diff --git a/cmd/yggd/main.go b/cmd/yggd/main.go
index c7dd0230..9f58259f 100644
--- a/cmd/yggd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/yggd/main.go
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ func setupDefaultConfig(c *cli.Context) {
 		MQTTConnectRetryInterval: c.Duration(config.FlagNameMQTTConnectRetryInterval),
 		MQTTAutoReconnect:        c.Bool(config.FlagNameMQTTAutoReconnect),
 		MQTTReconnectDelay:       c.Duration(config.FlagNameMQTTReconnectDelay),
+		MQTTConnectTimeout:       c.Duration(config.FlagNameMQTTConnectTimeout),
+		MQTTPublishTimeout:       c.Duration(config.FlagNameMQTTPublishTimeout),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -515,6 +517,18 @@ func main() {
 			Value:  0 * time.Second,
 			Hidden: true,
 		}),
+		altsrc.NewDurationFlag(&cli.DurationFlag{
+			Name:   config.FlagNameMQTTConnectTimeout,
+			Usage:  "Sets the time to wait before giving up to `DURATION` when connecting to an MQTT broker",
+			Value:  30 * time.Second,
+			Hidden: true,
+		}),
+		altsrc.NewDurationFlag(&cli.DurationFlag{
+			Name:   config.FlagNameMQTTPublishTimeout,
+			Usage:  "Sets the time to wait before giving up to `DURATION` when publishing a message to an MQTT broker",
+			Value:  30 * time.Second,
+			Hidden: true,
+		}),
 	}
 
 	app.EnableBashCompletion = true
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 4f8f46a5..b1f72a63 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ const (
 	FlagNameMQTTConnectRetryInterval = "mqtt-connect-retry-interval"
 	FlagNameMQTTAutoReconnect        = "mqtt-auto-reconnect"
 	FlagNameMQTTReconnectDelay       = "mqtt-reconnect-delay"
+	FlagNameMQTTConnectTimeout       = "mqtt-connect-timeout"
+	FlagNameMQTTPublishTimeout       = "mqtt-publish-timeout"
 )
 
 var DefaultConfig = Config{
@@ -96,6 +98,14 @@ type Config struct {
 	// MQTTReconnectDelay is the duration the client with wait before attempting
 	// to reconnect to the MQTT broker.
 	MQTTReconnectDelay time.Duration
+
+	// MQTTConnectTimeout is the duration the client will wait for an MQTT
+	// connection to be established before giving up.
+	MQTTConnectTimeout time.Duration
+
+	// MQTTPublishTimeout is the duration the client will wait for an MQTT
+	// connection to publish a message before giving up.
+	MQTTPublishTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
 // CreateTLSConfig creates a tls.Config object from the current configuration.
diff --git a/internal/transport/mqtt.go b/internal/transport/mqtt.go
index 2cfcac12..a9ae5f11 100644
--- a/internal/transport/mqtt.go
+++ b/internal/transport/mqtt.go
@@ -155,8 +155,13 @@ func (t *MQTT) Connect() error {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	if token := t.client.Connect(); token.Wait() && token.Error() != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot connect to broker: %w", token.Error())
+	log.Infof("connecting to broker: %v", config.DefaultConfig.Server)
+	token := t.client.Connect()
+	if token.WaitTimeout(config.DefaultConfig.MQTTConnectTimeout) {
+		if token.Error() != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("cannot connect to broker: %w", token.Error())
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot connect to broker: connection timeout reached")
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -190,9 +195,15 @@ func (t *MQTT) Tx(
 	opts := t.client.OptionsReader()
 	topic := fmt.Sprintf("%v/%v/%v/out", config.DefaultConfig.PathPrefix, opts.ClientID(), addr)
 
-	if token := t.client.Publish(topic, 1, false, data); token.Wait() && token.Error() != nil {
-		log.Errorf("failed to publish message: %v", token.Error())
-		return TxResponseErr, nil, nil, token.Error()
+	token := t.client.Publish(topic, 1, false, data)
+	if token.WaitTimeout(config.DefaultConfig.MQTTPublishTimeout) {
+		if token.Error() != nil {
+			log.Errorf("failed to publish message: %v", token.Error())
+			return TxResponseErr, nil, nil, token.Error()
+		}
+		return TxResponseErr, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"cannot publish message: connection timeout reached",
+		)
 	}
 	log.Debugf("published message to topic %v", topic)