diff --git a/hooks/buildfail.sh b/hooks/buildfail.sh
index 2bc54f2..7702b40 100755
--- a/hooks/buildfail.sh
+++ b/hooks/buildfail.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # MATTER_PORTAGE_FAILED_PACKAGE_NAME = CPV of failed package
 
 DATE_DIR=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
+SSH_ARGS="-o ConnectTimeout=5"
 
 BUILD_LOG=$(echo -n "${MATTER_PORTAGE_BUILD_LOG_DIR}/${MATTER_PORTAGE_FAILED_PACKAGE_NAME}"*.log)
 if [ -z "${BUILD_LOG}" ]; then
@@ -16,7 +17,11 @@ fi
 REMOTE_DIR="~/tinderbox/${DATE_DIR}/$(uname -m)/${MATTER_PORTAGE_FAILED_PACKAGE_NAME}"
 
 echo "Uploading ${BUILD_LOG} to tinderbox.sabayon.org..."
-ssh entropy@tinderbox.sabayon.org mkdir -p "${REMOTE_DIR}"
+ssh ${SSH_ARGS} entropy@tinderbox.sabayon.org mkdir -p "${REMOTE_DIR}"
+if [ "${?}" != "0" ]; then
+	echo "cannot connect to tinderbox"
+	exit 1
+fi
 
 tmp_path=$(mktemp --suffix=.emerge.info.txt)
 emerge --info =${MATTER_PORTAGE_FAILED_PACKAGE_NAME} > "${tmp_path}"
@@ -25,13 +30,13 @@ if [ "${?}" != "0" ]; then
         exit ${?}
 fi
 chmod 640 "${tmp_path}"
-scp "${tmp_path}" entropy@tinderbox.sabayon.org:"${REMOTE_DIR}"/
+scp ${SSH_ARGS} "${tmp_path}" entropy@tinderbox.sabayon.org:"${REMOTE_DIR}"/
 if [ "${?}" != "0" ]; then
 	rm "${tmp_path}"
 	exit 1
 fi
 rm "${tmp_path}"
-scp "${BUILD_LOG}" entropy@tinderbox.sabayon.org:"${REMOTE_DIR}"/ || exit 1
+scp ${SSH_ARGS} "${BUILD_LOG}" entropy@tinderbox.sabayon.org:"${REMOTE_DIR}"/ || exit 1
 
 exit 0