diff --git a/vision/objectdetection/detection_source.go b/vision/objectdetection/detection_source.go
index 35b67534574..8d4f0b8e733 100644
--- a/vision/objectdetection/detection_source.go
+++ b/vision/objectdetection/detection_source.go
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ type Source struct {
 	cancelFunc              func()
 }
 
+// WaitForMs tells us the number of milliseconds to wait on the channel for.
+const WaitForMs = 2000
+
 // NewSource builds the pipeline from an input VideoSource and Detector.
 func NewSource(src gostream.VideoSource, det Detector) (*Source, error) {
 	// fill optional functions with identity operators
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@ func (s *Source) backgroundWorker(stream gostream.VideoStream, det Detector) {
 				Release:       release,
 				Err:           err,
 			}
+
 			select {
 			case <-s.cancelCtx.Done():
 				return
@@ -96,10 +100,12 @@ func (s *Source) Read(ctx context.Context) (image.Image, func(), error) {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "vision::objectdetection::Source::Read")
 	defer span.End()
 	start := time.Now()
+
 	res, err := s.NextResult(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
+
 	duration := time.Since(start)
 	fps := 1. / duration.Seconds()
 	ovImg, err := Overlay(res.OriginalImage, res.Detections)
@@ -114,6 +120,7 @@ func (s *Source) Read(ctx context.Context) (image.Image, func(), error) {
 func (s *Source) NextResult(ctx context.Context) (*Result, error) {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "vision::objectdetection::Source::NextResult")
 	defer span.End()
+
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		return nil, ctx.Err()
@@ -121,5 +128,7 @@ func (s *Source) NextResult(ctx context.Context) (*Result, error) {
 		return nil, s.cancelCtx.Err()
 	case result := <-s.pipelineOutput:
 		return result, result.Err
+	case <-time.After(WaitForMs * time.Millisecond):
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("nothing on channel after %v ms", WaitForMs)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/vision/objectdetection/detection_source_test.go b/vision/objectdetection/detection_source_test.go
index d8972c11b5d..7a8d18ec013 100644
--- a/vision/objectdetection/detection_source_test.go
+++ b/vision/objectdetection/detection_source_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"image"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"go.viam.com/test"
 	"go.viam.com/utils/artifact"
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ func TestDetectionSource(t *testing.T) {
 	test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
 	src, err := camera.NewFromReader(context.Background(), &videosource.StaticSource{ColorImg: sourceImg}, nil, camera.ColorStream)
 	test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
+
 	// make the preprocessing function
 	p, err := objectdetection.RemoveColorChannel("b")
 	test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
@@ -39,21 +41,37 @@ func TestDetectionSource(t *testing.T) {
 	defer pipeline.Close()
 
 	// compare with expected bounding boxes
+	start := time.Now()
 	res, err := pipeline.NextResult(context.Background())
-	test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
-	bbs := res.Detections
-	test.That(t, bbs, test.ShouldHaveLength, 1)
-	test.That(t, bbs[0].Score(), test.ShouldEqual, 1.0)
-	test.That(t, bbs[0].Label(), test.ShouldEqual, "orange")
-	test.That(t, bbs[0].BoundingBox(), test.ShouldResemble, &image.Rectangle{image.Point{848, 424}, image.Point{999, 565}})
+	tt := time.Now()
+	elapsed := tt.Sub(start)
+	if elapsed > objectdetection.WaitForMs*time.Millisecond {
+		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldNotBeNil)
+		test.That(t, res, test.ShouldBeNil)
+	} else {
+		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
+		bbs := res.Detections
+		test.That(t, bbs, test.ShouldHaveLength, 1)
+		test.That(t, bbs[0].Score(), test.ShouldEqual, 1.0)
+		test.That(t, bbs[0].Label(), test.ShouldEqual, "orange")
+		test.That(t, bbs[0].BoundingBox(), test.ShouldResemble, &image.Rectangle{image.Point{848, 424}, image.Point{999, 565}})
+	}
 
 	// overlay the image and see if it is red where you expect
+	start = time.Now()
 	img, _, err := pipeline.Read(context.Background())
-	test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
-	ovImg := rimage.ConvertImage(img)
-	test.That(t, ovImg.GetXY(848, 424), test.ShouldResemble, rimage.Red)
-	test.That(t, ovImg.GetXY(998, 564), test.ShouldResemble, rimage.Red)
-	test.That(t, src.Close(context.Background()), test.ShouldBeNil)
+	tt = time.Now()
+	elapsed = tt.Sub(start)
+	if elapsed > objectdetection.WaitForMs*time.Millisecond {
+		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldNotBeNil)
+		test.That(t, img, test.ShouldBeNil)
+	} else {
+		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
+		ovImg := rimage.ConvertImage(img)
+		test.That(t, ovImg.GetXY(848, 424), test.ShouldResemble, rimage.Red)
+		test.That(t, ovImg.GetXY(998, 564), test.ShouldResemble, rimage.Red)
+		test.That(t, src.Close(context.Background()), test.ShouldBeNil)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestEmptyDetection(t *testing.T) {