diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 502dcb7..991a4cc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## 1.8.4 - Unreleased
 
+* Added `verify_timeout` config to allow customization of the default (60 second) timeout during
+  the resource verification process. Apparently in some pathological situations, this is needed.
+  Woe betide the users who have to stare at an unmoving progress bar for more than 60 seconds.
+
 * `messages_XX.properties` files are now all maintained in UTF-8 encoding and then converted to
   escaped ISO-8859-1 during the build process.
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java b/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
index 926b7c9..db0098d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ public class Application
         _dockName = config.getString("ui.name");
         _dockIconPath = config.getString("ui.mac_dock_icon", "../desktop.icns");
 
-        _timeoutVerify = config.getInt("timeout_verify", 60);
+        _verifyTimeout = config.getInt("verify_timeout", 60);
         return config;
     }
 
@@ -1313,9 +1313,9 @@ public class Application
         while (completed[0] < rsrcs.size()) {
             // we should be getting progress completion updates WAY more often than one every
             // minute, so if things freeze up for 60 seconds, abandon ship
-            Runnable action = actions.poll(_timeoutVerify, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            Runnable action = actions.poll(_verifyTimeout, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
             if (action == null) {
-              throw new IllegalStateException("m.timeout_verify");
+                throw new IllegalStateException("m.verify_timeout");
             }
             action.run();
         }
@@ -1757,7 +1757,7 @@ public class Application
     protected List<Resource> _codes = new ArrayList<>();
     protected List<Resource> _resources = new ArrayList<>();
 
-    protected int _timeoutVerify = 60;
+    protected int _verifyTimeout = 60;
 
     protected boolean _useCodeCache;
     protected int _codeCacheRetentionDays;
diff --git a/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties b/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties
index a02841c..92e13ee 100644
--- a/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties
+++ b/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ m.another_getdown_running = Multiple instances of this application's \
 
 m.applet_stopped = Getdown's applet was told to stop working.
 
-m.timeout_verify = Timeout verifying resources
+m.verify_timeout = Verifying resources took too long.
 
 # application/digest errors
 m.missing_appbase = The configuration file is missing the 'appbase'.
diff --git a/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties b/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties
index 1d564ca..b013f15 100644
--- a/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties
+++ b/launcher/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ m.another_getdown_running = Diese Installationsanwendung läuft in mehreren \
 
 m.applet_stopped = Die Anwendung wurde beendet.
 
-m.timeout_verify = Timeout beim Verifizieren der Resourcen
+m.verify_timeout = Timeout beim Verifizieren der Resourcen.
 
 # application/digest errors
 m.missing_appbase = In der Konfigurationsdatei fehlt die 'appbase'.