diff --git a/UPGRADE.rst b/UPGRADE.rst
index 9f044719a..6164df883 100644
--- a/UPGRADE.rst
+++ b/UPGRADE.rst
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ running:
     git pull
     # Update the versions of synapse's python dependencies.
     python synapse/python_dependencies.py | xargs -n1 pip install --upgrade
+	
+To check whether your update was sucessfull, run:
+
+.. code:: bash
+
+	 # replace your.server.domain with ther domain of your synaspe homeserver
+	 curl https://<your.server.domain>/_matrix/federation/v1/version 
+
+So for the Matrix.org HS server the URL would be: https://matrix.org/_matrix/federation/v1/version.
 
 
 Upgrading to v0.15.0
diff --git a/synapse/config/server.py b/synapse/config/server.py
index 25e666623..3910b9dc3 100644
--- a/synapse/config/server.py
+++ b/synapse/config/server.py
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ class ServerConfig(Config):
         # "disable" federation
         self.send_federation = config.get("send_federation", True)
 
+        self.filter_timeline_limit = config.get("filter_timeline_limit", -1)
+
         if self.public_baseurl is not None:
             if self.public_baseurl[-1] != '/':
                 self.public_baseurl += '/'
@@ -161,6 +163,10 @@ class ServerConfig(Config):
         # The GC threshold parameters to pass to `gc.set_threshold`, if defined
         # gc_thresholds: [700, 10, 10]
 
+        # Set the limit on the returned events in the timeline in the get
+        # and sync operations. The default value is -1, means no upper limit.
+        # filter_timeline_limit: 5000
+
         # List of ports that Synapse should listen on, their purpose and their
         # configuration.
         listeners:
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/_base.py b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/_base.py
index 20e765f48..1f5bc24cc 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/_base.py
@@ -47,3 +47,13 @@ def client_v2_patterns(path_regex, releases=(0,),
         new_prefix = CLIENT_V2_ALPHA_PREFIX.replace("/v2_alpha", "/r%d" % release)
         patterns.append(re.compile("^" + new_prefix + path_regex))
     return patterns
+
+
+def set_timeline_upper_limit(filter_json, filter_timeline_limit):
+    if filter_timeline_limit < 0:
+        return  # no upper limits
+    timeline = filter_json.get('room', {}).get('timeline', {})
+    if 'limit' in timeline:
+        filter_json['room']['timeline']["limit"] = min(
+            filter_json['room']['timeline']['limit'],
+            filter_timeline_limit)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/filter.py b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/filter.py
index b4084fec6..d2b2fd66e 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/filter.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/filter.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from synapse.http.servlet import RestServlet, parse_json_object_from_request
 from synapse.types import UserID
 
 from ._base import client_v2_patterns
+from ._base import set_timeline_upper_limit
 
 import logging
 
@@ -85,6 +86,11 @@ class CreateFilterRestServlet(RestServlet):
             raise AuthError(403, "Can only create filters for local users")
 
         content = parse_json_object_from_request(request)
+        set_timeline_upper_limit(
+            content,
+            self.hs.config.filter_timeline_limit
+        )
+
         filter_id = yield self.filtering.add_user_filter(
             user_localpart=target_user.localpart,
             user_filter=content,
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py
index f30eab76f..771e127ab 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from synapse.api.filtering import FilterCollection, DEFAULT_FILTER_COLLECTION
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
 from synapse.api.constants import PresenceState
 from ._base import client_v2_patterns
+from ._base import set_timeline_upper_limit
 
 import itertools
 import logging
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ class SyncRestServlet(RestServlet):
 
     def __init__(self, hs):
         super(SyncRestServlet, self).__init__()
+        self.hs = hs
         self.auth = hs.get_auth()
         self.sync_handler = hs.get_sync_handler()
         self.clock = hs.get_clock()
@@ -121,6 +123,8 @@ class SyncRestServlet(RestServlet):
             if filter_id.startswith('{'):
                 try:
                     filter_object = json.loads(filter_id)
+                    set_timeline_upper_limit(filter_object,
+                                             self.hs.config.filter_timeline_limit)
                 except:
                     raise SynapseError(400, "Invalid filter JSON")
                 self.filtering.check_valid_filter(filter_object)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/media/v1/media_repository.py b/synapse/rest/media/v1/media_repository.py
index c43b185e0..caca96c22 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/media/v1/media_repository.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/media/v1/media_repository.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError, HttpResponseException, \
 from synapse.util.async import Linearizer
 from synapse.util.stringutils import is_ascii
 from synapse.util.logcontext import preserve_context_over_fn
+from synapse.util.retryutils import NotRetryingDestination
 
 import os
 import errno
@@ -181,7 +182,8 @@ class MediaRepository(object):
                     logger.exception("Failed to fetch remote media %s/%s",
                                      server_name, media_id)
                     raise
-
+                except NotRetryingDestination:
+                    logger.warn("Not retrying destination %r", server_name)
                 except Exception:
                     logger.exception("Failed to fetch remote media %s/%s",
                                      server_name, media_id)