diff --git a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go
index e9380813a3..fa119be7ca 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/main.go
@@ -37,15 +37,16 @@ var (
 )
 
 var (
-	allhosts  string
-	hosts     []string
-	filesize  int
-	syncDelay int
-	httpPort  int
-	wsPort    int
-	verbosity int
-	timeout   int
-	single    bool
+	allhosts          string
+	hosts             []string
+	filesize          int
+	syncDelay         int
+	httpPort          int
+	wsPort            int
+	verbosity         int
+	timeout           int
+	single            bool
+	getAllRefsTimeout int
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -102,6 +103,12 @@ func main() {
 			Usage:       "whether to fetch content from a single node or from all nodes",
 			Destination: &single,
 		},
+		cli.IntFlag{
+			Name:        "refs-timeout",
+			Value:       5,
+			Usage:       "timeout in seconds to wait for GetAllReferences to return",
+			Destination: &getAllRefsTimeout,
+		},
 	}
 
 	app.Flags = append(app.Flags, []cli.Flag{
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go
index 6cf47476d3..ec97db36ca 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/swarm-smoke/upload_and_sync.go
@@ -55,13 +55,14 @@ func uploadAndSyncCmd(ctx *cli.Context, tuid string) error {
 	case <-time.After(time.Duration(timeout) * time.Second):
 		metrics.GetOrRegisterCounter(fmt.Sprintf("%s.timeout", commandName), nil).Inc(1)
 
+		e := fmt.Errorf("timeout after %v sec", timeout)
 		// trigger debug functionality on randomBytes
-		err := triggerChunkDebug(randomBytes)
+		err := triggerChunkDebug(randomBytes[:])
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("test timed out and triggerChunkDebug also produced error", "err", err)
+			e = fmt.Errorf("%v; triggerChunkDebug failed: %v", e, err)
 		}
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("timeout after %v sec", timeout)
+		return e
 	}
 }
 
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ func triggerChunkDebug(testData []byte) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	log.Trace("All references retrieved")
 
 	// has-chunks
 	for _, host := range hosts {
@@ -115,16 +117,11 @@ func getAllRefs(testData []byte) (storage.AddressCollection, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Duration(getAllRefsTimeout)*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	reader := bytes.NewReader(testData)
-	addrs, err := fileStore.GetAllReferences(ctx, reader, false)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	log.Trace("All references retrieved")
-	return addrs, err
+	return fileStore.GetAllReferences(ctx, reader, false)
 }
 
 func uplaodAndSync(c *cli.Context, randomBytes []byte, tuid string) error {