--- bin/emerge	(revision 6649)
+++ bin/emerge	(working copy)
@@ -3945,6 +3945,12 @@ 
 		del content
 
 		try:
+			rsync_initial_timeout = \
+				int(settings.get("PORTAGE_RSYNC_INITIAL_TIMEOUT", "15"))
+		except ValueError:
+			rsync_initial_timeout = 15
+
+		try:
 			if settings.has_key("RSYNC_RETRIES"):
 				print yellow("WARNING:")+" usage of RSYNC_RETRIES is deprecated, use PORTAGE_RSYNC_RETRIES instead"
 				maxretries=int(settings["RSYNC_RETRIES"])				
@@ -4054,14 +4060,16 @@ 
 					# Timeout here in case the server is unresponsive.  The
 					# --timeout rsync option doesn't apply to the initial
 					# connection attempt.
-					signal.alarm(15)
+					if rsync_initial_timeout:
+						signal.alarm(rsync_initial_timeout)
 					try:
 						mypids.extend(portage_exec.spawn(
 							mycommand, env=settings.environ(), returnpid=True))
 						exitcode = os.waitpid(mypids[0], 0)[1]
 						content = portage.grabfile(tmpservertimestampfile)
 					finally:
-						signal.alarm(0)
+						if rsync_initial_timeout:
+							signal.alarm(0)
 						try:
 							os.unlink(tmpservertimestampfile)
 						except OSError:
--- man/make.conf.5	(revision 6636)
+++ man/make.conf.5	(working copy)
@@ -357,6 +357,12 @@ 
 it will increment it.  For more information about nice levels and what
 are acceptable ranges, see \fBnice\fR(1).
 .TP
+\fBPORTAGE_RSYNC_INITIAL_TIMEOUT\fR = \fIinteger\fR
+Used by \fBemerge \-\-sync\fR as a timeout for the initial connection to an
+rsync server.
+.br
+Defaults to 15 seconds.
+.TP
 \fBPORTAGE_RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS\fR = \fI[rsync options string]\fR
 Additional rsync options to be used by \fBemerge \-\-sync\fR.
 .br