diff --git a/proxyface/autoproxy.hxx b/proxyface/autoproxy.hxx
index 97fb832..b8d474c 100644
--- a/proxyface/autoproxy.hxx
+++ b/proxyface/autoproxy.hxx
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ namespace proxy {
 #ifdef QT_NETWORK_LIB
       //! Reset, stop all outstanding checks
       void reset() {
+        if (_requests.size() || _timeout1.isActive() || _timeout2.isActive())
+          // error when we need to abort
+          proxyError(QNetworkReply::TimeoutError);
         _timeout1.stop();
         _timeout2.stop();
         for (Requests::iterator it(_requests.begin());
@@ -122,7 +125,10 @@ namespace proxy {
         _requests.clear();
       }
       //! Network Ping: Check access to a given address using default proxy.
-      void ping(const std::string& url, int timeout2=30000) {
+      void ping(const std::string& url, int timeout2=5000) {
+        if (_requests.size() || _timeout1.isActive() || _timeout2.isActive())
+          // detection is already running, wait for that, don't restart
+          return;
         reset();
         _timeout2.setSingleShot(true);
         _timeout2.setInterval(timeout2);
@@ -132,10 +138,10 @@ namespace proxy {
         setupProxyCheck(defaultProxy, url);
         _timeout2.start();
       }
-      void ping(const QUrl& url, int timeout2=30000) {
+      void ping(const QUrl& url, int timeout2=5000) {
         ping(url.toString().toStdString(), timeout2);
       }
-      void ping(const QString& url, int timeout2=30000) {
+      void ping(const QString& url, int timeout2=5000) {
         ping(url.toStdString(), timeout2);
       }
       //! If Qt Network is available you may check the proxies found
@@ -150,7 +156,7 @@ namespace proxy {
           @param url the url to find a proxy for
           @param timeout [ms] time to give up search */
       void proxy(const std::string& url,
-                 int timeout1=5000, int timeout2=30000) {
+                 int timeout1=5000, int timeout2=5000) {
         PROXYFACE_LOG;
         qDebug()<<"Search proxy for URL, direct and default"
                 <<"url="<<url.data()<<"timeout1="<<timeout1;
@@ -169,13 +175,13 @@ namespace proxy {
       }
       //! If Qt Network is available you may check the proxies found
       /*! @copydoc proxy(const std::string&, int) */
-      void proxy(const QUrl& url, int timeout1=5000, int timeout2=30000) {
+      void proxy(const QUrl& url, int timeout1=5000, int timeout2=5000) {
         PROXYFACE_LOG;
         proxy(url.toString().toStdString(), timeout1, timeout2);
       }
       //! If Qt Network is available you may check the proxies found
       /*! @copydoc proxy(const std::string&, int) */
-      void proxy(const QString& url, int timeout1=5000, int timeout2=30000) {
+      void proxy(const QString& url, int timeout1=5000, int timeout2=5000) {
         PROXYFACE_LOG;
         proxy(url.toStdString(), timeout1, timeout2);
       }