diff --git a/public/call.html b/public/call.html
index 41054d2..126b641 100644
--- a/public/call.html
+++ b/public/call.html
@@ -344,7 +344,11 @@
                 try {
 
                     // initiate call
-                    const response = await axios.get(`/api/v1/calls/initiate/${destinationHash}`);
+                    const response = await axios.get(`/api/v1/calls/initiate/${destinationHash}`, {
+                        params: {
+                            timeout: 15, // how long to attempt to initiate call
+                        },
+                    });
 
                     // get call hash from response
                     const hash = response.data.hash;
@@ -372,8 +376,13 @@
                     alert("timed out attempting to join call");
 
                 } catch(e) {
-                    alert("failed to initiate call");
+
                     console.log(e);
+
+                    // show error message from response, or fallback to default
+                    const message = e.response?.data?.message ?? "failed to initiate call";
+                    alert(message);
+
                 } finally {
                     // hide loading
                     this.isInitiatingCall = false;
diff --git a/src/audio_call_manager.py b/src/audio_call_manager.py
index 2be9e95..e0b1718 100644
--- a/src/audio_call_manager.py
+++ b/src/audio_call_manager.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import asyncio
+import time
 from typing import List
 
 import RNS
@@ -130,16 +131,23 @@ class AudioCallManager:
             self.audio_calls.remove(audio_call)
 
     # attempts to initiate a call to the provided destination and returns the link hash on success
-    # FIXME: implement timeout. at the moment, it loops forever if no path is found
-    async def initiate(self, destination_hash: bytes) -> bytes:
+    async def initiate(self, destination_hash: bytes, timeout_seconds: int = 15) -> bytes | None:
 
-        # wait until we have a path to the destination
-        # FIXME: implement timeout instead of looping forever
+        # check if we have a path to the destination
         if not RNS.Transport.has_path(destination_hash):
+
+            # we don't have a path, so we need to request it
             RNS.Transport.request_path(destination_hash)
-            while not RNS.Transport.has_path(destination_hash):
+
+            # wait until we have a path, or give up after the configured timeout
+            timeout_after_seconds = time.time() + timeout_seconds
+            while not RNS.Transport.has_path(destination_hash) and time.time() < timeout_after_seconds:
                 await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
 
+        # if we still don't have a path, we can't establish a link, so bail out
+        if not RNS.Transport.has_path(destination_hash):
+            return None
+
         # create outbound destination to initiate audio calls
         server_identity = RNS.Identity.recall(destination_hash)
         server_destination = RNS.Destination(
diff --git a/web.py b/web.py
index e6c8001..2c75827 100644
--- a/web.py
+++ b/web.py
@@ -304,12 +304,19 @@ class ReticulumWebChat:
 
             # get path params
             destination_hash = request.match_info.get("destination_hash", "")
+            timeout_seconds = int(request.query.get("timeout", 15))
+
+            print(timeout_seconds)
 
             # convert destination hash to bytes
             destination_hash = bytes.fromhex(destination_hash)
 
             # initiate audio call
-            link_hash = await self.audio_call_manager.initiate(destination_hash)
+            link_hash = await self.audio_call_manager.initiate(destination_hash, timeout_seconds)
+            if link_hash is None:
+                return web.json_response({
+                    "message": "timed out initiating call",
+                }, status=503)
 
             return web.json_response({
                 "hash": link_hash.hex(),