diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Serial.java b/app/src/processing/app/Serial.java
index 14c0933c0..0bab1a655 100755
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Serial.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Serial.java
@@ -102,17 +102,20 @@ public class Serial implements SerialPortEventListener {
   }
 
   public static boolean touchPort(String iname, int irate) throws SerialException {
-    SerialPort port;
-    boolean result = false;
     try {
       Enumeration portList = CommPortIdentifier.getPortIdentifiers();
       while (portList.hasMoreElements()) {
         CommPortIdentifier portId = (CommPortIdentifier) portList.nextElement();
         if ((CommPortIdentifier.PORT_SERIAL == portId.getPortType()) && (portId.getName().equals(iname))) {
-          port = (SerialPort) portId.open("tap", 2000);
+          final SerialPort port = (SerialPort) portId.open("tap", 2000);
           port.setSerialPortParams(irate, 8, SerialPort.STOPBITS_1, SerialPort.PARITY_NONE);
-          port.close();				
-          result = true;
+          // Sometime the port close takes a lot to complete, so we run it in a parallel thread
+          new Thread() {
+            public void run() {
+              port.close();				
+            };
+          }.start();
+          return true;
         }
       }
     } catch (PortInUseException e) {
@@ -124,7 +127,7 @@ public class Serial implements SerialPortEventListener {
         I18n.format(_("Error touching serial port ''{0}''."), iname), e
       );
     }
-	return result;
+    return false;
   }
 
   public Serial(String iname, int irate,
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/debug/AvrdudeUploader.java b/app/src/processing/app/debug/AvrdudeUploader.java
index 8616db880..2cbe80f66 100755
--- a/app/src/processing/app/debug/AvrdudeUploader.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/debug/AvrdudeUploader.java
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public class AvrdudeUploader extends Uploader  {
 
         // Wait for a port to appear on the list
         int elapsed = 0;
-        while (elapsed < 20000) {
+        while (elapsed < 10000) {
           List<String> now = Serial.list();
           List<String> diff = new ArrayList<String>(now);
           diff.removeAll(before);
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ public class AvrdudeUploader extends Uploader  {
           
           // Keep track of port that disappears
           before = now;
-          Thread.sleep(500);
-          elapsed += 500;
+          Thread.sleep(250);
+          elapsed += 250;
           
           // If after 5 seconds the selected port is active use that port
           if (elapsed == 5000 && now.contains(uploadPort)) {