diff --git a/sbin/route/route.c b/sbin/route/route.c
index a357a4d03851..ee312a4d36cb 100644
--- a/sbin/route/route.c
+++ b/sbin/route/route.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 #include <err.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <paths.h>
+#include <signal.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -144,6 +145,16 @@ static int	fiboptlist_range(const char *, struct fibl_head_t *);
 
 static void usage(const char *) __dead2;
 
+#define	READ_TIMEOUT	10
+static volatile sig_atomic_t stop_read;
+
+static void
+stopit(int sig __unused)
+{
+
+	stop_read = 1;
+}
+
 static void
 usage(const char *cp)
 {
@@ -776,6 +787,7 @@ set_metric(char *value, int key)
 static void
 newroute(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+	struct sigaction sa;
 	struct hostent *hp;
 	struct fibl *fl;
 	char *cmd;
@@ -791,6 +803,12 @@ newroute(int argc, char **argv)
 	hp = NULL;
 	TAILQ_INIT(&fibl_head);
 
+	sigemptyset(&sa.sa_mask);
+	sa.sa_flags = 0;
+	sa.sa_handler = stopit;
+	if (sigaction(SIGALRM, &sa, 0) == -1)
+		warn("sigaction SIGALRM");
+
 	cmd = argv[0];
 	if (*cmd != 'g' && *cmd != 's')
 		shutdown(s, SHUT_RD); /* Don't want to read back our messages */
@@ -1541,9 +1559,17 @@ rtmsg(int cmd, int flags, int fib)
 		return (-1);
 	}
 	if (cmd == RTM_GET) {
+		stop_read = 0;
+		alarm(READ_TIMEOUT);
 		do {
 			l = read(s, (char *)&m_rtmsg, sizeof(m_rtmsg));
-		} while (l > 0 && (rtm.rtm_seq != rtm_seq || rtm.rtm_pid != pid));
+		} while (l > 0 && stop_read == 0 &&
+		    (rtm.rtm_seq != rtm_seq || rtm.rtm_pid != pid));
+		if (stop_read != 0) {
+			warnx("read from routing socket timed out");
+			return (-1);
+		} else
+			alarm(0);
 		if (l < 0)
 			warn("read from routing socket");
 		else