diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index 8075c66b7..f5fb5b865 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ HOST ?= $(BUILD)
 PATCHES_PATH = $(BASEDIR)/patches
 BASEDIR = $(CURDIR)
 HASH_LENGTH:=11
+DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT:=10
+DOWNLOAD_RETRIES:=3
 
 host:=$(BUILD)
 ifneq ($(HOST),)
diff --git a/depends/builders/darwin.mk b/depends/builders/darwin.mk
index 6b734648f..b366460e6 100644
--- a/depends/builders/darwin.mk
+++ b/depends/builders/darwin.mk
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ build_darwin_OTOOL: = $(shell xcrun -f otool)
 build_darwin_NM: = $(shell xcrun -f nm)
 build_darwin_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL:=$(shell xcrun -f install_name_tool)
 build_darwin_SHA256SUM = shasum -a 256
-build_darwin_DOWNLOAD = curl -L -o
+build_darwin_DOWNLOAD = curl --connect-timeout $(DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT) --retry $(DOWNLOAD_RETRIES) -L -o
 
 #darwin host on darwin builder. overrides darwin host preferences.
 darwin_CC=$(shell xcrun -f clang) -mmacosx-version-min=$(OSX_MIN_VERSION)
diff --git a/depends/builders/linux.mk b/depends/builders/linux.mk
index d98ba597d..98d0e9de3 100644
--- a/depends/builders/linux.mk
+++ b/depends/builders/linux.mk
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 build_linux_SHA256SUM = sha256sum
-build_linux_DOWNLOAD = wget -nv -O
+build_linux_DOWNLOAD = wget --timeout=$(DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT) --tries=$(DOWNLOAD_RETRIES) -nv -O