diff --git a/drivers/dose/Kconfig b/drivers/dose/Kconfig
index feb2a42f3b..5eb1c8cbdb 100644
--- a/drivers/dose/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/dose/Kconfig
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ menuconfig KCONFIG_USEMODULE_DOSE
 
 if KCONFIG_USEMODULE_DOSE
 
-config DOSE_TIMEOUT_USEC
-    int "Transaction timeout in microseconds [us]"
-    default 5000
+config DOSE_TIMEOUT_BYTES
+    int "Transaction timeout in bytes"
+    default 50
     help
-        Timeout, in microseconds, to bring the driver back into idle state if
+        Timeout, in bytes at the set baudrate, to bring the driver back into idle state if
         the remote side died within a transaction.
 
 endif # KCONFIG_USEMODULE_DOSE
diff --git a/drivers/dose/dose.c b/drivers/dose/dose.c
index dda81b31b6..470db77406 100644
--- a/drivers/dose/dose.c
+++ b/drivers/dose/dose.c
@@ -662,10 +662,11 @@ void dose_setup(dose_t *ctx, const dose_params_t *params, uint8_t index)
      * We have to ensure it is above the XTIMER_BACKOFF. Otherwise state
      * transitions are triggered from another state transition setting up the
      * timeout. */
-    ctx->timeout_base = CONFIG_DOSE_TIMEOUT_USEC;
+    ctx->timeout_base = CONFIG_DOSE_TIMEOUT_BYTES * 10UL * US_PER_SEC / params->baudrate;
     if (ctx->timeout_base < xtimer_usec_from_ticks(min_timeout)) {
         ctx->timeout_base = xtimer_usec_from_ticks(min_timeout);
     }
+    DEBUG("dose timeout set to %" PRIu32 " µs\n", ctx->timeout_base);
     ctx->timeout.callback = _isr_xtimer;
     ctx->timeout.arg = ctx;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/include/dose.h b/drivers/include/dose.h
index abaa27ad29..5013e0e77a 100644
--- a/drivers/include/dose.h
+++ b/drivers/include/dose.h
@@ -130,12 +130,12 @@ typedef enum {
  * @{
  */
 /**
- * @brief Timeout that brings the driver back into idle state.
+ * @brief Timeout that brings the driver back into idle state expressed as bytes.
  *
  *  Fallback to idle if the remote side died within a transaction.
  */
-#ifndef CONFIG_DOSE_TIMEOUT_USEC
-#define CONFIG_DOSE_TIMEOUT_USEC        (5000)
+#ifndef CONFIG_DOSE_TIMEOUT_BYTES
+#define CONFIG_DOSE_TIMEOUT_BYTES       (50)
 #endif
 /** @} */