diff --git a/src/components/mixins/UtilityMixin.vue b/src/components/mixins/UtilityMixin.vue
index 420b48944..f40317c14 100644
--- a/src/components/mixins/UtilityMixin.vue
+++ b/src/components/mixins/UtilityMixin.vue
@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@ export default class UtilityMixin extends Vue {
     }
 
     async refreshThunderstoreModList() {
+        // Don't do background update on index route since the game
+        // isn't really chosen yet, nor in the splash screen since it
+        // proactively updates the package list.
+        const exemptRoutes = ["index", "splash"];
+
+        if (this.$route.name && exemptRoutes.includes(this.$route.name)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         const response = await ThunderstorePackages.update(GameManager.activeGame);
         await ApiCacheUtils.storeLastRequest(response.data);
         await this.$store.dispatch("updateThunderstoreModList", ThunderstorePackages.PACKAGES);
diff --git a/src/r2mm/connection/ConnectionProviderImpl.ts b/src/r2mm/connection/ConnectionProviderImpl.ts
index ed4aac4b3..aa1fbc285 100644
--- a/src/r2mm/connection/ConnectionProviderImpl.ts
+++ b/src/r2mm/connection/ConnectionProviderImpl.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import GameManager from '../../model/game/GameManager';
 import ConnectionProvider, { DownloadProgressed } from '../../providers/generic/connection/ConnectionProvider';
 import LoggerProvider, { LogSeverity } from '../../providers/ror2/logging/LoggerProvider';
 import { sleep } from '../../utils/Common';
+import { makeLongRunningGetRequest } from '../../utils/HttpUtils';
 
 export default class ConnectionProviderImpl extends ConnectionProvider {
 
@@ -37,14 +38,10 @@ export default class ConnectionProviderImpl extends ConnectionProvider {
     }
 
     private async getPackagesFromRemote(game: Game, downloadProgressed?: DownloadProgressed) {
-        const response = await axios.get(game.thunderstoreUrl, {
-            onDownloadProgress: progress => {
-                if (downloadProgressed !== undefined) {
-                    downloadProgressed((progress.loaded / progress.total) * 100);
-                }
-            },
-            timeout: 30000
-        });
+        const response = await makeLongRunningGetRequest(
+            game.thunderstoreUrl,
+            {downloadProgressed}
+        )
 
         if (isApiResonse(response)) {
             return response as ApiResponse;
diff --git a/src/utils/HttpUtils.ts b/src/utils/HttpUtils.ts
index 73d177426..68c93da79 100644
--- a/src/utils/HttpUtils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/HttpUtils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import axios from "axios";
 
+import { DownloadProgressed } from "../providers/generic/connection/ConnectionProvider";
+
 const newAbortSignal = (timeoutMs: number) => {
     const abortController = new AbortController();
     setTimeout(() => abortController.abort(), timeoutMs);
@@ -10,24 +12,98 @@ const newAbortSignal = (timeoutMs: number) => {
  * Return Axios instance with timeouts enabled.
  * @param responseTimeout Time (in ms) the server has to generate a
  *     response once a connection is established. Defaults to 5 seconds.
- * @param connectionTimeout Time (in ms) the request has in total,
+ * @param totalTimeout Time (in ms) the request has in total,
  *     including opening the connection and receiving the response.
  *     Defaults to 10 seconds.
  * @returns AxiosInstance
  */
-export const getAxiosWithTimeouts = (responseTimeout = 5000, connectionTimeout = 10000) => {
+export const getAxiosWithTimeouts = (responseTimeout = 5000, totalTimeout = 10000) => {
     const instance = axios.create({timeout: responseTimeout});
 
     // Use interceptors to have a fresh abort signal for each request,
     // so the instance can be shared by multiple requests.
     instance.interceptors.request.use((config) => {
-        config.signal = newAbortSignal(connectionTimeout);
+        config.signal = newAbortSignal(totalTimeout);
         return config;
     });
 
     return instance;
 };
 
+interface LongRunningRequestOptions {
+    /**
+     * Custom function to be called when progress is made. Doesn't work
+     * properly currently, since the progress percentage can't be
+     * calculated because the total length of the content isn't known.
+     */
+    downloadProgressed?: DownloadProgressed;
+    /**
+     * Time (in ms) the request has to trigger the first download
+     * progress event. This can be used to timeout early if a connection
+     * can't be formed at all. Defaults to 30 seconds.
+     */
+    initialTimeout?: number;
+    /**
+     * Time (in ms) the request has in total to complete. This can be
+     * used as a sanity check to prevent infinite requests. Defaults to
+     * five minutes.
+     */
+    totalTimeout?: number;
+    /**
+     * Time (in ms) the request has to trigger subsequent download
+     * progress events. This can be used to timeout the request if data
+     * isn't transferred fast enough or at all. Defaults to one minute.
+     */
+    transmissionTimeout?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Make a GET request with extended timeouts.
+ *
+ * Since Axios's support lacks granularity, request timeouts are
+ * controlled with AbortController and JavaScript timeouts instead.
+ */
+export const makeLongRunningGetRequest = async (
+    url: string,
+    options: Partial<LongRunningRequestOptions> = {}
+) => {
+    const {
+        downloadProgressed = () => null,
+        initialTimeout = 30 * 1000,
+        totalTimeout = 5 * 60 * 1000,
+        transmissionTimeout = 60 * 1000
+    } = options;
+
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    const abort = () => abortController.abort();  // Set valid this.
+    const sanityTimeout = setTimeout(abort, totalTimeout);
+    let rollingTimeout = setTimeout(abort, initialTimeout);
+
+    const onDownloadProgress = (progress: ProgressEvent) => {
+        clearTimeout(rollingTimeout);
+        rollingTimeout = setTimeout(abort, transmissionTimeout);
+
+        if (typeof downloadProgressed === "function") {
+            // TODO: Progress percentage can't be calculated since the
+            // content length is unknown. Looks like this hasn't worked
+            // in a while.
+            downloadProgressed(0);
+        }
+    }
+
+    const instance = axios.create({
+        onDownloadProgress,
+        signal: abortController.signal,
+    });
+
+    try {
+        return await instance.get(url);
+    } finally {
+        clearTimeout(sanityTimeout);
+        clearTimeout(rollingTimeout);
+    }
+}
+
 export const isNetworkError = (responseOrError: unknown) =>
     responseOrError instanceof Error && responseOrError.message === "Network Error";