diff --git a/src/node/shell/distributed_db.ml b/src/node/shell/distributed_db.ml
index a3a073249..615f128e3 100644
--- a/src/node/shell/distributed_db.ml
+++ b/src/node/shell/distributed_db.ml
@@ -876,13 +876,17 @@ module type DISTRIBUTED_DB = sig
   val known: t -> key -> bool Lwt.t
   type error += Missing_data of key
   type error += Canceled of key
+  type error += Timeout of key
   val read: t -> key -> value tzresult Lwt.t
   val read_opt: t -> key -> value option Lwt.t
   val read_exn: t -> key -> value Lwt.t
   val watch: t -> (key * value) Lwt_stream.t * Watcher.stopper
   val prefetch: t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> unit
   val fetch:
-    t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
+    t ->
+    ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t ->
+    ?timeout:float ->
+    key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
   val clear_or_cancel: t -> key -> unit
 end
 
@@ -899,11 +903,13 @@ module Make
   let known t k = Table.known (Kind.proj t) k
   type error += Missing_data = Table.Missing_data
   type error += Canceled = Table.Canceled
+  type error += Timeout = Table.Timeout
   let read t k = Table.read (Kind.proj t) k
   let read_opt t k = Table.read_opt (Kind.proj t) k
   let read_exn t k = Table.read_exn (Kind.proj t) k
   let prefetch t ?peer k p = Table.prefetch (Kind.proj t) ?peer k p
-  let fetch t ?peer k p = Table.fetch (Kind.proj t) ?peer k p
+  let fetch t ?peer ?timeout k p =
+    Table.fetch (Kind.proj t) ?peer ?timeout k p
   let clear_or_cancel t k = Table.clear_or_cancel (Kind.proj t) k
   let inject t k v = Table.inject (Kind.proj t) k v
   let watch t = Table.watch (Kind.proj t)
diff --git a/src/node/shell/distributed_db.mli b/src/node/shell/distributed_db.mli
index b90e16847..586b786fc 100644
--- a/src/node/shell/distributed_db.mli
+++ b/src/node/shell/distributed_db.mli
@@ -79,13 +79,17 @@ module type DISTRIBUTED_DB = sig
   val known: t -> key -> bool Lwt.t
   type error += Missing_data of key
   type error += Canceled of key
+  type error += Timeout of key
   val read: t -> key -> value tzresult Lwt.t
   val read_opt: t -> key -> value option Lwt.t
   val read_exn: t -> key -> value Lwt.t
   val watch: t -> (key * value) Lwt_stream.t * Watcher.stopper
   val prefetch: t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> unit
   val fetch:
-    t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
+    t ->
+    ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t ->
+    ?timeout:float ->
+    key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
   val clear_or_cancel: t -> key -> unit
 end
 
diff --git a/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.ml b/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.ml
index 0a50d3a5a..e09656800 100644
--- a/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.ml
+++ b/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.ml
@@ -20,13 +20,18 @@ module type DISTRIBUTED_DB = sig
 
   type error += Missing_data of key
   type error += Canceled of key
+  type error += Timeout of key
+
   val read: t -> key -> value tzresult Lwt.t
   val read_opt: t -> key -> value option Lwt.t
   val read_exn: t -> key -> value Lwt.t
 
   val prefetch: t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> unit
   val fetch:
-    t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
+    t ->
+    ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t ->
+    ?timeout:float ->
+    key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
 
   val clear_or_cancel: t -> key -> unit
   val inject: t -> key -> value -> bool Lwt.t
@@ -135,6 +140,7 @@ end = struct
 
   type error += Missing_data of key
   type error += Canceled of key
+  type error += Timeout of key
 
   let () =
     Error_monad.register_error_kind `Permanent
@@ -155,7 +161,7 @@ end = struct
     | Found v -> return v
     | Pending _ -> fail (Missing_data k)
 
-  let wrap s k t =
+  let wrap s k ?timeout t =
     let t = Lwt.protected t in
     Lwt.on_cancel t begin fun () ->
       match Memory_table.find s.memory k with
@@ -168,9 +174,14 @@ end = struct
             Scheduler.notify_cancelation s.scheduler k ;
           end
     end ;
-    t
+    match timeout with
+    | None -> t
+    | Some delay ->
+        let timeout =
+          Lwt_unix.sleep delay >>= fun () -> fail (Timeout k) in
+        Lwt.pick [ t ; timeout ]
 
-  let fetch s ?peer k param =
+  let fetch s ?peer ?timeout k param =
     match Memory_table.find s.memory k with
     | exception Not_found -> begin
         Disk_table.read_opt s.disk k >>= function
@@ -182,18 +193,18 @@ end = struct
                 Memory_table.add s.memory k
                   (Pending { wakener ; waiters =  1 ; param }) ;
                 Scheduler.request s.scheduler peer k ;
-                wrap s k waiter
+                wrap s k ?timeout waiter
               end
             | Pending data ->
                 Scheduler.request s.scheduler peer k ;
                 data.waiters <- data.waiters + 1 ;
-                wrap s k (Lwt.waiter_of_wakener data.wakener)
+                wrap s k ?timeout (Lwt.waiter_of_wakener data.wakener)
             | Found v -> return v
       end
     | Pending data ->
         Scheduler.request s.scheduler peer k ;
         data.waiters <- data.waiters + 1 ;
-        wrap s k (Lwt.waiter_of_wakener data.wakener)
+        wrap s k ?timeout (Lwt.waiter_of_wakener data.wakener)
     | Found v -> return v
 
   let prefetch s ?peer k param = Lwt.ignore_result (fetch s ?peer k param)
diff --git a/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.mli b/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.mli
index 9babd8762..75813cd3d 100644
--- a/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.mli
+++ b/src/node/shell/distributed_db_functors.mli
@@ -18,13 +18,18 @@ module type DISTRIBUTED_DB = sig
 
   type error += Missing_data of key
   type error += Canceled of key
+  type error += Timeout of key
+
   val read: t -> key -> value tzresult Lwt.t
   val read_opt: t -> key -> value option Lwt.t
   val read_exn: t -> key -> value Lwt.t
 
   val prefetch: t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> unit
   val fetch:
-    t -> ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t -> key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
+    t ->
+    ?peer:P2p.Peer_id.t ->
+    ?timeout:float ->
+    key -> param -> value tzresult Lwt.t
 
   val clear_or_cancel: t -> key -> unit
   val inject: t -> key -> value -> bool Lwt.t