diff --git a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/api-types.ts b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/api-types.ts
index 58436e7f9..d895ea61d 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/api-types.ts
+++ b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/api-types.ts
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ export interface ErrorDetails {
   status?: number;
   statusText?: string;
   text: string | React.ReactNode;
+  timedOut: boolean;
 }
 
 export type Duration = number;
@@ -193,7 +194,8 @@ export interface RqbitAPI {
   ) => string | null;
   uploadTorrent: (
     data: string | File,
-    opts?: AddTorrentOptions,
+    opts: AddTorrentOptions,
+    timeout?: number | undefined
   ) => Promise<AddTorrentResponse>;
 
   pause: (index: number) => Promise<void>;
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/buttons/UploadButton.tsx b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/buttons/UploadButton.tsx
index 751830bab..be5eda4ad 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/buttons/UploadButton.tsx
+++ b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/buttons/UploadButton.tsx
@@ -31,13 +31,20 @@ export const UploadButton: React.FC<{
     let t = setTimeout(async () => {
       setLoading(true);
       try {
-        const response = await API.uploadTorrent(data, { list_only: true });
+        const response = await API.uploadTorrent(data, { list_only: true }, 2_000);
         setListTorrentResponse(response);
-      } catch (e) {
-        setListTorrentError({
-          text: "Error listing torrent files",
-          details: e as ApiErrorDetails,
-        });
+      } catch (e: unknown) {
+        let error = e as ApiErrorDetails;
+        if (error.timedOut) {
+          setListTorrentResponse(null);
+          // Timeout is not an error for a listOnly request
+          setListTorrentError(null);
+        } else {
+          setListTorrentError({
+            text: "Error listing torrent files",
+            details: error,
+          });
+        }
       } finally {
         setLoading(false);
       }
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/modal/FileSelectionModal.tsx b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/modal/FileSelectionModal.tsx
index 0a41f336f..fb75a744f 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/modal/FileSelectionModal.tsx
+++ b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/components/modal/FileSelectionModal.tsx
@@ -52,16 +52,18 @@ export const FileSelectionModal = (props: {
   };
 
   const handleUpload = async () => {
-    if (!listTorrentResponse) {
-      return;
-    }
+    // TODO this comment refers to the desired state, not the current state
+    // TODO implement listTorrentResponse==null support
+    // If listTorrentResponse is null, that indicates that the data is not available at the moment
+    // This is typically the case for magnet links that may not have dht peers
     setUploading(true);
-    let initialPeers = listTorrentResponse.seen_peers
+    let initialPeers = listTorrentResponse?.seen_peers
       ? listTorrentResponse.seen_peers.slice(0, 32)
       : null;
+    let only_files = selectedFiles.size <= 0 ? null : Array.from(selectedFiles);
     let opts: AddTorrentOptions = {
       overwrite: true,
-      only_files: Array.from(selectedFiles),
+      only_files,
       initial_peers: initialPeers,
       output_folder: outputFolder,
     };
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/http-api.ts b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/http-api.ts
index 5db88c211..fcf72979a 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/http-api.ts
+++ b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/http-api.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  AddTorrentOptions,
   AddTorrentResponse,
   ErrorDetails,
   ListTorrentsResponse,
@@ -20,11 +21,39 @@ const apiUrl = (() => {
   return "";
 })();
 
+// Wrapper around `fetch` to support a custom timeout.
+// If specified, uses `AbortController` to timeout the pending fetch
+function fetchWithTimeout(url: string, options: RequestInit = {}, timeout: number | undefined) {
+  let pending;
+  let timeoutId = undefined;
+  if (timeout !== undefined) {
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const { signal } = controller;
+
+    timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeout);
+    console.log("Fetching with timeout: ", timeout);
+    pending = fetch(url, { ...options, signal })
+  } else {
+    pending = fetch(url, options)
+  }
+
+  return pending
+    .then(response => {
+      clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+      return response;
+    })
+    .catch(error => {
+      clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+      throw error;
+    });
+}
+
 const makeRequest = async (
   method: string,
   path: string,
   data?: any,
   isJson?: boolean,
+  timeout?: number,
 ): Promise<any> => {
   console.log(method, path);
   const url = apiUrl + path;
@@ -48,13 +77,21 @@ const makeRequest = async (
     method: method,
     path: path,
     text: "",
+    timedOut: false,
   };
 
   let response: Response;
 
   try {
-    response = await fetch(url, options);
-  } catch (e) {
+    response = await fetchWithTimeout(url, options, timeout);
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    console.log(e);
+    if (e.name === "AbortError") {
+      error.text = "fetch timed out after " + timeout + "ms"
+      error.timedOut = true;
+      return Promise.reject(error);
+    }
+    // else, generic network error
     error.text = "network error";
     return Promise.reject(error);
   }
@@ -92,8 +129,8 @@ export const API: RqbitAPI & { getVersion: () => Promise<string> } = {
   stats: (): Promise<SessionStats> => {
     return makeRequest("GET", "/stats");
   },
-
-  uploadTorrent: (data, opts): Promise<AddTorrentResponse> => {
+  uploadTorrent: (data: string | File, opts: AddTorrentOptions, timeout: number | undefined): Promise<AddTorrentResponse> => {
+    console.log("Uploading torrent with ", data, opts, timeout);
     let url = "/torrents?&overwrite=true";
     if (opts?.list_only) {
       url += "&list_only=true";
@@ -116,7 +153,7 @@ export const API: RqbitAPI & { getVersion: () => Promise<string> } = {
     if (typeof data === "string") {
       url += "&is_url=true";
     }
-    return makeRequest("POST", url, data);
+    return makeRequest("POST", url, data, undefined, timeout);
   },
 
   updateOnlyFiles: (index: number, files: number[]): Promise<void> => {
diff --git a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/rqbit-web.tsx b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/rqbit-web.tsx
index 2542cce45..d9fc25b98 100644
--- a/crates/librqbit/webui/src/rqbit-web.tsx
+++ b/crates/librqbit/webui/src/rqbit-web.tsx
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ export const RqbitWebUI = (props: {
     );
     setTorrents(torrents.torrents);
   };
-  setRefreshTorrents(refreshTorrents);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setRefreshTorrents(refreshTorrents);
+  }, [])
 
   const setStats = useStatsStore((state) => state.setStats);