diff --git a/driver-bitforce.c b/driver-bitforce.c
index 31892297..ff537203 100644
--- a/driver-bitforce.c
+++ b/driver-bitforce.c
@@ -34,13 +34,15 @@
 
 struct device_api bitforce_api;
 
-#define BFopen(devpath)  serial_open(devpath, 0, -1, true)
+// Code must deal with a timeout
+#define BFopen(devpath)  serial_open(devpath, 0, 1, true)
 
 static void BFgets(char *buf, size_t bufLen, int fd)
 {
-	do
+	do {
+		buf[0] = '\0';
 		--bufLen;
-	while (likely(bufLen && read(fd, buf, 1) == 1 && (buf++)[0] != '\n'));
+	} while (likely(bufLen && read(fd, buf, 1) == 1 && (buf++)[0] != '\n'));
 
 	buf[0] = '\0';
 }
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ static bool bitforce_detect_one(const char *devpath)
 	BFwrite(fdDev, "ZGX", 3);
 	BFgets(pdevbuf, sizeof(pdevbuf), fdDev);
 	if (unlikely(!pdevbuf[0])) {
-		applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL: Error reading (ZGX)");
+		applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL: Error reading/timeout (ZGX)");
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ void bitforce_init(struct cgpu_info *bitforce)
 
 		if (unlikely(!pdevbuf[0])) {
 			mutex_unlock(&bitforce->device_mutex);
-			applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL%i: Error reading (ZGX)", bitforce->device_id);
+			applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL%i: Error reading/timeout (ZGX)", bitforce->device_id);
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -240,7 +242,7 @@ static bool bitforce_get_temp(struct cgpu_info *bitforce)
 	mutex_unlock(&bitforce->device_mutex);
 	
 	if (unlikely(!pdevbuf[0])) {
-		applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL%i: Error: Get temp returned empty string", bitforce->device_id);
+		applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL%i: Error: Get temp returned empty string/timed out", bitforce->device_id);
 		bitforce->temp = 0;
 		return false;
 	}
@@ -328,7 +330,7 @@ re_send:
 	}
 
 	if (unlikely(!pdevbuf[0])) {
-		applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL%i: Error: Send block data returned empty string", bitforce->device_id);
+		applog(LOG_ERR, "BFL%i: Error: Send block data returned empty string/timed out", bitforce->device_id);
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/fpgautils.c b/fpgautils.c
index 0ebee7f6..07b3fe36 100644
--- a/fpgautils.c
+++ b/fpgautils.c
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ serial_open(const char*devpath, unsigned long baud, signed short timeout, bool p
 
 	SetCommConfig(hSerial, &comCfg, sizeof(comCfg));
 
-	const DWORD ctoms = (timeout == -1) ? 30000 : (timeout * 100);
+	// Code must specify a valid timeout value (0 means don't timeout)
+	const DWORD ctoms = (timeout * 100);
 	COMMTIMEOUTS cto = {ctoms, 0, ctoms, 0, ctoms};
 	SetCommTimeouts(hSerial, &cto);
 
@@ -230,10 +231,9 @@ serial_open(const char*devpath, unsigned long baud, signed short timeout, bool p
 	my_termios.c_oflag &= ~OPOST;
 	my_termios.c_lflag &= ~(ECHO | ECHONL | ICANON | ISIG | IEXTEN);
 
-	if (timeout >= 0) {
-		my_termios.c_cc[VTIME] = (cc_t)timeout;
-		my_termios.c_cc[VMIN] = 0;
-	}
+	// Code must specify a valid timeout value (0 means don't timeout)
+	my_termios.c_cc[VTIME] = (cc_t)timeout;
+	my_termios.c_cc[VMIN] = 0;
 
 	tcsetattr(fdDev, TCSANOW, &my_termios);
 	if (purge)