diff --git a/firehose.c b/firehose.c
index 9f433f5..c43eb4a 100644
--- a/firehose.c
+++ b/firehose.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ static int firehose_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, xmlDoc *doc)
 	for (;;) {
 		ux_debug("FIREHOSE WRITE: %s\n", s);
 		vip_gen_chunk_update(qdl, s, len);
-		ret = qdl_write(qdl, s, len);
+		ret = qdl_write(qdl, s, len, 1000);
 		saved_errno = errno;
 
 		/*
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ static int firehose_program(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct program *program, int
 
 			vip_transfer_clear_status(qdl);
 		}
-		n = qdl_write(qdl, buf, chunk_size * sector_size);
+		n = qdl_write(qdl, buf, chunk_size * sector_size, 10000);
 		if (n < 0) {
 			ux_err("USB write failed for data chunk\n");
 			ret = firehose_read(qdl, 30000, firehose_generic_parser, NULL);
diff --git a/io.c b/io.c
index a4bb0f6..131c620 100644
--- a/io.c
+++ b/io.c
@@ -58,11 +58,12 @@ int qdl_read(struct qdl_device *qdl, void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout
  * @qdl: device handle
  * @buf: buffer with data to be written
  * @len: length of data to be written
+ * @timeout: timeout for write, in milliseconds
  *
  * Returns: number of bytes read
  *	    negative errno on failure (notably -ETIMEDOUT)
  */
-int qdl_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len)
+int qdl_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout)
 {
-	return qdl->write(qdl, buf, len);
+	return qdl->write(qdl, buf, len, timeout);
 }
diff --git a/ks.c b/ks.c
index 5b000c1..03c6e8c 100644
--- a/ks.c
+++ b/ks.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ int qdl_read(struct qdl_device *qdl, void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout
 	return read(qdl->fd, buf, len);
 }
 
-int qdl_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len)
+int qdl_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout)
 {
 	return write(qdl->fd, buf, len);
 }
diff --git a/qdl.h b/qdl.h
index 9e112da..d1858bd 100644
--- a/qdl.h
+++ b/qdl.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ struct qdl_device {
 
 	int (*open)(struct qdl_device *qdl, const char *serial);
 	int (*read)(struct qdl_device *qdl, void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout);
-	int (*write)(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t nbytes);
+	int (*write)(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t nbytes, unsigned int timeout);
 	void (*close)(struct qdl_device *qdl);
 	void (*set_out_chunk_size)(struct qdl_device *qdl, long size);
 	void (*set_vip_transfer)(struct qdl_device *qdl, const char *signed_table,
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void qdl_deinit(struct qdl_device *qdl);
 int qdl_open(struct qdl_device *qdl, const char *serial);
 void qdl_close(struct qdl_device *qdl);
 int qdl_read(struct qdl_device *qdl, void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout);
-int qdl_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len);
+int qdl_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout);
 void qdl_set_out_chunk_size(struct qdl_device *qdl, long size);
 int qdl_vip_transfer_enable(struct qdl_device *qdl, const char *vip_table_path);
 
diff --git a/sahara.c b/sahara.c
index f14075c..d133471 100644
--- a/sahara.c
+++ b/sahara.c
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
 
 #define DEBUG_BLOCK_SIZE (512 * 1024)
 
+#define SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS	1000
+
 struct sahara_pkt {
 	uint32_t cmd;
 	uint32_t length;
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ static void sahara_send_reset(struct qdl_device *qdl)
 	resp.cmd = SAHARA_RESET_CMD;
 	resp.length = SAHARA_RESET_LENGTH;
 
-	qdl_write(qdl, &resp, resp.length);
+	qdl_write(qdl, &resp, resp.length, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 }
 
 static void sahara_hello(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct sahara_pkt *pkt)
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ static void sahara_hello(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct sahara_pkt *pkt)
 	resp.hello_resp.status = SAHARA_SUCCESS;
 	resp.hello_resp.mode = pkt->hello_req.mode;
 
-	qdl_write(qdl, &resp, resp.length);
+	qdl_write(qdl, &resp, resp.length, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 }
 
 static int sahara_read_common(struct qdl_device *qdl, int progfd, off_t offset, size_t len)
@@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ static int sahara_read_common(struct qdl_device *qdl, int progfd, off_t offset,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	n = qdl_write(qdl, buf, n);
+	n = qdl_write(qdl, buf, n, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 	if (n != len)
 		err(1, "failed to write %zu bytes to sahara", len);
 
@@ -259,7 +261,7 @@ static void sahara_eoi(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct sahara_pkt *pkt)
 
 	done.cmd = SAHARA_DONE_CMD;
 	done.length = SAHARA_DONE_LENGTH;
-	qdl_write(qdl, &done, done.length);
+	qdl_write(qdl, &done, done.length, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 }
 
 static int sahara_done(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct sahara_pkt *pkt)
@@ -309,7 +311,7 @@ static ssize_t sahara_debug64_one(struct qdl_device *qdl,
 		read_req.length = SAHARA_MEM_READ64_LENGTH;
 		read_req.debug64_req.addr = region.addr + chunk;
 		read_req.debug64_req.length = remain;
-		n = qdl_write(qdl, &read_req, read_req.length);
+		n = qdl_write(qdl, &read_req, read_req.length, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 		if (n < 0)
 			break;
 
@@ -405,13 +407,13 @@ static void sahara_debug64(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct sahara_pkt *pkt,
 	read_req.debug64_req.addr = pkt->debug64_req.addr;
 	read_req.debug64_req.length = pkt->debug64_req.length;
 
-	n = qdl_write(qdl, &read_req, read_req.length);
+	n = qdl_write(qdl, &read_req, read_req.length, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 	if (n < 0)
 		return;
 
 	table = malloc(read_req.debug64_req.length);
 
-	n = qdl_read(qdl, table, pkt->debug64_req.length, 1000);
+	n = qdl_read(qdl, table, pkt->debug64_req.length, SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 	if (n < 0)
 		return;
 
@@ -451,7 +453,7 @@ int sahara_run(struct qdl_device *qdl, char *img_arr[], bool single_image,
 		return 0;
 
 	while (!done) {
-		n = qdl_read(qdl, buf, sizeof(buf), 1000);
+		n = qdl_read(qdl, buf, sizeof(buf), SAHARA_CMD_TIMEOUT_MS);
 		if (n < 0) {
 			ux_err("failed to read sahara request from device\n");
 			break;
diff --git a/sim.c b/sim.c
index ac117e2..8969f7d 100644
--- a/sim.c
+++ b/sim.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static int sim_read(struct qdl_device *qdl, void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int
 	return len;
 }
 
-static int sim_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len)
+static int sim_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout)
 {
 	return len;
 }
diff --git a/usb.c b/usb.c
index 8e31253..83fbaad 100644
--- a/usb.c
+++ b/usb.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static int usb_read(struct qdl_device *qdl, void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int
 	return actual;
 }
 
-static int usb_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len)
+static int usb_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len, unsigned int timeout)
 {
 	unsigned char *data = (unsigned char *)buf;
 	struct qdl_device_usb *qdl_usb = container_of(qdl, struct qdl_device_usb, base);
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ static int usb_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len)
 		xfer = (len > qdl_usb->out_chunk_size) ? qdl_usb->out_chunk_size : len;
 
 		ret = libusb_bulk_transfer(qdl_usb->usb_handle, qdl_usb->out_ep, data,
-					   xfer, &actual, 1000);
+					   xfer, &actual, timeout);
 		if (ret != 0 && ret != LIBUSB_ERROR_TIMEOUT) {
 			warnx("bulk write failed: %s", libusb_strerror(ret));
 			return -EIO;
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ static int usb_write(struct qdl_device *qdl, const void *buf, size_t len)
 
 	if (len_orig % qdl_usb->out_maxpktsize == 0) {
 		ret = libusb_bulk_transfer(qdl_usb->usb_handle, qdl_usb->out_ep, NULL,
-					   0, &actual, 1000);
+					   0, &actual, timeout);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return -EIO;
 	}
diff --git a/vip.c b/vip.c
index 29f6d9b..f911fb8 100644
--- a/vip.c
+++ b/vip.c
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ static int vip_transfer_send_raw(struct qdl_device *qdl, int table_fd)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	n = qdl_write(qdl, buf, sb.st_size);
+	n = qdl_write(qdl, buf, sb.st_size, 1000);
 	if (n < 0) {
 		ux_err("USB write failed for data chunk\n");
 		ret = -1;