diff --git a/bgs/bgs.go b/bgs/bgs.go
index 59d9a555d..bc2a9972f 100644
--- a/bgs/bgs.go
+++ b/bgs/bgs.go
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ func (bgs *BGS) handleFedEvent(ctx context.Context, host *models.PDS, env *event
 			rebasesCounter.WithLabelValues(host.Host).Add(1)
 			ai, err := bgs.Index.LookupUser(ctx, u.ID)
 			if err != nil {
-				return err
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to look up user (slow path): %w", err)
 			}
 
 			// TODO: we currently do not handle events that get queued up
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ func (bgs *BGS) handleFedEvent(ctx context.Context, host *models.PDS, env *event
 			if errors.Is(err, carstore.ErrRepoBaseMismatch) || ipld.IsNotFound(err) {
 				ai, err := bgs.Index.LookupUser(ctx, u.ID)
 				if err != nil {
-					return err
+					return fmt.Errorf("failed to look up user (err case): %w", err)
 				}
 
 				span.SetAttributes(attribute.Bool("catchup_queue", true))
diff --git a/cmd/bigsky/main.go b/cmd/bigsky/main.go
index 2cd6105eb..cebccc8ab 100644
--- a/cmd/bigsky/main.go
+++ b/cmd/bigsky/main.go
@@ -283,9 +283,12 @@ func Bigsky(cctx *cli.Context) error {
 
 	rlskip := os.Getenv("BSKY_SOCIAL_RATE_LIMIT_SKIP")
 	ix.ApplyPDSClientSettings = func(c *xrpc.Client) {
-		if c.Host == "https://bsky.social" && rlskip != "" {
-			c.Headers = map[string]string{
-				"x-ratelimit-bypass": rlskip,
+		if c.Host == "https://bsky.social" {
+			c.Client.Timeout = time.Minute * 30
+			if rlskip != "" {
+				c.Headers = map[string]string{
+					"x-ratelimit-bypass": rlskip,
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}