(keyname, key, req, msg)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 1*time.Minute)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*slowTimeout*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 	req = req.WithContext(ctx)
 	resp, err := client.Do(req)
@@ -100,11 +103,11 @@ func PostMsg(keyname string, key httpsig.PrivateKey, url string, msg []byte) err
 }
 
 func GetJunk(url string) (junk.Junk, error) {
-	return GetJunkTimeout(url, 30*time.Second)
+	return GetJunkTimeout(url, slowTimeout*time.Second)
 }
 
 func GetJunkFast(url string) (junk.Junk, error) {
-	return GetJunkTimeout(url, 5*time.Second)
+	return GetJunkTimeout(url, fastTimeout*time.Second)
 }
 
 func GetJunkHardMode(url string) (junk.Junk, error) {
diff --git a/honk.go b/honk.go
index 6b648b4..10f524b 100644
--- a/honk.go
+++ b/honk.go
@@ -320,6 +320,8 @@ func main() {
 	getconfig("usersep", &userSep)
 	getconfig("honksep", &honkSep)
 	getconfig("devel", &develMode)
+	getconfig("fasttimeout", &fastTimeout)
+	getconfig("slowtimeout", &slowTimeout)
 	prepareStatements(db)
 	switch cmd {
 	case "admin":