diff --git a/examples/textarea/index.js b/examples/textarea/index.js
index c3d9e6c4..3a8cd505 100644
--- a/examples/textarea/index.js
+++ b/examples/textarea/index.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line
 let search = new URLSearchParams(location.search)
-let url = search.get('url')
 
 // initialize a shared object. This function call returns a promise!
 Y({
@@ -13,16 +12,19 @@ Y({
     name: 'websockets-client',
     room: 'Textarea-example',
     // url: '//localhost:1234',
-    url: 'https://yjs-v13.herokuapp.com/',
+    url: 'https://yjs-v13.herokuapp.com/'
     // options: { transports: ['websocket'], upgrade: false }
   },
   share: {
     textarea: 'Text'
-  }
+  },
+  timeout: 5000 // reject if no connection was established within 5 seconds
 }).then(function (y) {
   window.yTextarea = y
 
   // bind the textarea to a shared text element
   y.share.textarea.bind(document.getElementById('textfield'))
   // thats it..
+}).catch(() => {
+  console.log('Something went wrong while creating the instance..')
 })
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 283accdf..153cd2a8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "yjs",
-  "version": "13.0.0-13",
+  "version": "13.0.0-15",
   "description": "A framework for real-time p2p shared editing on any data",
   "main": "./y.node.js",
   "browser": "./y.js",
diff --git a/src/y.js b/src/y.js
index 2b4bc00e..ebc07591 100644
--- a/src/y.js
+++ b/src/y.js
@@ -139,10 +139,20 @@ export default function Y (opts/* :YOptions */) /* :Promise<YConfig> */ {
       opts.share = Y.utils.copyObject(opts.share)
       Y.requestModules(modules).then(function () {
         var yconfig = new YConfig(opts)
+        let resolved = false
+        if (opts.timeout != null && opts.timeout >= 0) {
+          setTimeout(function () {
+            if (!resolved) {
+              reject(new Error('Yjs init timeout'))
+              yconfig.destroy()
+            }
+          }, opts.timeout)
+        }
         yconfig.db.whenUserIdSet(function () {
           yconfig.init(function () {
+            resolved = true
             resolve(yconfig)
-          })
+          }, reject)
         })
       }).catch(reject)
     }