diff --git a/instances/jobs.py b/instances/jobs.py
index 76c5b320..8737d7d9 100644
--- a/instances/jobs.py
+++ b/instances/jobs.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import math
 import os
 import re
+import threading
 import time
 
 from django.db import transaction
@@ -1047,17 +1048,33 @@ def _movable(user, params):
     return instance, _proxy(instance).disk_move_plan(params["dev"], params["pool"])
 
 
+USED_CHECK_WAIT = 60  # seconds a disk move waits for the computes to tell whether its old file is used
+
+
 def _used_anywhere(path):
     """Whether a VM or volume of any compute uses path (paths_in_use), as
     shared storage holds it for every host that mounts it; a compute that
-    cannot be read might."""
-    for c in Compute.objects.all():
-        try:
-            if path in wvmConnect(c.hostname, c.login, c.password, c.type).paths_in_use():
-                return True
-        except libvirtError:
-            return True
-    return False
+    cannot be read might, and so might one that does not answer within
+    USED_CHECK_WAIT: libvirt has no call timeout, and a stuck host would
+    hold the job for as long as it is stuck."""
+    computes = list(Compute.objects.all())
+    answer = []
+
+    def check():
+        for c in computes:
+            try:
+                if path in wvmConnect(c.hostname, c.login, c.password, c.type).paths_in_use():
+                    answer.append(True)
+                    return
+            except libvirtError:
+                answer.append(True)
+                return
+        answer.append(False)
+
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=check, daemon=True)
+    thread.start()
+    thread.join(USED_CHECK_WAIT)
+    return answer[0] if answer else True
 
 
 @register
diff --git a/instances/tests/test_disk_move_job.py b/instances/tests/test_disk_move_job.py
index 6841d6f6..7a421049 100644
--- a/instances/tests/test_disk_move_job.py
+++ b/instances/tests/test_disk_move_job.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 it, the worker moves it, recovery ends a copy no worker waits for and reads
 the outcome from the VM's definitions."""
 
+import threading
+import time
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
@@ -129,3 +131,17 @@ class MoveDiskJobTestCase(TransactionTestCase):
         self.proxy.instance.blockJobAbort.reset_mock()
         self.assertEqual(self.reconcile({OLD}, job={"cur": 1, "end": 2}, mirror="/other").state, Operation.UNCERTAIN)
         self.proxy.instance.blockJobAbort.assert_not_called()
+
+
+class UsedAnywhereTestCase(TransactionTestCase):
+    def test_a_host_that_does_not_answer_counts_as_using_the_file(self):
+        from instances import jobs
+
+        Compute.objects.create(name="stuck", hostname="192.0.2.62", login="root", password="", type=1)
+        stuck = threading.Event()
+        self.addCleanup(stuck.set)
+        with patch("instances.jobs.wvmConnect") as hosts, patch.object(jobs, "USED_CHECK_WAIT", 0.2):
+            hosts.return_value.paths_in_use.side_effect = lambda: stuck.wait(10) and set()
+            started = time.monotonic()
+            self.assertTrue(jobs._used_anywhere(OLD))
+        self.assertLess(time.monotonic() - started, 2)