diff --git a/src/runtime/communication.rs b/src/runtime/communication.rs
index 87f4d4f5c6f37d018cfbcf3056c3dc17705d9a79..688dae6221ee07a62d7455a4e9c1ee904d357887 100644
--- a/src/runtime/communication.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/communication.rs
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ impl Connector {
             }
         }
     }
-    pub fn sync(&mut self, timeout: Duration) -> Result<usize, SyncError> {
+    pub fn sync(&mut self, timeout: Option<Duration>) -> Result<usize, SyncError> {
         use SyncError::*;
         match &mut self.phased {
             ConnectorPhased::Setup { .. } => Err(NotConnected),
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ impl Connector {
                 round_result,
                 ..
             } => {
-                let deadline = Instant::now() + timeout;
+                let mut deadline = timeout.map(|to| Instant::now() + to);
                 let logger: &mut dyn Logger = &mut *self.logger;
                 // 1. run all proto components to Nonsync blockers
                 log!(
@@ -347,8 +347,35 @@ impl Connector {
                     // try recv messages arriving through endpoints
                     log!(logger, "No decision yet. Let's recv an endpoint msg...");
                     {
-                        let (endpoint_index, msg) =
-                            endpoint_manager.try_recv_any(deadline).unwrap();
+                        let (endpoint_index, msg) = loop {
+                            match endpoint_manager.try_recv_any_comms(deadline)? {
+                                None => {
+                                    log!(
+                                        logger,
+                                        "Reached user-defined deadling without decision..."
+                                    );
+                                    if let Some(parent) = neighborhood.parent {
+                                        log!(
+                                            logger,
+                                            "Sending failure request to parent index {}",
+                                            parent
+                                        );
+                                        let msg = Msg::CommMsg(CommMsg {
+                                            round_index: *round_index,
+                                            contents: CommMsgContents::Suggest {
+                                                suggestion: Decision::Failure,
+                                            },
+                                        });
+                                        endpoint_manager.send_to(parent, &msg).unwrap();
+                                    } else {
+                                        log!(logger, "As the leader, deciding on timeout");
+                                        break 'undecided Decision::Failure;
+                                    }
+                                    deadline = None;
+                                }
+                                Some((endpoint_index, msg)) => break (endpoint_index, msg),
+                            }
+                        };
                         log!(logger, "Received from endpoint {} msg {:?}", endpoint_index, &msg);
                         let comm_msg_contents = match msg {
                             Msg::SetupMsg(..) => {