diff --git a/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.cpp b/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.cpp
index 22b4ce2950..d27beca79e 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.cpp
@@ -2446,16 +2446,22 @@ bool AP_Mission::jump_to_closest_mission_leg(const Location &current_loc)
     uint16_t landing_start_index = 0;
     float min_distance = -1;
 
+    // This defines the maximum number of waypoints that will be searched, this limits the worst case runtime
+    uint16_t search_remaining = 1000;
+
     // Go through mission and check each DO_RETURN_PATH_START
     for (uint16_t i = 1; i < num_commands(); i++) {
-        Mission_Command tmp;
-        if (read_cmd_from_storage(i, tmp) && (tmp.id == MAV_CMD_DO_RETURN_PATH_START)) {
+        if (get_command_id(i) == uint16_t(MAV_CMD_DO_RETURN_PATH_START)) {
             uint16_t tmp_index;
             float tmp_distance;
-            if (distance_to_mission_leg(i, tmp_distance, tmp_index, current_loc) && (min_distance < 0 || tmp_distance <= min_distance)){
+            if (distance_to_mission_leg(i, search_remaining, tmp_distance, tmp_index, current_loc) && (min_distance < 0 || tmp_distance <= min_distance)){
                 min_distance = tmp_distance;
                 landing_start_index = tmp_index;
             }
+            if (search_remaining == 0) {
+                // Run out of time to search, stop and return the best so far
+                break;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -2626,7 +2632,7 @@ reset_do_jump_tracking:
 
 // Approximate the distance travelled to return to the mission path. DO_JUMP commands are observed in look forward.
 // Stop searching once reaching a landing or do-land-start
-bool AP_Mission::distance_to_mission_leg(uint16_t start_index, float &rejoin_distance, uint16_t &rejoin_index, const Location& current_loc)
+bool AP_Mission::distance_to_mission_leg(uint16_t start_index, uint16_t &search_remaining, float &rejoin_distance, uint16_t &rejoin_index, const Location& current_loc)
 {
     Location prev_loc;
     Mission_Command temp_cmd;
@@ -2642,7 +2648,7 @@ bool AP_Mission::distance_to_mission_leg(uint16_t start_index, float &rejoin_dis
 
     // run through remainder of mission to approximate a distance to landing
     uint16_t index = start_index;
-    for (uint8_t i=0; i<UINT8_MAX; i++) {
+    for (; search_remaining > 0; search_remaining--) {
         // search until the end of the mission command list
         for (uint16_t cmd_index = index; cmd_index <= (unsigned)_cmd_total; cmd_index++) {
             if (get_next_cmd(cmd_index, temp_cmd, true, false)) {
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.h b/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.h
index 8926749d43..f3a1c8a043 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_Mission/AP_Mission.h
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ private:
 
     // Approximate the distance traveled to return to the mission path. DO_JUMP commands are observed in look forward.
     // Stop searching once reaching a landing or do-land-start
-    bool distance_to_mission_leg(uint16_t index, float &rejoin_distance, uint16_t &rejoin_index, const Location& current_loc);
+    bool distance_to_mission_leg(uint16_t index, uint16_t &search_remaining, float &rejoin_distance, uint16_t &rejoin_index, const Location& current_loc);
 
     // calculate the location of a resume cmd wp
     bool calc_rewind_pos(Mission_Command& rewind_cmd);