diff --git a/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.cpp b/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.cpp
index 76f06b6feb13..29a0be33d8d0 100644
--- a/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@
 #include "nsEscape.h"
 #include "nsMsgUtils.h"
 #include "nsISignatureVerifier.h"
+#include "nsIPrefBranch.h"
+#include "nsIPrefService.h"
+#include "nsIPrefLocalizedString.h"
+#include "nsISocketTransport.h"
 
 #define EXTRA_SAFETY_SPACE 3096
 
@@ -509,7 +513,9 @@ nsPop3Protocol::nsPop3Protocol(nsIURI* aURL)
   m_totalBytesReceived(0),
   m_lineStreamBuffer(nsnull),
   m_pop3ConData(nsnull),
-  m_password_already_sent(PR_FALSE)
+  m_password_already_sent(PR_FALSE),
+  m_responseTimer(nsnull),
+  m_responseTimeout(45)
 {
   SetLookingForCRLF(MSG_LINEBREAK_LEN == 2);
   m_ignoreCRLFs = PR_TRUE;
@@ -528,6 +534,7 @@ nsresult nsPop3Protocol::Initialize(nsIURI * aURL)
   m_totalFolderSize = 0;    
   m_totalDownloadSize = 0;
   m_totalBytesReceived = 0;
+  m_responseTimeout = 45;
 
   if (aURL)
   {
@@ -586,6 +593,15 @@ nsresult nsPop3Protocol::Initialize(nsIURI * aURL)
   if (!POP3LOGMODULE)
       POP3LOGMODULE = PR_NewLogModule("POP3");
 
+  // Read in preferences
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIPrefBranch> prefBranch(do_GetService(NS_PREFSERVICE_CONTRACTID));
+  if (prefBranch)
+  {
+      prefBranch->GetIntPref("mail.pop3_response_timeout", &m_responseTimeout);
+      PR_LOG(POP3LOGMODULE, PR_LOG_ALWAYS,
+        ("mail.pop3_response_timeout=%d", m_responseTimeout));
+  }
+
   m_lineStreamBuffer = new nsMsgLineStreamBuffer(OUTPUT_BUFFER_SIZE, PR_TRUE);
   if(!m_lineStreamBuffer)
     return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
@@ -727,6 +743,15 @@ nsresult nsPop3Protocol::GetPassword(char ** aPassword, PRBool *okayValue)
   return rv;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsPop3Protocol::OnTransportStatus(nsITransport *aTransport, nsresult aStatus, PRUint32 aProgress, PRUint32 aProgressMax)
+{
+  // When the socket connection is established, start the response timer.
+  if (aStatus == NS_NET_STATUS_CONNECTED_TO) 
+    SetResponseTimer();
+
+  return nsMsgProtocol::OnTransportStatus(aTransport, aStatus, aProgress, aProgressMax);
+}
+
 // stop binding is a "notification" informing us that the stream associated with aURL is going away. 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsPop3Protocol::OnStopRequest(nsIRequest *request, nsISupports * aContext, nsresult aStatus)
 {
@@ -3331,6 +3356,7 @@ nsresult nsPop3Protocol::ProcessProtocolState(nsIURI * url, nsIInputStream * aIn
   PRInt32 status = 0;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgMailNewsUrl> mailnewsurl = do_QueryInterface(m_url);
   
+  CancelResponseTimer();
   PR_LOG(POP3LOGMODULE, PR_LOG_ALWAYS, ("Entering NET_ProcessPop3 %d",
     aLength));
   
@@ -3742,6 +3768,8 @@ nsresult nsPop3Protocol::ProcessProtocolState(nsIURI * url, nsIInputStream * aIn
     
   }  /* end while */
   
+  SetResponseTimer();
+
   return NS_OK;
           
 }
@@ -3781,3 +3809,35 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsPop3Protocol::CheckMessage(const char *aUidl, PRBool *aBool)
   *aBool = uidlEntry ? PR_TRUE : PR_FALSE;
   return NS_OK;
 }
+
+void OnResponseTimeout(nsITimer *timer, void *aPop3Protocol)
+{
+  nsPop3Protocol *pop3Protocol = (nsPop3Protocol *) aPop3Protocol;
+
+  PR_LOG(POP3LOGMODULE, PR_LOG_ALWAYS, 
+      ("OnResponseTimeout: username=%s", pop3Protocol->GetUsername()));
+
+  // Cancel this connection to force it to drop.
+  pop3Protocol->Cancel(NS_BINDING_FAILED);
+}
+
+void nsPop3Protocol::SetResponseTimer()
+{
+  // Cancel outstanding timer since it can't be reset.
+  CancelResponseTimer();
+
+  // Setup new response timer
+  PRUint32 timeInMSUint32 = m_responseTimeout * 1000;
+  m_responseTimer = do_CreateInstance("@mozilla.org/timer;1");
+  m_responseTimer->InitWithFuncCallback(OnResponseTimeout, (void*)this, 
+      timeInMSUint32, nsITimer::TYPE_ONE_SHOT);
+}
+
+void nsPop3Protocol::CancelResponseTimer()
+{
+  // Cancel outstanding response timer
+  if (m_responseTimer) {
+    m_responseTimer->Cancel();
+    m_responseTimer = nsnull;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.h b/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.h
index 6bb174e02c59..2d6cc03da93b 100644
--- a/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.h
+++ b/mailnews/local/src/nsPop3Protocol.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 #include "nsIMsgStatusFeedback.h"
 #include "nsIMsgFolder.h" // TO include biffState enum. Change to bool later...
 #include "nsIAuthModule.h"
+#include "nsITimer.h"
 
 #include "prerror.h"
 #include "plhash.h"
@@ -297,6 +298,7 @@ public:
 
   nsresult GetPassword(char ** aPassword, PRBool *okayValue);
 
+  NS_IMETHOD OnTransportStatus(nsITransport *transport, nsresult status, PRUint32 progress, PRUint32 progressMax);
   NS_IMETHOD OnStopRequest(nsIRequest *request, nsISupports * aContext, nsresult aStatus);
   NS_IMETHOD Cancel(nsresult status);
   // for nsMsgLineBuffer
@@ -357,6 +359,12 @@ private:
   PRInt32 m_origAuthFlags;
   PRInt32 m_listpos;
 
+  // Response timer to drop hung connections
+  nsCOMPtr<nsITimer> m_responseTimer;
+  PRInt32 m_responseTimeout; // in seconds
+  void SetResponseTimer();
+  void CancelResponseTimer();
+
   //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
       // Begin Pop3 protocol state handlers
       //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/mailnews/mailnews.js b/mailnews/mailnews.js
index 51d0bdc0a028..8f28be083774 100644
--- a/mailnews/mailnews.js
+++ b/mailnews/mailnews.js
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ pref("mail.default_cc",                     "");
 pref("mail.default_fcc",                    ""); // maibox:URL or Imap://Host/OnLineFolderName
 pref("mail.check_new_mail",                 false);
 pref("mail.pop3_gets_new_mail",             false);
+pref("mail.pop3_response_timeout",          45); // in seconds
 pref("mail.check_time",                     10);
 pref("mail.pop_name",                       "");
 pref("mail.remember_password",              false);