diff --git a/app/githop.go b/app/githop.go
index 14ed63c..dff1465 100644
--- a/app/githop.go
+++ b/app/githop.go
@@ -629,6 +629,7 @@ func digestAdminHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 func githubOAuthTransport(c appengine.Context) *oauth.Transport {
 	appengineTransport := &urlfetch.Transport{Context: c}
+	appengineTransport.Deadline = time.Second * 60
 	cachingTransport := &CachingTransport{
 		Transport: appengineTransport,
 		Context:   c,
diff --git a/app/repos.go b/app/repos.go
index 399a3ca..a43b438 100644
--- a/app/repos.go
+++ b/app/repos.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func computeVintage(c appengine.Context, userId int, userLogin string, repoId in
 			Author:      userLogin,
 			Until:       beforeCreationTime,
 		})
-	if response.StatusCode == 409 {
+	if response != nil && response.StatusCode == 409 {
 		// GitHub returns with a 409 when a repository is empty.
 		commits = make([]github.RepositoryCommit, 0)
 	} else if err != nil {