diff --git a/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py b/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py
index a1b7809c2..0d1c482e2 100644
--- a/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py
+++ b/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from util.morecollections import AttrDict
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-ETCD_DISABLE_TIMEOUT = 0
+ETCD_MAX_WATCH_TIMEOUT = 30
 EC2_API_TIMEOUT = 20
 RETRY_IMMEDIATELY_TIMEOUT = 0
 
@@ -85,10 +85,7 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
                        '*' if recursive else '', existing_index, etcd_result)
 
         except ReadTimeoutError:
-          logger.debug('Read-timeout on etcd watch: %s', etcd_key)
-
-        except (ProtocolError, etcd.EtcdException):
-          logger.exception('Exception on etcd watch: %s', etcd_key)
+          logger.debug('Read-timeout on etcd watch %s, rescheduling', etcd_key)
 
         except etcd.EtcdEventIndexCleared:
           # This happens if etcd2 has moved forward too fast for us to start watching
@@ -101,6 +98,18 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
           if restarter is not None:
             async(restarter())
 
+        except etcd.EtcdException as eex:
+          # TODO(jschorr): This is a quick and dirty hack and should be replaced
+          # with a proper exception check.
+          if str(eex.message).find('Read timed out') >= 0:
+            logger.debug('Read-timeout on etcd watch %s, rescheduling', etcd_key)
+          else:
+            logger.exception('Exception on etcd watch: %s', etcd_key)
+
+        except ProtocolError:
+          logger.exception('Exception on etcd watch: %s', etcd_key)
+
+
       if watch_task_key not in self._watch_tasks or self._watch_tasks[watch_task_key].done():
         self._watch_etcd(etcd_key, change_callback, start_index=new_index, restarter=restarter)
 
@@ -112,7 +121,7 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
                    '*' if recursive else '', start_index)
 
       watch_future = self._etcd_client.watch(etcd_key, recursive=recursive, index=start_index,
-                                             timeout=ETCD_DISABLE_TIMEOUT)
+                                             timeout=ETCD_MAX_WATCH_TIMEOUT)
       watch_future.add_done_callback(callback_wrapper)
 
       self._watch_tasks[watch_task_key] = async(watch_future)
diff --git a/test/test_buildman.py b/test/test_buildman.py
index 541c807af..b58eddb45 100644
--- a/test/test_buildman.py
+++ b/test/test_buildman.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class TestEphemeral(unittest.TestCase):
   @coroutine
   def _setup_job_for_managers(self):
     # Test that we are watching the realm location before anything else happens
-    self.etcd_client_mock.watch.assert_any_call('realm/', recursive=True, timeout=0, index=None)
+    self.etcd_client_mock.watch.assert_any_call('realm/', recursive=True, timeout=30, index=None)
 
     self.etcd_client_mock.read = Mock(side_effect=KeyError)
     test_component = Mock(spec=BuildComponent)
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class TestEphemeral(unittest.TestCase):
   @async_test
   def test_expiring_worker(self):
     # Test that we are watching before anything else happens
-    self.etcd_client_mock.watch.assert_any_call('building/', recursive=True, timeout=0, index=None)
+    self.etcd_client_mock.watch.assert_any_call('building/', recursive=True, timeout=30, index=None)
 
     # Send a signal to the callback that a worker has expired
     expired_result = Mock(spec=etcd.EtcdResult)
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class TestEphemeral(unittest.TestCase):
     test_component = yield From(self._setup_job_for_managers())
 
     # Test that we are watching before anything else happens
-    self.etcd_client_mock.watch.assert_any_call('building/', recursive=True, timeout=0, index=None)
+    self.etcd_client_mock.watch.assert_any_call('building/', recursive=True, timeout=30, index=None)
 
     # Send a signal to the callback that a worker has expired
     expired_result = Mock(spec=etcd.EtcdResult)