diff --git a/src/components/Notifications/Notifications.tsx b/src/components/Notifications/Notifications.tsx
index 6e742bafa..b6c2cd830 100644
--- a/src/components/Notifications/Notifications.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Notifications/Notifications.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ import NotificationsTab, {
   OWNER_TAB,
 } from "./NotificationsTab";
 
+const OWNER_TAB_PARAMS = { observations_by: "owner" } as const;
+const FOLLOWING_TAB_PARAMS = { observations_by: "following" } as const;
+
 const Notifications = ( ) => {
   const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState<typeof OWNER_TAB | typeof OTHER_TAB>( OWNER_TAB );
   const { t } = useTranslation();
@@ -44,14 +47,14 @@ const Notifications = ( ) => {
       {activeTab === OWNER_TAB && (
         <NotificationsContainer
           currentUser={currentUser}
-          notificationParams={{ observations_by: "owner" }}
+          notificationParams={OWNER_TAB_PARAMS}
           onRefresh={( ) => EventRegister.emit( NOTIFICATIONS_REFRESHED, OWNER_TAB )}
         />
       )}
       {activeTab === OTHER_TAB && (
         <NotificationsContainer
           currentUser={currentUser}
-          notificationParams={{ observations_by: "following" }}
+          notificationParams={FOLLOWING_TAB_PARAMS}
           onRefresh={( ) => EventRegister.emit( NOTIFICATIONS_REFRESHED, OTHER_TAB )}
         />
       )}
diff --git a/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsContainer.tsx b/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsContainer.tsx
index 54fd4ff38..d438776c5 100644
--- a/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsContainer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsContainer.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const NotificationsContainer = ( {
     isError,
     isFetching,
     isInitialLoading,
+    loadingTimedOut,
     notifications,
     refetch,
   } = useInfiniteNotificationsScroll( notificationParams );
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ const NotificationsContainer = ( {
       isFetching={isFetching}
       isInitialLoading={isInitialLoading}
       isConnected={isConnected}
+      loadingTimedOut={loadingTimedOut}
       onEndReached={fetchNextPage}
       reload={refetch}
       refreshing={refreshing}
diff --git a/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsList.tsx b/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsList.tsx
index 636ac1123..ebcc16dcc 100644
--- a/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsList.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Notifications/NotificationsList.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ interface Props {
   isFetching?: boolean;
   isInitialLoading?: boolean;
   isConnected: boolean | null;
+  loadingTimedOut: boolean;
   onEndReached: ( ) => void;
   onRefresh: ( ) => void;
   refreshing: boolean;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ const NotificationsList = ( {
   isFetching,
   isInitialLoading,
   isConnected,
+  loadingTimedOut,
   onEndReached,
   onRefresh,
   reload,
@@ -59,6 +61,12 @@ const NotificationsList = ( {
   ), [isFetching, isConnected, data.length] );
 
   const renderEmptyComponent = useCallback( ( ) => {
+    // show an offline/retry state if the user isn't connected or this request just takes too long
+    if ( isConnected === false || loadingTimedOut ) {
+      return <OfflineNotice onPress={reload} />;
+    }
+
+    // Loading
     if ( isInitialLoading ) {
       return (
         <View className="h-full justify-center">
@@ -67,10 +75,7 @@ const NotificationsList = ( {
       );
     }
 
-    if ( isConnected === false ) {
-      return <OfflineNotice onPress={reload} />;
-    }
-
+    // Empty/error state
     let msg = t( "No-Notifications-Found" );
     let msg2 = null;
     if ( !currentUser ) {
@@ -92,6 +97,7 @@ const NotificationsList = ( {
     isError,
     isInitialLoading,
     isConnected,
+    loadingTimedOut,
     reload,
     t,
   ] );
diff --git a/src/sharedHooks/useInfiniteNotificationsScroll.ts b/src/sharedHooks/useInfiniteNotificationsScroll.ts
index 8f05bb3ca..dd5f1cd04 100644
--- a/src/sharedHooks/useInfiniteNotificationsScroll.ts
+++ b/src/sharedHooks/useInfiniteNotificationsScroll.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { fetchObservationUpdates, fetchRemoteObservations } from "api/observations";
 import type {
   ApiNotification,
@@ -7,12 +8,15 @@ import type {
 } from "api/types";
 import flatten from "lodash/flatten";
 import { RealmContext } from "providers/contexts";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import type Realm from "realm";
 import Observation from "realmModels/Observation";
 import { useAuthenticatedInfiniteQuery, useCurrentUser } from "sharedHooks";
 
 const { useRealm } = RealmContext;
 
+const LOADING_TIMEOUT = 5000;
+
 // Extends API response with data we need in this app
 export interface Notification extends ApiNotification {
   resource?: ApiObservation;
@@ -24,6 +28,7 @@ interface InfiniteNotificationsScrollResponse {
   isError?: boolean;
   isFetching?: boolean;
   isInitialLoading?: boolean;
+  loadingTimedOut: boolean;
   notifications: Notification[];
   refetch: ( ) => void;
 }
@@ -89,10 +94,22 @@ const useInfiniteNotificationsScroll = (
 ): InfiniteNotificationsScrollResponse => {
   const currentUser = useCurrentUser( );
   const realm = useRealm( );
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+  const [loadingTimedOut, setLoadingTimedOut] = useState( false );
 
-  const queryKey = ["useInfiniteNotificationsScroll", JSON.stringify( notificationParams )];
+  const queryKey = useMemo(
+    () => ["useInfiniteNotificationsScroll", JSON.stringify( notificationParams )],
+    [notificationParams],
+  );
 
-  const infQueryResult = useAuthenticatedInfiniteQuery(
+  const {
+    data,
+    isFetching,
+    isInitialLoading,
+    isError,
+    refetch,
+    fetchNextPage,
+  } = useAuthenticatedInfiniteQuery(
     queryKey,
     async ( { pageParam }: { pageParam: number }, optsWithAuth: ApiOpts ) => {
       const params = { ...BASE_PARAMS, ...notificationParams };
@@ -142,16 +159,49 @@ const useInfiniteNotificationsScroll = (
     },
   );
 
+  // We want to timeout and show an offline/retry state if this request takes too long
+  useEffect( () => {
+    // Reset if we get data
+    if ( data !== undefined && !isFetching ) {
+      setLoadingTimedOut( false );
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    // Don't set timer if not loading
+    if ( !isFetching ) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    // Set a timeout and cancel the query if we hit the limit
+    const timer = setTimeout( () => {
+      if ( data === undefined && isFetching ) {
+        queryClient.cancelQueries( { queryKey } );
+        setLoadingTimedOut( true );
+      }
+    }, LOADING_TIMEOUT );
+
+    // eslint-disable-next-line consistent-return
+    return () => clearTimeout( timer );
+  }, [data, isFetching, queryKey, queryClient] );
+
+  // Reset when user manually retries
+  useEffect( () => {
+    if ( isFetching ) {
+      setLoadingTimedOut( false );
+    }
+  }, [isFetching] );
+
   return {
-    refetch: infQueryResult.refetch,
-    isError: infQueryResult.isError,
-    isFetching: infQueryResult.isFetching,
-    isInitialLoading: infQueryResult.isInitialLoading,
+    refetch,
+    isError,
+    isFetching,
+    isInitialLoading,
+    loadingTimedOut,
     // Disable fetchNextPage if signed out
     fetchNextPage: currentUser
-      ? infQueryResult.fetchNextPage
+      ? fetchNextPage
       : ( ) => undefined,
-    notifications: flatten( infQueryResult?.data?.pages ),
+    notifications: flatten( data?.pages ),
   };
 };