diff --git a/activeresource/lib/active_resource/connection.rb b/activeresource/lib/active_resource/connection.rb
index 3b61009f430f1..98b3f87167e60 100644
--- a/activeresource/lib/active_resource/connection.rb
+++ b/activeresource/lib/active_resource/connection.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ def to_s
     end
   end
 
+  # Raised when a Timeout::Error occurs.
+  class TimeoutError < ConnectionError
+    def initialize(message)
+      @message = message
+    end
+    def to_s; @message ;end
+  end
+
   # 3xx Redirection
   class Redirection < ConnectionError # :nodoc:
     def to_s; response['Location'] ? "#{super} => #{response['Location']}" : super; end    
@@ -134,6 +142,8 @@ def request(method, path, *arguments)
         time = Benchmark.realtime { result = http.send(method, path, *arguments) }
         logger.info "--> #{result.code} #{result.message} (#{result.body ? result.body : 0}b %.2fs)" % time if logger
         handle_response(result)
+      rescue Timeout::Error => e
+        raise TimeoutError.new(e.message)
       end
 
       # Handles response and error codes from remote service.
diff --git a/activeresource/test/abstract_unit.rb b/activeresource/test/abstract_unit.rb
index db1e0b9535655..615a6d922251b 100644
--- a/activeresource/test/abstract_unit.rb
+++ b/activeresource/test/abstract_unit.rb
@@ -7,4 +7,16 @@
 $:.unshift "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../test"
 require 'setter_trap'
 
-ActiveResource::Base.logger = Logger.new("#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/debug.log")
\ No newline at end of file
+ActiveResource::Base.logger = Logger.new("#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/debug.log")
+
+# Wrap tests that use Mocha and skip if unavailable.
+def uses_mocha(test_name)
+  unless Object.const_defined?(:Mocha)
+    require 'mocha'
+    require 'stubba'
+  end
+  yield
+rescue LoadError => load_error
+  raise unless load_error.message =~ /mocha/i
+  $stderr.puts "Skipping #{test_name} tests. `gem install mocha` and try again."
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/activeresource/test/connection_test.rb b/activeresource/test/connection_test.rb
index 6c907614e786e..8e43e451ff9f6 100644
--- a/activeresource/test/connection_test.rb
+++ b/activeresource/test/connection_test.rb
@@ -168,6 +168,15 @@ def test_delete_with_header
     assert_equal 200, response.code
   end
 
+  uses_mocha('test_timeout') do
+    def test_timeout
+      @http = mock('new Net::HTTP')
+      @conn.expects(:http).returns(@http)
+      @http.expects(:get).raises(Timeout::Error, 'execution expired')
+      assert_raises(ActiveResource::TimeoutError) { @conn.get('/people_timeout.xml') }
+    end
+  end
+
   protected
     def assert_response_raises(klass, code)
       assert_raise(klass, "Expected response code #{code} to raise #{klass}") do