diff --git a/bean-query-daemon-lib.pl b/bean-query-daemon-lib.pl
index ad4eb1b..089f163 100644
--- a/bean-query-daemon-lib.pl
+++ b/bean-query-daemon-lib.pl
@@ -29,7 +29,16 @@ sub BeancountQuerySubmit($;$) {
   $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{question} = $question;
   $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{format} = $format if defined $format;
   (tied %BEANCOUNT_QUERY)->shunlock;
-  while (not defined $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{fifoName}) { sleep 1; }
+  my $cnt = 0;
+  while (not defined $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{fifoName}) {
+    sleep 1;
+    if ($cnt++ >= (5 * 60)) {
+      (tied %BEANCOUNT_QUERY)->shlock;
+      $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{question} = $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{format} = undef;
+      (tied %BEANCOUNT_QUERY)->shunlock;
+      die "Unable to initiate query to beancount server\n";
+    }
+  }
   unless (-p $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{fifoName}) {
     (tied %BEANCOUNT_QUERY)->shlock;
     $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{question} = $BEANCOUNT_QUERY{format} = undef;