diff --git a/spa/include/spa/support/varlink.h b/spa/include/spa/support/varlink.h
index 52d93218c..9031d3d18 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/support/varlink.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/support/varlink.h
@@ -79,10 +79,12 @@ struct spa_varlink_client {
          *		 object).
          * \param reply The reply string. The caller is responsible for freeing
          *		this data with `free()`
+         * \param timeout If non-negative, specifies how long (in milliseconds)
+         *		  to wait for a reply
          * \return 0 on success, or a negative error code on failure.
          */
         int (*call_sync) (void *object, const char *method, const char *params,
-			char **reply);
+			char **reply, int timeout);
 
 	/** Destroy a varlink client.
 	 *
@@ -117,10 +119,10 @@ spa_varlink_client_call(struct spa_varlink_client *client, const char *method,
  * \sa spa_varlink_client_methods.call_sync */
 SPA_API_VARLINK int
 spa_varlink_client_call_sync(struct spa_varlink_client *client, const char *method,
-		const char *params, char **reply)
+		const char *params, char **reply, int timeout)
 {
 	return spa_api_func_r(int, -EINVAL, client, call_sync, 0, method,
-			params, reply);
+			params, reply, timeout);
 }
 
 /** \copydoc spa_varlink_client_methods.destroy
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/ext-volume.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/ext-volume.c
index a4e3638b7..6f08e7b8b 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/ext-volume.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/ext-volume.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #define METHOD_WRITE_MUTE_VALUE VOLUME_CONTROL_BASE "WriteMuteValue"
 #define METHOD_WRITE_MUTE_TOGGLE VOLUME_CONTROL_BASE "WriteMuteToggle"
 
+#define DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MSEC 500
+
 static void client_disconnect(void *userdata)
 {
 	/* TODO: reconnect? bail? */
@@ -78,7 +80,8 @@ spa_acp_ext_volume_init(struct spa_acp_ext_volume *ext_volume, struct spa_varlin
 
 	spa_json_builder_close(&params_json);
 
-	res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(ext_volume->client, METHOD_GET_CAPABILITIES, params, &reply);
+	/* Initial probe for capabilities might take a bit longer than the default timeout */
+	res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(ext_volume->client, METHOD_GET_CAPABILITIES, params, &reply, 2000);
 
 	if (res < 0) {
 		pa_log_error("Failed to query volume control capabilities: %s", spa_strerror(res));
@@ -164,7 +167,7 @@ spa_acp_ext_volume_read_volume(struct spa_acp_ext_volume *ext_volume,
 
 	spa_json_builder_close(&params_json);
 
-	res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(ext_volume->client, METHOD_READ_VOLUME, params, &reply);
+	res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(ext_volume->client, METHOD_READ_VOLUME, params, &reply, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MSEC);
 
 	if (res < 0) {
 		pa_log_error("Failed to query volume : %s", spa_strerror(res));
@@ -311,7 +314,7 @@ spa_acp_ext_volume_read_mute(struct spa_acp_ext_volume *ext_volume,
 
 	spa_json_builder_close(&params_json);
 
-	res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(ext_volume->client, METHOD_READ_MUTE, params, &reply);
+	res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(ext_volume->client, METHOD_READ_MUTE, params, &reply, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MSEC);
 
 	if (res < 0) {
 		pa_log_error("Failed to query mute state: %s", spa_strerror(res));
diff --git a/spa/plugins/support/varlink.c b/spa/plugins/support/varlink.c
index aa13f16b2..99b50256f 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/support/varlink.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/support/varlink.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ done:
 
 static int
 client_call_sync(void *object, const char *method, const char *params,
-		char **reply)
+		char **reply, int timeout)
 {
 	struct client *this = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(object, struct client, client);
 	struct impl *impl = this->impl;
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ client_call_sync(void *object, const char *method, const char *params,
 			this->source->mask & ~SPA_IO_IN);
 
 	fcntl(this->fd, F_SETFL, fcntl(this->fd, F_GETFL) & ~O_NONBLOCK);
+	if (timeout >= 0) {
+		struct timeval tv = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_usec = timeout * 1000 };
+		setsockopt(this->fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVTIMEO, &tv, sizeof(tv));
+	}
 
         buf = build_call(method, params, false, false, &len);
 
@@ -201,9 +205,6 @@ client_call_sync(void *object, const char *method, const char *params,
 			if (res == -EINTR)
 				continue;
 
-			if (res == -EAGAIN || res == -EWOULDBLOCK)
-				continue;
-
 			spa_log_error(impl->log, "Error reading from socket: %s",
 					spa_strerror(res));
 
diff --git a/spa/tests/varlink-call.c b/spa/tests/varlink-call.c
index e422c723e..06e0e8976 100644
--- a/spa/tests/varlink-call.c
+++ b/spa/tests/varlink-call.c
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	if (sync) {
 		char *reply;
-		res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(data.client, argv[2], argv[3], &reply);
+		res = spa_varlink_client_call_sync(data.client, argv[2], argv[3], &reply, 1000);
 		if (res < 0) {
 			printf("Call failed: %s\n", spa_strerror(res));
 			return -1;