diff --git a/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.cpp b/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.cpp
index efb8af6f1..d3a301a62 100644
--- a/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.cpp
+++ b/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.cpp
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ void HTTPClientLight::setConnectTimeout(int32_t connectTimeout)
  * set the timeout for the TCP connection
  * @param timeout unsigned int
  */
-void HTTPClientLight::setTimeout(uint16_t timeout)
+void HTTPClientLight::setTimeout(uint32_t timeout)
 {
     _tcpTimeout = timeout;
     if(connected()) {
@@ -1376,6 +1376,10 @@ int HTTPClientLight::writeToStreamDataBlock(Stream * stream, int size)
     uint8_t * buff = (uint8_t *) malloc(buff_size);
 
     if(buff) {
+        // a server gone silent without closing stays connected(): give up
+        // after _tcpTimeout without data, as handleHeaderResponse() does
+        unsigned long lastDataTime = millis();
+
         // read all data from server
         while(connected() && (len > 0 || len == -1)) {
 
@@ -1448,8 +1452,14 @@ int HTTPClientLight::writeToStreamDataBlock(Stream * stream, int size)
                     len -= readBytes;
                 }
 
+                lastDataTime = millis();
                 delay(0);
             } else {
+                if((millis() - lastDataTime) > _tcpTimeout) {
+                    log_w("read timeout after %d bytes", bytesWritten);
+                    free(buff);
+                    return HTTPC_ERROR_READ_TIMEOUT;
+                }
                 delay(1);
             }
         }
diff --git a/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.h b/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.h
index 4c2d9e5b0..5fbdc26f4 100644
--- a/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.h
+++ b/lib/HttpClientLight/src/HttpClientLight.h
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ public:
     void setAuthorization(const char * user, const char * password);
     void setAuthorization(const char * auth);
     void setConnectTimeout(int32_t connectTimeout);
-    void setTimeout(uint16_t timeout);
+    void setTimeout(uint32_t timeout);
 
     // Redirections
     void setFollowRedirects(followRedirects_t follow);
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ protected:
     uint16_t _port = 0;
     int32_t _connectTimeout = HTTPCLIENT_DEFAULT_TCP_TIMEOUT;  // Do not set to -1 as it fails WiFiClient connect()
     bool _reuse = true;
-    uint16_t _tcpTimeout = HTTPCLIENT_DEFAULT_TCP_TIMEOUT;
+    uint32_t _tcpTimeout = HTTPCLIENT_DEFAULT_TCP_TIMEOUT;
     bool _useHTTP10 = false;
     bool _secure = false;