diff --git a/ipfs/bitswap.nim b/ipfs/bitswap.nim
index ca8914af..689c6e51 100644
--- a/ipfs/bitswap.nim
+++ b/ipfs/bitswap.nim
@@ -39,10 +39,12 @@ proc connect*(bitswap: Bitswap, peer: PeerInfo) {.async.} =
 proc store*(bitswap: Bitswap, obj: IpfsObject) =
   bitswap.repo.store(obj)
 
-proc retrieve*(bitswap: Bitswap, cid: Cid): Future[Option[IpfsObject]] {.async.} =
+proc retrieve*(bitswap: Bitswap,
+               cid: Cid,
+               timeout = 30.seconds): Future[Option[IpfsObject]] {.async.} =
   result = bitswap.repo.retrieve(cid)
   if result.isNone:
     for exchange in bitswap.exchanges:
       await exchange.want(cid)
-    await sleepAsync(1.seconds) # TODO
+    await bitswap.repo.wait(cid, timeout)
     result = bitswap.repo.retrieve(cid)
diff --git a/ipfs/repo.nim b/ipfs/repo.nim
index eaefaeb2..dc4412ea 100644
--- a/ipfs/repo.nim
+++ b/ipfs/repo.nim
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import std/options
 import std/tables
 import std/hashes
+import pkg/chronos
 import pkg/libp2p
 import ./ipfsobject
+import ./repo/waitinglist
 
 export options
 export ipfsobject
@@ -10,12 +12,15 @@ export ipfsobject
 type
   Repo* = ref object
     storage: Table[Cid, IpfsObject]
+    waiting: WaitingList[Cid]
 
 proc hash(id: Cid): Hash =
   hash($id)
 
 proc store*(repo: Repo, obj: IpfsObject) =
-  repo.storage[obj.cid] = obj
+  let id = obj.cid
+  repo.storage[id] = obj
+  repo.waiting.deliver(id)
 
 proc contains*(repo: Repo, id: Cid): bool =
   repo.storage.hasKey(id)
@@ -25,3 +30,12 @@ proc retrieve*(repo: Repo, id: Cid): Option[IpfsObject] =
     repo.storage[id].some
   else:
     IpfsObject.none
+
+proc wait*(repo: Repo, id: Cid, timeout: Duration): Future[void] =
+  var future: Future[void]
+  if repo.contains(id):
+    future = newFuture[void]()
+    future.complete()
+  else:
+    future = repo.waiting.wait(id, timeout)
+  future
diff --git a/ipfs/repo/waitinglist.nim b/ipfs/repo/waitinglist.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab7a6786
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipfs/repo/waitinglist.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import std/tables
+import pkg/chronos
+
+type WaitingList*[T] = object
+  futures: Table[T, seq[Future[void]]]
+
+proc wait*[T](list: var WaitingList, item: T, timeout: Duration): Future[void] =
+  let future = newFuture[void]("waitinglist.wait")
+  proc onTimeout(_: pointer) =
+    if not future.finished:
+      future.complete()
+  discard setTimer(Moment.fromNow(timeout), onTimeout, nil)
+  list.futures.mgetOrPut(item, @[]).add(future)
+  future
+
+proc deliver*[T](list: var WaitingList, item: T) =
+  if list.futures.hasKey(item):
+    for future in list.futures[item]:
+      future.complete()
+    list.futures.del(item)
diff --git a/tests/ipfs/testBitswap.nim b/tests/ipfs/testBitswap.nim
index d93fc5ba..1d5466c3 100644
--- a/tests/ipfs/testBitswap.nim
+++ b/tests/ipfs/testBitswap.nim
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ suite "bitswap":
     check (await bitswap1.retrieve(obj.cid)).get() == obj
 
   test "signals retrieval failure":
-    check (await bitswap1.retrieve(obj.cid)).isNone
+    check (await bitswap1.retrieve(obj.cid, 100.milliseconds)).isNone
 
   test "retrieves objects from network":
     bitswap1.store(obj)
diff --git a/tests/ipfs/testRepo.nim b/tests/ipfs/testRepo.nim
index a70f2962..8af5370b 100644
--- a/tests/ipfs/testRepo.nim
+++ b/tests/ipfs/testRepo.nim
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import std/unittest
+import pkg/asynctest
+import pkg/chronos
 import pkg/ipfs/repo
 
 suite "repo":
@@ -23,3 +24,13 @@ suite "repo":
     check repo.contains(obj.cid) == false
     repo.store(obj)
     check repo.contains(obj.cid) == true
+
+  test "waits for IPFS object to arrive":
+    let waiting = repo.wait(obj.cid, 1.minutes)
+    check not waiting.finished
+    repo.store(obj)
+    check waiting.finished
+
+  test "does not wait when IPFS object is already stored":
+    repo.store(obj)
+    check repo.wait(obj.cid, 1.minutes).finished
diff --git a/tests/ipfs/testWaitingList.nim b/tests/ipfs/testWaitingList.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..986742c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ipfs/testWaitingList.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import pkg/asynctest
+import pkg/chronos
+import ipfs/repo/waitinglist
+
+suite "waiting list":
+
+  var list: WaitingList[string]
+
+  setup:
+    list = WaitingList[string]()
+
+  test "waits for item to be delivered":
+    let waiting = list.wait("apple", 1.minutes)
+    check not waiting.finished
+    list.deliver("orange")
+    check not waiting.finished
+    list.deliver("apple")
+    check waiting.finished
+
+  test "notifies everyone who is waiting":
+    let wait1 = list.wait("apple", 1.minutes)
+    let wait2 = list.wait("apple", 1.minutes)
+    list.deliver("apple")
+    check wait1.finished
+    check wait2.finished
+
+  test "stops waiting after timeout":
+    let wait = list.wait("apple", 100.milliseconds)
+    check not wait.finished
+    await sleepAsync(100.milliseconds)
+    check wait.finished
diff --git a/tests/testAll.nim b/tests/testAll.nim
index 5b356fcd..0d573335 100644
--- a/tests/testAll.nim
+++ b/tests/testAll.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import ./ipfs/testObject
 import ./ipfs/testChunking
+import ./ipfs/testWaitingList
 import ./ipfs/testRepo
 import ./ipfs/testDhtRouting
 import ./ipfs/testProtobuf