diff --git a/cmd/satoru/backup_job.go b/cmd/satoru/backup_job.go
index 29f57da..a19e5b1 100644
--- a/cmd/satoru/backup_job.go
+++ b/cmd/satoru/backup_job.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	defaultStagingRoot = "./backups"
 	defaultResticRepo  = "./repos/restic"
+	defaultSyncTimeout = 2 * time.Hour
 )
 
 func (a *app) runBackupJob(ctx context.Context, job store.Job, site store.Site) (string, string) {
@@ -410,18 +411,16 @@ func (a *app) runResticSyncJob(ctx context.Context, job store.Job, site store.Si
 		_ = a.store.AddJobEvent(ctx, store.JobEvent{JobID: job.ID, Level: "error", Message: "restic sync failed: " + err.Error()})
 		return "failed", "restic sync failed: command build error"
 	}
-	a.log.Debug("restic sync copy", zap.Int64("job_id", job.ID), zap.Int64("site_id", site.ID), zap.String("local_repo", repoPath), zap.String("b2_repo", b2Repo), zap.String("snapshot_id", snapshotID), zap.String("copy_mode", copyMode), zap.Strings("args", args))
+	syncTimeout := resticSyncTimeout(a.log, job.ID, site.ID)
+	a.log.Debug("restic sync copy", zap.Int64("job_id", job.ID), zap.Int64("site_id", site.ID), zap.String("local_repo", repoPath), zap.String("b2_repo", b2Repo), zap.String("snapshot_id", snapshotID), zap.String("copy_mode", copyMode), zap.Duration("timeout", syncTimeout), zap.Strings("args", args))
 
-	cmdCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Minute)
+	cmdCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, syncTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(cmdCtx, "restic", args...)
 	cmd.Env = env
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
-		msg := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
-		if msg == "" {
-			msg = err.Error()
-		}
+		msg := resticSyncErrorMessage(cmdCtx, err, out, syncTimeout)
 		_ = a.store.AddJobEvent(ctx, store.JobEvent{JobID: job.ID, Level: "error", Message: "restic sync failed: " + msg})
 		return "failed", "restic sync failed"
 	}
@@ -430,6 +429,51 @@ func (a *app) runResticSyncJob(ctx context.Context, job store.Job, site store.Si
 	return "success", "restic sync completed"
 }
 
+func resticSyncTimeout(log *zap.Logger, jobID, siteID int64) time.Duration {
+	raw := strings.TrimSpace(configValue("SATORU_RESTIC_SYNC_TIMEOUT"))
+	if raw == "" {
+		return defaultSyncTimeout
+	}
+	d, err := time.ParseDuration(raw)
+	if err == nil && d > 0 {
+		return d
+	}
+	if log != nil {
+		log.Warn("invalid restic sync timeout; using default",
+			zap.Int64("job_id", jobID),
+			zap.Int64("site_id", siteID),
+			zap.String("raw_timeout", raw),
+			zap.Duration("default_timeout", defaultSyncTimeout),
+			zap.Error(err),
+		)
+	}
+	return defaultSyncTimeout
+}
+
+func resticSyncErrorMessage(cmdCtx context.Context, runErr error, output []byte, timeout time.Duration) string {
+	msg := strings.TrimSpace(string(output))
+	switch {
+	case errors.Is(cmdCtx.Err(), context.DeadlineExceeded):
+		timeoutMsg := fmt.Sprintf("sync timed out after %s", timeout)
+		if msg == "" {
+			return timeoutMsg
+		}
+		return msg + "; " + timeoutMsg
+	case errors.Is(cmdCtx.Err(), context.Canceled):
+		if msg == "" {
+			return "sync canceled"
+		}
+		return msg + "; sync canceled"
+	}
+	if msg == "" {
+		return runErr.Error()
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(msg, runErr.Error()) {
+		return msg
+	}
+	return msg + "; " + runErr.Error()
+}
+
 func buildResticCopyInvocation(ctx context.Context, sourceRepo, destinationRepo, snapshotID string) ([]string, []string, string, error) {
 	modern, err := resticSupportsFromRepo(ctx)
 	if err != nil {