diff --git a/conf_schema.h b/conf_schema.h
index 93e8d043..e4e60d33 100644
--- a/conf_schema.h
+++ b/conf_schema.h
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ ATOM(int32_t,               mtu,             1200, int32_nonneg,, "Maximum trans
 ATOM(int32_t,               tick_ms,         -1, int32_nonneg,, "Keep alive interval")
 ATOM(int32_t,               packet_interval, -1, int32_nonneg,, "Minimum interval between packets in microseconds")
 ATOM(int32_t,               reachable_timeout_ms, -1, int32_nonneg,, "Inactivity timeout after which node considered unreachable")
+ATOM(int32_t,               transmit_timeout_ms, 1000, int32_nonneg,, "Maximum duration to hold a packet before transmission")
 ATOM(bool_t,                drop,            0, boolean,, "If true, drop all incoming packets")
 ATOM(bool_t,                send,            1, boolean,, "If false, don't send any packets")
 ATOM(bool_t,                route,           1, boolean,, "If false, do not advertise any links")
diff --git a/overlay_queue.c b/overlay_queue.c
index e15f96f6..640b7ad8 100644
--- a/overlay_queue.c
+++ b/overlay_queue.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ int overlay_queue_init(){
   int i;
   for(i=0;i<OQ_MAX;i++) {
     overlay_tx[i].maxLength=100;
-    overlay_tx[i].latencyTarget=1000; /* Keep packets in queue for 1 second by default */
+    overlay_tx[i].latencyTarget=0; // no QOS time limit by default
     overlay_tx[i].small_packet_grace_interval = 5;
   }
   /* expire voice/video call packets much sooner, as they just aren't any use if late */
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ int overlay_queue_init(){
 
   overlay_tx[OQ_ISOCHRONOUS_VIDEO].latencyTarget=200;
 
-  overlay_tx[OQ_OPPORTUNISTIC].small_packet_grace_interval = 20;
+  overlay_tx[OQ_OPPORTUNISTIC].small_packet_grace_interval = 100;
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -159,10 +159,6 @@ int _overlay_payload_enqueue(struct __sourceloc __whence, struct overlay_frame *
   p->whence = __whence;
   overlay_txqueue *queue = &overlay_tx[p->queue];
 
-  if (config.debug.packettx)
-    DEBUGF("Enqueuing packet for %s* (q[%d].length = %d)",
-	   p->destination?alloca_tohex_sid_t_trunc(p->destination->sid, 14): alloca_tohex(p->broadcast_id.id, BROADCAST_LEN),
-	   p->queue, queue->length);
   
   if (ob_overrun(p->payload))
     return WHY("Packet content overrun -- not queueing");
@@ -351,7 +347,7 @@ overlay_stuff_packet(struct outgoing_packet *packet, overlay_txqueue *queue, tim
   
   // TODO stop when the packet is nearly full?
   while(frame){
-    if (frame->enqueued_at + queue->latencyTarget < now){
+    if (queue->latencyTarget!=0 && frame->enqueued_at + queue->latencyTarget < now){
       if (config.debug.overlayframes)
 	DEBUGF("Dropping frame type %x (length %zu) for %s due to expiry timeout", 
 	       frame->type, frame->payload->checkpointLength,
@@ -403,6 +399,10 @@ overlay_stuff_packet(struct outgoing_packet *packet, overlay_txqueue *queue, tim
 	  frame_remove_destination(frame, i);
 	  continue;
 	}
+	if (frame->enqueued_at + dest->ifconfig.transmit_timeout_ms < now){
+	  frame_remove_destination(frame, i);
+	  continue;
+	}
 	if (ob_position(frame->payload) > (unsigned)dest->ifconfig.mtu){
 	  WARNF("Skipping packet destination as size %zu > destination mtu %zd", 
 	  ob_position(frame->payload), dest->ifconfig.mtu);
diff --git a/tests/routing b/tests/routing
index ef0c81a6..17fa38ff 100755
--- a/tests/routing
+++ b/tests/routing
@@ -320,24 +320,23 @@ teardown_simulate_extender() {
    tfw_cat "$SERVALD_VAR/radioerr"
 }
 
-doc_lowband_broadcast="Link detection over very low bandwith links"
+doc_lowband_broadcast="Link detection over low bandwith links"
 setup_lowband_broadcast() {
    setup_servald
    foreach_instance +A +B create_single_identity
    foreach_instance +A +B add_servald_interface 1
    foreach_instance +A +B executeOk_servald config \
-	set interfaces.1.broadcast.packet_interval 10000000 \
+	set interfaces.1.broadcast.packet_interval 2000000 \
+	set interfaces.1.broadcast.transmit_timeout_ms 6200 \
 	set interfaces.1.broadcast.tick_ms 15000 \
-	set interfaces.1.broadcast.mtu 180 \
+	set interfaces.1.broadcast.mtu 210 \
 	set interfaces.1.broadcast.route off \
 	set interfaces.1.unicast.send off
    foreach_instance +A +B start_servald_server
 }
 test_lowband_broadcast() {
-   #wait_until path_exists +A +B
-   #wait_until path_exists +B +A
    set_instance +A
-   executeOk_servald mdp ping --interval=5 --timeout=30 $SIDB 5
+   executeOk_servald mdp ping --interval=3 --timeout=6 $SIDB 3
    tfw_cat --stdout --stderr
 }