diff --git a/js/util.js b/js/util.js
index 29650b1a4d..15bff959ee 100644
--- a/js/util.js
+++ b/js/util.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ var SN = { // StatusNet
     },
 
     V: {    // Variables
+        // These get set on runtime via inline scripting, so don't put anything here.
     },
 
     /**
@@ -358,7 +359,7 @@ var SN = { // StatusNet
 
             form.ajaxForm({
                 dataType: 'xml',
-                timeout: '60000',
+                timeout: SN.V.xhrTimeout,
                 beforeSend: function (formData) {
                     if (form.find('.notice_data-text:first').val() == '') {
                         form.addClass(SN.C.S.Warning);
diff --git a/lib/action.php b/lib/action.php
index 4e629c2bc3..513666a656 100644
--- a/lib/action.php
+++ b/lib/action.php
@@ -492,10 +492,12 @@ class Action extends HTMLOutputter // lawsuit
 
         if (Event::handle('StartScriptVariables', array($this, &$vars))) {
             $vars['urlNewNotice'] = common_local_url('newnotice');
+            $vars['xhrTimeout'] = ini_get('max_execution_time')*1000;   // milliseconds
+            Event::handle('EndScriptVariables', array($this, &$vars));
         }
-        if (!empty($vars)) {
-            $this->inlineScript('SN.V = ' . json_encode($vars));
-        }
+
+        $this->inlineScript('SN.V = ' . json_encode($vars) . ';');
+
         return $vars;
     }