diff --git a/components/driver/sdmmc_host.c b/components/driver/sdmmc_host.c
index 706a1e3fe..2ef7b2e0c 100644
--- a/components/driver/sdmmc_host.c
+++ b/components/driver/sdmmc_host.c
@@ -202,6 +202,17 @@ esp_err_t sdmmc_host_set_card_clk(int slot, uint32_t freq_khz)
     SDMMC.clkena.cclk_enable |= BIT(slot);
     SDMMC.clkena.cclk_low_power |= BIT(slot);
     sdmmc_host_clock_update_command(slot);
+
+    // set data timeout
+    const uint32_t data_timeout_ms = 100;
+    uint32_t data_timeout_cycles = data_timeout_ms * freq_khz;
+    const uint32_t data_timeout_cycles_max = 0xffffff;
+    if (data_timeout_cycles > data_timeout_cycles_max) {
+        data_timeout_cycles = data_timeout_cycles_max;
+    }
+    SDMMC.tmout.data = data_timeout_cycles;
+    // always set response timeout to highest value, it's small enough anyway
+    SDMMC.tmout.response = 255;
     return ESP_OK;
 }
 
@@ -419,9 +430,6 @@ void sdmmc_host_dma_stop()
 
 void sdmmc_host_dma_prepare(sdmmc_desc_t* desc, size_t block_size, size_t data_size)
 {
-    // TODO: set timeout depending on data size
-    SDMMC.tmout.val = 0xffffffff;
-
     // Set size of data and DMA descriptor pointer
     SDMMC.bytcnt = data_size;
     SDMMC.blksiz = block_size;
diff --git a/components/driver/sdmmc_transaction.c b/components/driver/sdmmc_transaction.c
index 59b439eec..92876f75a 100644
--- a/components/driver/sdmmc_transaction.c
+++ b/components/driver/sdmmc_transaction.c
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@
  */
 #define SDMMC_DMA_DESC_CNT  4
 
+/* Max delay value is mostly useful for cases when CD pin is not used, and
+ * the card is removed. In this case, SDMMC peripheral may not always return
+ * CMD_DONE / DATA_DONE interrupts after signaling the error. This delay works
+ * as a safety net in such cases.
+ */
+#define SDMMC_MAX_EVT_WAIT_DELAY_MS 1000
+
 static const char* TAG = "sdmmc_req";
 
 typedef enum {
@@ -188,9 +195,12 @@ static esp_err_t handle_idle_state_events()
 static esp_err_t handle_event(sdmmc_command_t* cmd, sdmmc_req_state_t* state)
 {
     sdmmc_event_t evt;
-    esp_err_t err = sdmmc_host_wait_for_event(portMAX_DELAY, &evt);
+    esp_err_t err = sdmmc_host_wait_for_event(SDMMC_MAX_EVT_WAIT_DELAY_MS / portTICK_PERIOD_MS, &evt);
     if (err != ESP_OK) {
-        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "sdmmc_host_wait_for_event returned %d", err);
+        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "sdmmc_host_wait_for_event returned 0x%x", err);
+        if (err == ESP_ERR_TIMEOUT) {
+            sdmmc_host_dma_stop();
+        }
         return err;
     }
     ESP_LOGV(TAG, "sdmmc_handle_event: evt %08x %08x", evt.sdmmc_status, evt.dma_status);
@@ -268,7 +278,7 @@ static void process_command_response(uint32_t status, sdmmc_command_t* cmd)
         if (cmd->data) {
             sdmmc_host_dma_stop();
         }
-        ESP_LOGD(TAG, "%s: error %d", __func__, cmd->error);
+        ESP_LOGD(TAG, "%s: error 0x%x  (status=%08x)", __func__, cmd->error, status);
     }
 }
 
@@ -291,7 +301,7 @@ static void process_data_status(uint32_t status, sdmmc_command_t* cmd)
         if (cmd->data) {
             sdmmc_host_dma_stop();
         }
-        ESP_LOGD(TAG, "%s: error %d", __func__, cmd->error);
+        ESP_LOGD(TAG, "%s: error 0x%x (status=%08x)", __func__, cmd->error, status);
     }
 
 }
@@ -323,9 +333,14 @@ static esp_err_t process_events(sdmmc_event_t evt, sdmmc_command_t* cmd, sdmmc_r
             case SDMMC_SENDING_CMD:
                 if (mask_check_and_clear(&evt.sdmmc_status, SDMMC_CMD_ERR_MASK)) {
                     process_command_response(orig_evt.sdmmc_status, cmd);
-                    break;
+                    if (cmd->error != ESP_ERR_TIMEOUT) {
+                        // Unless this is a timeout error, we need to wait for the
+                        // CMD_DONE interrupt
+                        break;
+                    }
                 }
-                if (!mask_check_and_clear(&evt.sdmmc_status, SDMMC_INTMASK_CMD_DONE)) {
+                if (!mask_check_and_clear(&evt.sdmmc_status, SDMMC_INTMASK_CMD_DONE) &&
+                        cmd->error != ESP_ERR_TIMEOUT) {
                     break;
                 }
                 process_command_response(orig_evt.sdmmc_status, cmd);
@@ -352,6 +367,11 @@ static esp_err_t process_events(sdmmc_event_t evt, sdmmc_command_t* cmd, sdmmc_r
                         next_state = SDMMC_BUSY;
                     }
                 }
+                if (orig_evt.sdmmc_status & (SDMMC_INTMASK_SBE | SDMMC_INTMASK_DATA_OVER)) {
+                    // On start bit error, DATA_DONE interrupt will not be generated
+                    next_state = SDMMC_IDLE;
+                    break;
+                }
                 break;
 
             case SDMMC_BUSY: