diff --git a/platformio/app.py b/platformio/app.py
index cda86dc4..f7fcce2a 100644
--- a/platformio/app.py
+++ b/platformio/app.py
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@ from time import time
 
 from lockfile import LockFile
 
-from platformio import __version__
+from platformio import __version__, util
 from platformio.exception import InvalidSettingName, InvalidSettingValue
-from platformio.util import get_home_dir, is_ci
 
 DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
     "check_platformio_interval": {
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ class State(object):
         self.path = path
         self.lock = lock
         if not self.path:
-            self.path = join(get_home_dir(), "appstate.json")
+            self.path = join(util.get_home_dir(), "appstate.json")
         self._state = {}
         self._prev_state = {}
         self._lockfile = None
@@ -85,8 +84,7 @@ class State(object):
         try:
             self._lock_state_file()
             if isfile(self.path):
-                with open(self.path, "r") as fp:
-                    self._state = json.load(fp)
+                self._state = util.load_json(self.path)
         except ValueError:
             self._state = {}
         self._prev_state = deepcopy(self._state)
@@ -149,7 +147,7 @@ def get_setting(name):
     if name == "enable_prompts":
         # disable prompts for Continuous Integration systems
         # and when global "--force" option is set
-        if any([is_ci(), get_session_var("force_option")]):
+        if any([util.is_ci(), get_session_var("force_option")]):
             return False
 
     _env_name = "PLATFORMIO_SETTING_%s" % name.upper()
diff --git a/platformio/commands/upgrade.py b/platformio/commands/upgrade.py
index 894e8182..f8b48950 100644
--- a/platformio/commands/upgrade.py
+++ b/platformio/commands/upgrade.py
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ WARNING! Don't use `sudo` for the rest PlatformIO commands.
             else:
                 raise exception.UpgradeError(
                     "\n".join([str(cmd), r['out'], r['err']]))
+        finally:
+            if r:
+                r.close()
 
 
 def get_latest_version():
diff --git a/platformio/libmanager.py b/platformio/libmanager.py
index 74e68c8f..01631b86 100644
--- a/platformio/libmanager.py
+++ b/platformio/libmanager.py
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ class LibraryManager(object):
             conf_path = join(self.lib_dir, dirname, self.CONFIG_NAME)
             if not isfile(conf_path):
                 continue
-            with open(conf_path, "r") as f:
-                items[dirname] = json.load(f)
+            items[dirname] = util.load_json(conf_path)
         return items
 
     def get_latest_versions(self):
diff --git a/platformio/util.py b/platformio/util.py
index 8af2e859..579f44b8 100644
--- a/platformio/util.py
+++ b/platformio/util.py
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ def singleton(cls):
     return get_instance
 
 
+def load_json(file_path):
+        with open(file_path, "r") as f:
+            return json.load(f)
+
+
 def get_systype():
     data = uname()
     type_ = data[0].lower()
@@ -343,21 +348,19 @@ def get_api_result(path, params=None, data=None, skipdns=False):
     try:
         if data:
             r = requests.post(
-                url + path, params=params, data=data, headers=headers,
-                timeout=(5, 13)
-            )
+                url + path, params=params, data=data, headers=headers)
         else:
-            r = requests.get(
-                url + path, params=params, headers=headers, timeout=(5, 13))
-        result = r.json()
+            r = requests.get(url + path, params=params, headers=headers)
         r.raise_for_status()
+        result = r.json()
     except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
         if result and "errors" in result:
             raise exception.APIRequestError(result['errors'][0]['title'])
         else:
             raise exception.APIRequestError(e)
     except (requests.exceptions.ConnectionError,
-            requests.exceptions.ConnectTimeout):
+            requests.exceptions.ConnectTimeout,
+            requests.exceptions.ReadTimeout):
         if not skipdns:
             return get_api_result(path, params, data, skipdns=True)
         raise exception.APIRequestError(
@@ -383,8 +386,7 @@ def _lookup_boards():
         for json_file in sorted(os.listdir(bdir)):
             if not json_file.endswith(".json"):
                 continue
-            with open(join(bdir, json_file)) as f:
-                boards.update(json.load(f))
+            boards.update(load_json(join(bdir, json_file)))
     return boards