diff --git a/trollmoves/movers.py b/trollmoves/movers.py
index 5361b4e1..ab5b1349 100644
--- a/trollmoves/movers.py
+++ b/trollmoves/movers.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 """Movers for the move_it scripts."""
 
+from doctest import ELLIPSIS_MARKER
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@
 
 from ftplib import FTP, all_errors, error_perm
 from paramiko import SSHClient, SSHException, AutoAddPolicy
-from scp import SCPClient
+from scp import SCPClient, SCPException
 try:
     from s3fs import S3FileSystem
 except ImportError:
@@ -358,7 +359,8 @@ def copy(self):
                                              self._dest_username)
 
         try:
-            scp = SCPClient(ssh_connection.get_transport())
+            scp = SCPClient(ssh_connection.get_transport(),
+                            socket_timeout=int(self.attrs.get('scpclient_timeout_seconds', 10)))
         except Exception as err:
             LOGGER.error("Failed to initiate SCPClient: %s", str(err))
             ssh_connection.close()
@@ -374,6 +376,13 @@ def copy(self):
             else:
                 LOGGER.error("OSError in scp.put: %s", str(osex))
                 raise
+        except SCPException as scpe:
+            if str(scpe) in "Timeout waiting for scp response":
+                LOGGER.error("SCPClient put got a socket timeout. You could add scpclient_timeout_seconds "
+                             "to your config to increase the timeout interval. Default timeout is 10 seconds.")
+            else:
+                LOGGER.error("SCPException: %s", str(scpe))
+            raise
         except Exception as err:
             LOGGER.error("Something went wrong with scp: %s", str(err))
             LOGGER.error("Exception name %s", type(err).__name__)
diff --git a/trollmoves/tests/test_ssh_server.py b/trollmoves/tests/test_ssh_server.py
index 51411348..bb0be4db 100644
--- a/trollmoves/tests/test_ssh_server.py
+++ b/trollmoves/tests/test_ssh_server.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2019
+# Copyright (c) 2019, 2022
 #
 # Author(s):
 #
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ def setUp(self):
 
         self._attrs_empty = {}
         self._attrs_connection_uptime = {'connection_uptime': 0}
+        self._attrs_timeout = {'scpclient_timeout_seconds': 1}
 
     def tearDown(self):
         try:
@@ -178,6 +179,18 @@ def test_scp_copy(self, mock_scp_client, mock_sshclient):
 
         mocked_scp_client.put.assert_called_once_with(self.origin, urlparse(self.destination_no_port).path)
 
+    @patch('trollmoves.movers.SSHClient', autospec=True)
+    @patch('trollmoves.movers.SCPClient', autospec=True)
+    def test_scp_copy_custom_timeout(self, mock_scp_client, mock_sshclient):
+        """Check scp copy."""
+        mocked_scp_client = MagicMock()
+        mock_scp_client.return_value = mocked_scp_client
+
+        scp_mover = trollmoves.movers.ScpMover(self.origin, self.destination_no_port, attrs=self._attrs_timeout)
+        scp_mover.copy()
+
+        mocked_scp_client.put.assert_called_once_with(self.origin, urlparse(self.destination_no_port).path)
+
     @patch('trollmoves.movers.SSHClient', autospec=True)
     @patch('trollmoves.movers.SCPClient', autospec=True)
     def test_scp_copy_generic_exception(self, mock_scp_client, mock_sshclient):
@@ -216,6 +229,26 @@ def test_scp_copy_put_exception(self, mock_scp_client):
         with pytest.raises(Exception):
             scp_mover.copy()
 
+    @patch('trollmoves.movers.SCPClient', autospec=True)
+    def test_scp_copy_put_SCPException(self, mock_scp_client):
+        """Check scp client.put() raising SCPException."""
+        from scp import SCPException
+        scp_mover = trollmoves.movers.ScpMover(self.origin, self.destination_no_port, attrs=self._attrs_empty)
+        mock_scp_client.return_value.put.side_effect = SCPException('Timeout waiting for scp response')
+
+        with pytest.raises(SCPException, match='Timeout waiting for scp response'):
+            scp_mover.copy()
+
+    @patch('trollmoves.movers.SCPClient', autospec=True)
+    def test_scp_copy_put_SCPException2(self, mock_scp_client):
+        """Check scp client.put() raising SCPException."""
+        from scp import SCPException
+        scp_mover = trollmoves.movers.ScpMover(self.origin, self.destination_no_port, attrs=self._attrs_empty)
+        mock_scp_client.return_value.put.side_effect = SCPException('Other exception')
+
+        with pytest.raises(SCPException, match='Other exception'):
+            scp_mover.copy()
+
     @patch('trollmoves.movers.SSHClient', autospec=True)
     @patch('trollmoves.movers.SCPClient', autospec=True)
     def test_scp_move(self, mock_scp_client, mock_sshclient):