diff --git a/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc b/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
index edc9d9f2a7..a6644b8a69 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
@@ -1807,17 +1807,14 @@ PluginManager::run_vst3_scanner_app (std::string bundle_path) const
 	int timeout = Config->get_vst_scan_timeout(); // deciseconds
 	bool notime = (timeout <= 0);
 
-	ARDOUR::PluginScanTimeout (timeout);
 	while (scanner.is_running () && (notime || timeout > 0)) {
-
-		if (!notime && !no_timeout ()) {
-			if (timeout % 5 == 0) {
-				ARDOUR::PluginScanTimeout (timeout);
-			}
-			--timeout;
+		if (!notime && no_timeout ()) {
+			notime = true;
+			timeout = -1;
 		}
 
-		ARDOUR::GUIIdle ();
+		ARDOUR::PluginScanTimeout (timeout);
+		--timeout;
 		Glib::usleep (100000);
 
 		if (cancelled () || (!notime && timeout == 0)) {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst_info_file.cc b/libs/ardour/vst_info_file.cc
index 7106608735..74e6cee4f7 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst_info_file.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst_info_file.cc
@@ -1006,18 +1006,17 @@ vstfx_get_info (const char* dllpath, enum ARDOUR::PluginType type, enum VSTScanM
 		} else {
 			int timeout = PLUGIN_SCAN_TIMEOUT;
 			bool no_timeout = (timeout <= 0);
-			ARDOUR::PluginScanTimeout (timeout);
 			while (scanner.is_running () && (no_timeout || timeout > 0)) {
-				if (!no_timeout && !ARDOUR::PluginManager::instance ().no_timeout ()) {
-					if (timeout%5 == 0) {
-						ARDOUR::PluginScanTimeout (timeout);
-					}
-					--timeout;
+				if (!no_timeout && ARDOUR::PluginManager::instance().no_timeout()) {
+					no_timeout = true;
+					timeout = -1;
 				}
-				ARDOUR::GUIIdle ();
+
+				ARDOUR::PluginScanTimeout (timeout);
+				--timeout;
 				Glib::usleep (100000);
 
-				if (ARDOUR::PluginManager::instance ().cancelled ()) {
+				if (ARDOUR::PluginManager::instance ().cancelled () /*|| (!no_timeout && timeout == 0*)*/) {
 					// remove info file (might be incomplete)
 					vstfx_remove_infofile (dllpath);
 					// remove temporary blacklist file (scan incomplete)