diff --git a/accesslogs/processor.go b/accesslogs/processor.go
index ca47374a..82507766 100644
--- a/accesslogs/processor.go
+++ b/accesslogs/processor.go
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ type Options struct {
 		QueueLimit      int           `user:"true" help:"log file upload queue limit" default:"100"`
 		RetryLimit      int           `user:"true" help:"maximum number of retries for log file uploads" default:"3"`
 		ShutdownTimeout time.Duration `user:"true" help:"time limit waiting for queued logs to finish uploading when gateway is shutting down" default:"1m"`
+		UploadTimeout   time.Duration `user:"true" help:"time limit for each individual log file upload" default:"30s"`
 	}
 }
 
@@ -118,6 +119,9 @@ func NewProcessor(log *zap.Logger, opts Options) *Processor {
 	if opts.UploadingOptions.ShutdownTimeout <= 0 {
 		opts.UploadingOptions.ShutdownTimeout = time.Minute
 	}
+	if opts.UploadingOptions.UploadTimeout <= 0 {
+		opts.UploadingOptions.UploadTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+	}
 
 	return &Processor{
 		log: log,
@@ -126,6 +130,7 @@ func NewProcessor(log *zap.Logger, opts Options) *Processor {
 			queueLimit:      opts.UploadingOptions.QueueLimit,
 			retryLimit:      opts.UploadingOptions.RetryLimit,
 			shutdownTimeout: opts.UploadingOptions.ShutdownTimeout,
+			uploadTimeout:   opts.UploadingOptions.UploadTimeout,
 		}),
 
 		defaultEntryLimit:       opts.DefaultEntryLimit,
diff --git a/accesslogs/uploader.go b/accesslogs/uploader.go
index 128a4e01..7d2fd59e 100644
--- a/accesslogs/uploader.go
+++ b/accesslogs/uploader.go
@@ -65,11 +65,12 @@ type uploader interface {
 var _ uploader = (*sequentialUploader)(nil)
 
 type upload struct {
-	store   Storage
-	bucket  string
-	key     string
-	body    []byte
-	retries int
+	store         Storage
+	bucket        string
+	key           string
+	body          []byte
+	retries       int
+	uploadTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
 type sequentialUploader struct {
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ type sequentialUploader struct {
 	queueLimit      int
 	retryLimit      int
 	shutdownTimeout time.Duration
+	uploadTimeout   time.Duration
 
 	mu          sync.Mutex
 	queue       chan upload
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ type sequentialUploaderOptions struct {
 	queueLimit      int
 	retryLimit      int
 	shutdownTimeout time.Duration
+	uploadTimeout   time.Duration
 }
 
 func newSequentialUploader(log *zap.Logger, opts sequentialUploaderOptions) *sequentialUploader {
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@ func newSequentialUploader(log *zap.Logger, opts sequentialUploaderOptions) *seq
 		queueLimit:      opts.queueLimit,
 		retryLimit:      opts.retryLimit,
 		shutdownTimeout: opts.shutdownTimeout,
+		uploadTimeout:   opts.uploadTimeout,
 		queue:           make(chan upload, opts.queueLimit),
 	}
 }
@@ -129,11 +133,12 @@ func (u *sequentialUploader) queueUpload(store Storage, bucket, key string, body
 	u.mu.Unlock()
 
 	u.queue <- upload{
-		store:   store,
-		bucket:  bucket,
-		key:     key,
-		body:    body,
-		retries: 0,
+		store:         store,
+		bucket:        bucket,
+		key:           key,
+		body:          body,
+		retries:       0,
+		uploadTimeout: u.uploadTimeout,
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -154,11 +159,12 @@ func (u *sequentialUploader) queueUploadWithoutQueueLimit(store Storage, bucket,
 	u.mu.Unlock()
 
 	u.queue <- upload{
-		store:   store,
-		bucket:  bucket,
-		key:     key,
-		body:    body,
-		retries: 0,
+		store:         store,
+		bucket:        bucket,
+		key:           key,
+		body:          body,
+		retries:       0,
+		uploadTimeout: u.uploadTimeout,
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -192,9 +198,10 @@ func (u *sequentialUploader) run() error {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case up := <-u.queue:
-			// TODO(artur): we need to figure out what context we want
-			// to pass here. WithTimeout(Background, …)?
-			if err := up.store.Put(context.TODO(), up.bucket, up.key, up.body); err != nil {
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), up.uploadTimeout)
+			err := up.store.Put(ctx, up.bucket, up.key, up.body)
+			cancel()
+			if err != nil {
 				if up.retries == u.retryLimit {
 					mon.Event("upload_dropped")
 					u.log.Error("retry limit reached",
diff --git a/accesslogs/uploader_test.go b/accesslogs/uploader_test.go
index a26b4ad4..614f1aac 100644
--- a/accesslogs/uploader_test.go
+++ b/accesslogs/uploader_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ func TestLimits(t *testing.T) {
 		queueLimit:      2,
 		retryLimit:      1,
 		shutdownTimeout: time.Second,
+		uploadTimeout:   time.Minute,
 	})
 
 	for range 2 {
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ func TestQueueNoLimit(t *testing.T) {
 		queueLimit:      2,
 		retryLimit:      1,
 		shutdownTimeout: time.Second,
+		uploadTimeout:   time.Minute,
 	})
 	defer ctx.Check(u.close)
 	ctx.Go(u.run)
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ func TestQueueNoLimitErroringStorage(t *testing.T) {
 		queueLimit:      10,
 		retryLimit:      1,
 		shutdownTimeout: time.Second,
+		uploadTimeout:   time.Minute,
 	})
 	defer ctx.Check(u.close)
 	ctx.Go(u.run)
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ func TestQueueErroringStorage(t *testing.T) {
 		queueLimit:      10,
 		retryLimit:      1,
 		shutdownTimeout: time.Second,
+		uploadTimeout:   time.Minute,
 	})
 	defer ctx.Check(u.close)
 	ctx.Go(u.run)
@@ -120,3 +124,39 @@ func TestQueueErroringStorage(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, u.queueUpload(s, "test", "test", testrand.Bytes(memory.KiB)))
 	}
 }
+
+type slowStorage struct {
+	delay time.Duration
+}
+
+func (s slowStorage) Put(ctx context.Context, bucket, key string, data []byte) error {
+	select {
+	case <-time.After(s.delay):
+		return nil
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUploadTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := testcontext.New(t)
+	defer ctx.Cleanup()
+
+	log := zaptest.NewLogger(t)
+	defer ctx.Check(log.Sync)
+
+	s := slowStorage{delay: 2 * time.Second}
+	u := newSequentialUploader(log, sequentialUploaderOptions{
+		entryLimit:      5 * memory.KiB,
+		queueLimit:      10,
+		retryLimit:      1,
+		shutdownTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
+		uploadTimeout:   500 * time.Millisecond,
+	})
+	defer ctx.Check(u.close)
+	ctx.Go(u.run)
+
+	require.NoError(t, u.queueUpload(s, "test", "test", testrand.Bytes(memory.KiB)))
+}