diff --git a/hbp_nrp_music_interface/hbp_nrp_music_interface/launch/MUSICLauncher.py b/hbp_nrp_music_interface/hbp_nrp_music_interface/launch/MUSICLauncher.py
index 3d040743395724f486abdb406cce3a6fa394b28c..be10adfea14d706bc45a8b8968684c0e1e0ce6e0 100644
--- a/hbp_nrp_music_interface/hbp_nrp_music_interface/launch/MUSICLauncher.py
+++ b/hbp_nrp_music_interface/hbp_nrp_music_interface/launch/MUSICLauncher.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class MUSICLauncher(object):
     requested brain processes.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, exd_file, bibi_file, env_file, exp_path, server_host, sim_id):
+    def __init__(self, exd_file, bibi_file, env_file, exp_path, server_host, sim_id, timeout):
         """
         Store all experiment configuration parameters so that they can be propagated
         to the remote hosts.
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class MUSICLauncher(object):
         :param exp_path Absolute path to the base dir of the experiment files.
         :param server_host Target Gazebo/brain process host (e.g. local or lugano)
         :param sim_id The id of the simulation/experiment to be launched.
+        :param timeout The default simulation timeout (time initially allocated).
         """
 
         self._exd_file = exd_file
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ class MUSICLauncher(object):
         self._exp_path = exp_path
         self._server_host = server_host
         self._sim_id = sim_id
+        self._timeout = timeout
 
         self.cle_server = None
         self._config = None
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ class MUSICLauncher(object):
                                       '--experiment-path={}'.format(self._exp_path),
                                       '--gzserver-host={}'.format(self._server_host),
                                       '--sim-id={}'.format(self._sim_id),
+                                      '--timeout={}'.format(str(self._timeout).replace(' ', '_')),
                                       '--music'],
                                      1)
         self._config.add_application('BRAIN', brain_launcher,
diff --git a/hbp_nrp_music_xml/hbp_nrp_music_xml/pynn/xml_factory.py b/hbp_nrp_music_xml/hbp_nrp_music_xml/pynn/xml_factory.py
index 9a60ebb31086409aaf62973128d9d55a3566d638..d22778ea5fc4571c2fbdc086472e354b11fa6411 100644
--- a/hbp_nrp_music_xml/hbp_nrp_music_xml/pynn/xml_factory.py
+++ b/hbp_nrp_music_xml/hbp_nrp_music_xml/pynn/xml_factory.py
@@ -173,6 +173,8 @@ class XmlFactory(object):
                 population_slice = create_selector(xml_synapse)
                 connection_rule = xml_synapse.type
                 synaptic_target = self._get_synaptic_target_population(xml_synapse)
+                if hasattr(synaptic_target, 'mask'): # prevent duplicate slicing
+                    population_slice = None
                 self.connector_factory.create_and_connect_synapse(proxy,
                                                                   port_name,
                                                                   connection_rule,