diff --git a/sndiod/Makefile.in b/sndiod/Makefile.in
index ee91472..d246be5 100644
--- a/sndiod/Makefile.in
+++ b/sndiod/Makefile.in
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ sndiod:		${OBJS}
 
 abuf.o:		abuf.c abuf.h utils.h
 dev.o:		dev.c ../bsd-compat/bsd-compat.h abuf.h defs.h dev.h \
-		dsp.h siofile.h midi.h miofile.h opt.h sysex.h utils.h
+		dsp.h siofile.h file.h midi.h miofile.h opt.h sysex.h \
+		utils.h
 dsp.o:		dsp.c dsp.h defs.h utils.h
 file.o:		file.c file.h utils.h
 listen.o:	listen.c listen.h file.h sock.h ../libsndio/amsg.h \
@@ -63,7 +64,8 @@ listen.o:	listen.c listen.h file.h sock.h ../libsndio/amsg.h \
 midi.o:		midi.c abuf.h defs.h dev.h dsp.h siofile.h file.h midi.h \
 		miofile.h sysex.h utils.h ../bsd-compat/bsd-compat.h
 miofile.o:	miofile.c defs.h file.h midi.h abuf.h miofile.h utils.h
-opt.o:		opt.c dev.h abuf.h dsp.h defs.h siofile.h opt.h utils.h
+opt.o:		opt.c dev.h abuf.h dsp.h defs.h siofile.h file.h opt.h \
+		utils.h
 siofile.o:	siofile.c abuf.h defs.h dev.h dsp.h siofile.h file.h \
 		utils.h
 sndiod.o:	sndiod.c ../libsndio/amsg.h defs.h dev.h abuf.h dsp.h \
diff --git a/sndiod/siofile.c b/sndiod/siofile.c
index 9402b2c..128414f 100644
--- a/sndiod/siofile.c
+++ b/sndiod/siofile.c
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include "siofile.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
+#define WATCHDOG_USEC	2000000		/* 2 seconds */
+
 int dev_sio_pollfd(void *, struct pollfd *);
 int dev_sio_revents(void *, struct pollfd *);
 void dev_sio_run(void *);
@@ -69,6 +71,16 @@ dev_sio_onmove(void *arg, int delta)
 	dev_onmove(d, delta);
 }
 
+void
+dev_sio_timeout(void *arg)
+{
+	struct dev *d = arg;
+
+	dev_log(d);
+	log_puts(": watchdog timeout\n");
+	dev_close(d);
+}
+
 /*
  * open the device.
  */
@@ -136,6 +148,7 @@ dev_sio_open(struct dev *d)
 		d->mode &= ~MODE_REC;
 	sio_onmove(d->sio.hdl, dev_sio_onmove, d);
 	d->sio.file = file_new(&dev_sio_ops, d, d->path, sio_nfds(d->sio.hdl));
+	timo_set(&d->sio.watchdog, dev_sio_timeout, d);
 	return 1;
  bad_close:
 	sio_close(d->sio.hdl);
@@ -184,6 +197,7 @@ dev_sio_start(struct dev *d)
 		log_puts(": started\n");
 	}
 #endif
+	timo_add(&d->sio.watchdog, WATCHDOG_USEC);
 }
 
 void
@@ -206,6 +220,7 @@ dev_sio_stop(struct dev *d)
 		log_puts("\n");
 	}
 #endif
+	timo_del(&d->sio.watchdog);
 }
 
 int
@@ -315,6 +330,9 @@ dev_sio_run(void *arg)
 			d->sio.cstate = DEV_SIO_CYCLE;
 			break;
 		case DEV_SIO_CYCLE:
+			timo_del(&d->sio.watchdog);
+			timo_add(&d->sio.watchdog, WATCHDOG_USEC);
+
 #ifdef DEBUG
 			/*
 			 * check that we're called at cycle boundary:
diff --git a/sndiod/siofile.h b/sndiod/siofile.h
index 258f58d..72c1200 100644
--- a/sndiod/siofile.h
+++ b/sndiod/siofile.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 #ifndef SIOFILE_H
 #define SIOFILE_H
 
+#include "file.h"
+
 struct dev;
 
 struct siofile_ {
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ struct siofile_ {
 #define DEV_SIO_CYCLE	1
 #define DEV_SIO_WRITE	2
 	int cstate;
+	struct timo watchdog;
 };
 
 int dev_sio_open(struct dev *);