diff --git a/source/src/Makefile b/source/src/Makefile
index 289f532b..09898b94 100644
--- a/source/src/Makefile
+++ b/source/src/Makefile
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ SERVER_INCLUDES= -DSTANDALONE $(INCLUDES) -I../include
 SERVER_LIBS= -L../lib -lzdll -lenet -lws2_32 -lwinmm
 else
 SERVER_INCLUDES= -DSTANDALONE $(INCLUDES)
-SERVER_LIBS= -L../enet/.libs -lenet -lz -lpthread
+SERVER_LIBS= -L../enet/.libs -lenet -lz -lpthread -lrt
 endif
 
 SERVER_OBJS= \
diff --git a/source/src/autodownload.cpp b/source/src/autodownload.cpp
index 5d1562c6..21ef9a90 100644
--- a/source/src/autodownload.cpp
+++ b/source/src/autodownload.cpp
@@ -53,13 +53,16 @@ COMMAND(addpckserver, "ss");
 
 void getpckserver() // return a table of all package servers with four columns
 {
-    sem_pckservers.wait();
     vector<char> res;
-    loopv(pckservers) cvecprintf(res, "\"%s\" %d %d %d\n", pckservers[i]->host, pckservers[i]->priority, pckservers[i]->ping, pckservers[i]->resolved);
+    if(sem_pckservers.timedwait(1000)) cvecprintf(res, "\"serverlist is busy, try again later\" "); // single-word return value signals an error
+    else
+    {
+        loopv(pckservers) cvecprintf(res, "\"%s\" %d %d %d\n", pckservers[i]->host, pckservers[i]->priority, pckservers[i]->ping, pckservers[i]->resolved);
+        sem_pckservers.post();
+    }
     if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
     else res.add('\0');
     result(res.getbuf());
-    sem_pckservers.post();
 }
 COMMAND(getpckserver, "");
 
@@ -430,7 +433,7 @@ int downloadpackages(bool loadscr) // get all pending packages
     httpget h;
     canceldownloads = false;
     progress_of = loadscr ? pendingpackages.length() : -1;
-    if(sem_pckservers.trywait())
+    if(sem_pckservers.timedwait(1000))
     { // can't lock the server list -> this means, the server ping threads have not finished yet
         if(pendingpackages.length()) conoutf("\f3failed to download packages: still pinging the servers...");
         return 0;
diff --git a/source/src/tools.cpp b/source/src/tools.cpp
index 9fbd49c8..c2e4405f 100644
--- a/source/src/tools.cpp
+++ b/source/src/tools.cpp
@@ -543,6 +543,11 @@ int sl_semaphore::trywait()
     return SDL_SemTryWait((SDL_sem *) data);
 }
 
+int sl_semaphore::timedwait(int howlongmillis)
+{
+    return SDL_SemWaitTimeout((SDL_sem *) data, howlongmillis);
+}
+
 int sl_semaphore::getvalue()
 {
     return SDL_SemValue((SDL_sem *) data);
@@ -579,6 +584,20 @@ int sl_semaphore::trywait()
     return sem_trywait((sem_t *) data);
 }
 
+int sl_semaphore::timedwait(int howlongmillis)
+{
+    struct timespec t;
+    if(clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &t))
+    {
+        (*errorcount)++;
+        return sem_trywait((sem_t *) data);
+    }
+    howlongmillis += t.tv_nsec / 1000000;
+    t.tv_nsec = (howlongmillis % 1000) * 1000000;
+    t.tv_sec += howlongmillis / 1000;
+    return sem_timedwait((sem_t *) data, &t);
+}
+
 int sl_semaphore::getvalue()
 {
     int ret;
diff --git a/source/src/tools.h b/source/src/tools.h
index fa9f10f5..aed5182d 100644
--- a/source/src/tools.h
+++ b/source/src/tools.h
@@ -1004,6 +1004,7 @@ struct sl_semaphore
     ~sl_semaphore();
     void wait();     // blocks, until semaphore gets available
     int trywait();   // returns 0, if semaphore was locked (like wait(), but returns !=0 instead of blocking)
+    int timedwait(int howlongmillis); // like trywait(), but waits for a litte before returning failure
     int getvalue();  // returns current semaphore value
     void post();     // increments (unlocks) semaphore
 };