diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1ab7c5a..0e7efbc 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ LIBS_fpp_vastfmt_so += -L/opt/fpp/src -lfpp -lusb-1.0
 CXXFLAGS_src/FPPVastFM.o += -I/opt/fpp/src
 
 
-%.o: %.cpp Makefile
+%.o: %.cpp Makefile /usr/include/libusb-1.0/libusb.h
 	$(CCACHE) $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS_$@) -c $< -o $@
 
 %.o: %.c Makefile
@@ -21,3 +21,8 @@ libfpp-vastfmt.so: $(OBJECTS_fpp_vastfmt_so) /opt/fpp/src/libfpp.so
 
 clean:
 	rm -f libfpp-vastfmt.so $(OBJECTS_fpp_vastfmt_so)
+
+
+/usr/include/libusb-1.0/libusb.h:
+	sudo apt-get -q -y update
+	sudo apt-get -q -y --reinstall install libusb-1.0-0-dev
diff --git a/src/VASTFMT.cpp b/src/VASTFMT.cpp
index 0c69c6b..62a0159 100755
--- a/src/VASTFMT.cpp
+++ b/src/VASTFMT.cpp
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ bool VASTFMT::sendDeviceCommand(uint8_t cmd, std::vector<uint8_t> &dataOut, bool
     aucBufOut[2] = cmd;
     
     hid_write(phd, aucBufOut, 43);
-    int r = hid_read(phd, aucBufIn, 43);
+    int r = hid_read_timeout(phd, aucBufIn, 43, 250);
 
     if (r < 2) {
-        LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4713/USB: not enough data\n");
+        LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4713/USB: not enough data: %d\n", r);
         return false;
     }
     if (!ignoreFailures && aucBufIn[0] & PCRequestError) {
@@ -163,7 +163,11 @@ bool VASTFMT::sendSi4711Command(uint8_t cmd, const std::vector<uint8_t> &dataIn,
     }
 
     hid_write(phd, aucBufOut, 43);
-    int r = hid_read(phd, aucBufIn, 42);
+    int r = hid_read_timeout(phd, aucBufIn, 42, 250);
+    if (r == 0) {
+        LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4711/USB: command timed out (%d): %s, returned (FALSE)\n", aucBufIn[2], Si471xStatusStr(aucBufIn[2]));
+        return false;
+    }
     /*
     printf("CMD:  %2x    Read: %d\n", cmd, r);
     for (int x = 0; x < 25; x++) {
@@ -208,7 +212,12 @@ bool VASTFMT::setProperty(uint16_t prop, uint16_t val) {
     aucBufOut[5] = val >> 8;
     aucBufOut[6] = val;
     hid_write(phd, aucBufOut, 43);
-    hid_read(phd, aucBufIn, 42);
+    int r = hid_read_timeout(phd, aucBufIn, 42, 250);
+    if (r == 0) {
+        LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4711/USB: request error for property %X - timeout.\n", prop);
+        return false;
+    }
+
     
     if (aucBufIn[0] & PCRequestError) {
         LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4713/USB: request error for property %X.\n", prop);
@@ -252,7 +261,12 @@ bool VASTFMT::getProperty(uint16_t prop, uint16_t &val) {
     aucBufOut[3] = prop >> 8;
     aucBufOut[4] = prop;
     hid_write(phd, aucBufOut, 43);
-    hid_read(phd, aucBufIn, 42);
+    int r = hid_read_timeout(phd, aucBufIn, 42, 250);
+    if (r == 0) {
+        LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4713/USB: request error for property %X - timeout.\n", prop);
+        return false;
+    }
+    
 
     if (aucBufIn[0] & PCRequestError) {
         LogWarn(VB_PLUGIN, "Si4713/USB: request error for property %X.\n", prop);