diff --git a/chirp/chirp.go b/chirp/chirp.go
index 3c4342281..eb879df1d 100644
--- a/chirp/chirp.go
+++ b/chirp/chirp.go
@@ -11,15 +11,31 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const (
+	// Maximum amount of time we should wait when reading a response from BIRD.
+	responseTimeout = 10 * time.Second
 )
 
 // New creates a BIRDClient.
 func New(socket string) (*BIRDClient, error) {
+	return newWithTimeout(socket, responseTimeout)
+}
+
+func newWithTimeout(socket string, timeout time.Duration) (*BIRDClient, error) {
 	conn, err := net.Dial("unix", socket)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to BIRD: %w", err)
 	}
-	b := &BIRDClient{socket: socket, conn: conn, scanner: bufio.NewScanner(conn)}
+	b := &BIRDClient{
+		socket:  socket,
+		conn:    conn,
+		scanner: bufio.NewScanner(conn),
+		timeNow: time.Now,
+		timeout: timeout,
+	}
 	// Read and discard the first line as that is the welcome message.
 	if _, err := b.readResponse(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -32,6 +48,8 @@ type BIRDClient struct {
 	socket  string
 	conn    net.Conn
 	scanner *bufio.Scanner
+	timeNow func() time.Time
+	timeout time.Duration
 }
 
 // Close closes the underlying connection to BIRD.
@@ -81,10 +99,15 @@ func (b *BIRDClient) EnableProtocol(protocol string) error {
 // 1 means ‘table entry’, 8 ‘runtime error’ and 9 ‘syntax error’.
 
 func (b *BIRDClient) exec(cmd string, args ...any) (string, error) {
+	if err := b.conn.SetWriteDeadline(b.timeNow().Add(b.timeout)); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 	if _, err := fmt.Fprintf(b.conn, cmd, args...); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintln(b.conn)
+	if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(b.conn); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 	return b.readResponse()
 }
 
@@ -105,14 +128,20 @@ func hasResponseCode(s []byte) bool {
 }
 
 func (b *BIRDClient) readResponse() (string, error) {
+	// Set the read timeout before we start reading anything.
+	if err := b.conn.SetReadDeadline(b.timeNow().Add(b.timeout)); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
 	var resp strings.Builder
 	var done bool
 	for !done {
 		if !b.scanner.Scan() {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("reading response from bird failed: %q", resp.String())
-		}
-		if err := b.scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-			return "", err
+			if err := b.scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("reading response from bird failed (EOF): %q", resp.String())
 		}
 		out := b.scanner.Bytes()
 		if _, err := resp.Write(out); err != nil {
diff --git a/chirp/chirp_test.go b/chirp/chirp_test.go
index c29f36073..48c4b45fe 100644
--- a/chirp/chirp_test.go
+++ b/chirp/chirp_test.go
@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type fakeBIRD struct {
@@ -109,3 +112,82 @@ func TestChirp(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("disabling %q succeded", "rando")
 	}
 }
+
+type hangingListener struct {
+	net.Listener
+	t    *testing.T
+	done chan struct{}
+	wg   sync.WaitGroup
+	sock string
+}
+
+func newHangingListener(t *testing.T) *hangingListener {
+	sock := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "sock")
+	l, err := net.Listen("unix", sock)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return &hangingListener{
+		Listener: l,
+		t:        t,
+		done:     make(chan struct{}),
+		sock:     sock,
+	}
+}
+
+func (hl *hangingListener) Stop() {
+	hl.Close()
+	close(hl.done)
+	hl.wg.Wait()
+}
+
+func (hl *hangingListener) listen() error {
+	for {
+		c, err := hl.Accept()
+		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, net.ErrClosed) {
+				return nil
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+		hl.wg.Add(1)
+		go hl.handle(c)
+	}
+}
+
+func (hl *hangingListener) handle(c net.Conn) {
+	defer hl.wg.Done()
+
+	// Write our fake first line of response so that we get into the read loop
+	fmt.Fprintln(c, "0001 BIRD 2.0.8 ready.")
+
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(2 * time.Second)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			hl.t.Logf("connection still hanging")
+		case <-hl.done:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestChirpTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	fb := newHangingListener(t)
+	defer fb.Stop()
+	go fb.listen()
+
+	c, err := newWithTimeout(fb.sock, 500*time.Millisecond)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = c.EnableProtocol("tailscale")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("got err=nil, want timeout")
+	}
+	if !os.IsTimeout(err) {
+		t.Fatalf("got err=%v, want os.IsTimeout(err)=true", err)
+	}
+}