diff --git a/syncloop.sh b/syncloop.sh
index 6cef78a..b766d3e 100755
--- a/syncloop.sh
+++ b/syncloop.sh
@@ -37,10 +37,23 @@ exec {lock_deletes}>>${TMPQUEUEDELETES}
 #acquire lock queue file descriptor
 exec {lock_queue}>>${TMPQUEUEFILE}
 
+min() {
+  if [ $1 -gt $2 ]; then 
+    echo $2
+  else 
+    echo $1
+  fi
+}
+
 synccycle() {
   lastsynctime="$(date -u +%s.%N)"
-  ### max waiting time for pull (seconds) 
-  maxpulllimit=60
+  ### initial max waiting time for pull (seconds) used as unit
+  pulllimitunit=60
+  pulliteration=1
+  let "maxpulllimit = $pulllimitunit * $pulliteration"
+  echo "inital maxpulllimit: $maxpulllimit"
+  ### max waiting time for pull (seconds) 10 min
+  thresholdpulllimit=600
   while :
   do
     if [ -f "$TMPQUEUEFILE" ] || [ -f "$TMPQUEUEDELETES" ]; then 
@@ -76,19 +89,25 @@ synccycle() {
           cat ${tmpfile} > ${TMPQUEUEFILE}
           rm -f ${tmpfile}
           flock -u $lock_queue
-          lastsynctime="$(date -u +%s.%N)"
+          #lastsynctime="$(date -u +%s.%N)"
           nqueue=$(wc -l < ${TMPQUEUEFILE})
         done
       fi
     fi
     now="$(date -u +%s.%N)"
     elapsed="$(bc <<<"$now-$lastsynctime")"
+    echo "maxpulllimit: $maxpulllimit"
     ## if elapsed is greater than maxpulllimit sync from remote with delete option
     if [ 1 -eq $(echo "$elapsed>$maxpulllimit" | bc) ]; then
       echo 'maxpulllimit reached: sync from remote with --delete option'
       sync $LOCALPATH_HASH $REMOTEPATH $LOCALPATH '--delete' 
       lastsynctime="$(date -u +%s.%N)"
+      ## increment the pull iteration
+      let pulliteration++
+      let "limit = $pulliteration * $pulliteration * $pulllimitunit"
+      maxpulllimit=$(min $limit $thresholdpulllimit)
     fi
+    sleep 10
   done
 }