diff --git a/cmd/uplink/cmd/access.go b/cmd/uplink/cmd/access.go
index 484f0d6e5..22d346804 100644
--- a/cmd/uplink/cmd/access.go
+++ b/cmd/uplink/cmd/access.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcutil/base58"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/uplink"
 )
 
+const defaultAccessRegisterTimeout = 15 * time.Second
+
 type registerConfig struct {
 	AuthService string `help:"the address to the service you wish to register your access with" default:"" basic-help:"true"`
 	Public      bool   `help:"if the access should be public" default:"false" basic-help:"true"`
@@ -137,7 +140,7 @@ func accessRegister(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 		return errs.New("no access specified: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	accessKey, secretKey, endpoint, err := RegisterAccess(access, registerCfg.AuthService, registerCfg.Public)
+	accessKey, secretKey, endpoint, err := RegisterAccess(access, registerCfg.AuthService, registerCfg.Public, defaultAccessRegisterTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -181,7 +184,7 @@ func getAccessFromArgZeroOrConfig(config AccessConfig, args []string) (access *u
 }
 
 // RegisterAccess registers an access grant with a Gateway Authorization Service.
-func RegisterAccess(access *uplink.Access, authService string, public bool) (accessKey, secretKey, endpoint string, err error) {
+func RegisterAccess(access *uplink.Access, authService string, public bool, timeout time.Duration) (accessKey, secretKey, endpoint string, err error) {
 	if authService == "" {
 		return "", "", "", errs.New("no auth service address provided")
 	}
@@ -197,7 +200,11 @@ func RegisterAccess(access *uplink.Access, authService string, public bool) (acc
 		return accessKey, "", "", errs.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
-	resp, err := http.Post(fmt.Sprintf("%s/v1/access", authService), "application/json", bytes.NewReader(postData))
+	client := &http.Client{
+		Timeout: timeout,
+	}
+
+	resp, err := client.Post(fmt.Sprintf("%s/v1/access", authService), "application/json", bytes.NewReader(postData))
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", "", err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/uplink/cmd/access_test.go b/cmd/uplink/cmd/access_test.go
index f553cdad7..2c3d96f1c 100644
--- a/cmd/uplink/cmd/access_test.go
+++ b/cmd/uplink/cmd/access_test.go
@@ -8,31 +8,49 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
-	"storj.io/common/testcontext"
 	"storj.io/storj/cmd/uplink/cmd"
-	"storj.io/storj/private/testplanet"
+	"storj.io/uplink"
 )
 
+const testAccess = "12edqrJX1V243n5fWtUrwpMQXL8gKdY2wbyqRPSG3rsA1tzmZiQjtCyF896egifN2C2qdY6g5S1t6e8iDhMUon9Pb7HdecBFheAcvmN8652mqu8hRx5zcTUaRTWfFCKS2S6DHmTeqPUHJLEp6cJGXNHcdqegcKfeahVZGP4rTagHvFGEraXjYRJ3knAcWDGW6BxACqogEWez6r274JiUBfs4yRSbRNRqUEURd28CwDXMSHLRKKA7TEDKEdQ"
+
 func TestRegisterAccess(t *testing.T) {
-	testplanet.Run(t, testplanet.Config{
-		SatelliteCount: 1, StorageNodeCount: 0, UplinkCount: 1,
-	}, func(t *testing.T, ctx *testcontext.Context, planet *testplanet.Planet) {
-		// mock the auth service
-		ts := httptest.NewServer(
-			http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, `{"access_key_id":"1", "secret_key":"2", "endpoint":"3"}`)
-			}))
-		defer ts.Close()
-		// make sure we get back things
-		access := planet.Uplinks[0].Access[planet.Satellites[0].ID()]
-		accessKey, secretKey, endpoint, err := cmd.RegisterAccess(access, ts.URL, true)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.Equal(t, "1", accessKey)
-		assert.Equal(t, "2", secretKey)
-		assert.Equal(t, "3", endpoint)
-	})
+	// mock the auth service
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(
+		http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, `{"access_key_id":"1", "secret_key":"2", "endpoint":"3"}`)
+		}))
+	defer ts.Close()
+	// make sure we get back things
+	access, err := uplink.ParseAccess(testAccess)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	accessKey, secretKey, endpoint, err := cmd.RegisterAccess(access, ts.URL, true, 15*time.Second)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "1", accessKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, "2", secretKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, "3", endpoint)
+}
+
+func TestRegisterAccessTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	// mock the auth service
+	ch := make(chan struct{})
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(
+		http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			<-ch
+		}))
+	defer ts.Close()
+	// make sure we get back things
+	access, err := uplink.ParseAccess(testAccess)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	accessKey, secretKey, endpoint, err := cmd.RegisterAccess(access, ts.URL, true, 10*time.Millisecond)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", accessKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", secretKey)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", endpoint)
+	close(ch)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/uplink/cmd/share.go b/cmd/uplink/cmd/share.go
index 97cd2f2b8..a99ae6d31 100644
--- a/cmd/uplink/cmd/share.go
+++ b/cmd/uplink/cmd/share.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func shareMain(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 
 	if shareCfg.Register || shareCfg.URL || shareCfg.DNS != "" {
 		isPublic := (shareCfg.Public || shareCfg.URL || shareCfg.DNS != "")
-		accessKey, _, _, err = RegisterAccess(newAccess, shareCfg.AuthService, isPublic)
+		accessKey, _, _, err = RegisterAccess(newAccess, shareCfg.AuthService, isPublic, defaultAccessRegisterTimeout)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}