diff --git a/cabby/abstract.py b/cabby/abstract.py
index 38cb16e..4577a61 100644
--- a/cabby/abstract.py
+++ b/cabby/abstract.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class AbstractClient(object):
     taxii_version = None
 
     def __init__(self, host=None, discovery_path=None, port=None,
-                 use_https=False, headers=None):
+                 use_https=False, headers=None, timeout=None):
 
         self.host = host
         self.port = port
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def __init__(self, host=None, discovery_path=None, port=None,
 
         self.jwt_token = None
         self.headers = headers or {}
+        self.timeout = timeout
 
         self.log = logging.getLogger(
             "{}.{}".format(self.__module__, self.__class__.__name__))
@@ -193,13 +194,15 @@ def _execute_request(self, request, uri=None, service_type=None):
                     'key_file': self.key_file,
                     'key_password': self.key_password,
                     'ca_cert': self.ca_cert
-                })
+                },
+                timeout=self.timeout)
         else:
             message = dispatcher.send_taxii_request(
                 session,
                 self._prepare_url(uri),
                 request,
-                taxii_binding=self.taxii_binding)
+                taxii_binding=self.taxii_binding,
+                timeout=self.timeout)
 
         return message
 
diff --git a/cabby/dispatcher.py b/cabby/dispatcher.py
index 2f8963f..b4dff46 100644
--- a/cabby/dispatcher.py
+++ b/cabby/dispatcher.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def raise_http_error(status_code, response_stream=None):
 
 
 def send_taxii_request(session, url, request, taxii_binding=None,
-                       tls_details=None):
+                       tls_details=None, timeout=None):
     '''
     Send XML message to a TAXII service and parse a response.
     '''
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def send_taxii_request(session, url, request, taxii_binding=None,
         # https://github.com/kennethreitz/requests/issues/2519 is fixed
         try:
             response = get_response_using_key_pass(
-                url, request_body, session, **tls_details)
+                url, request_body, session, timeout=timeout, **tls_details)
         except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
             log.error(
                 "Error while connecting to {}".format(url),
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ def send_taxii_request(session, url, request, taxii_binding=None,
 
         stream, headers = response, response.headers
     else:
-        response = session.post(url, data=request_body, stream=True)
+        response = session.post(url, data=request_body, stream=True,
+                                timeout=timeout)
         if not response.ok:
             raise_http_error(response.status_code, response.raw)
 
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ def obtain_jwt_token(session, jwt_url, username, password):
 
 
 def get_response_using_key_pass(url, data, session, cert_file, key_file,
-                                key_password, ca_cert=None):
+                                key_password, ca_cert=None, timeout=None):
 
     if sys.version_info < (2, 7, 9):
         raise ValueError(
@@ -405,4 +406,7 @@ def get_response_using_key_pass(url, data, session, cert_file, key_file,
 
     request = urllib.request.Request(url, data, headers)
 
-    return opener.open(request)
+    if timeout:
+        return opener.open(request, timeout=timeout)
+    else:
+        return opener.open(request)
diff --git a/tests/test_common.py b/tests/test_common.py
index 9c9b4f4..85c53d0 100644
--- a/tests/test_common.py
+++ b/tests/test_common.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 import json
 import gzip
 import sys
+import requests
+from time import sleep
 
 from six import StringIO
 
@@ -55,7 +57,6 @@ def get_sent_message(version):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", [11, 10])
 def test_set_headers(version):
-
     httpretty.reset()
     httpretty.enable()
 
@@ -86,7 +87,6 @@ def test_set_headers(version):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", [11, 10])
 def test_invalid_response(version):
-
     httpretty.reset()
     httpretty.enable()
 
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ def test_invalid_response(version):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", [11, 10])
 def test_invalid_response_status(version):
-
     httpretty.reset()
     httpretty.enable()
 
@@ -132,7 +131,6 @@ def test_invalid_response_status(version):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", [11, 10])
 def test_jwt_auth_response(version):
-
     httpretty.reset()
     httpretty.enable()
 
@@ -202,7 +200,6 @@ def compress(text):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", [11, 10])
 def test_gzip_response(version):
-
     httpretty.reset()
     httpretty.enable()
 
@@ -222,3 +219,37 @@ def test_gzip_response(version):
 
     httpretty.disable()
     httpretty.reset()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("version", [11, 10])
+def test_timeout(version):
+    httpretty.reset()
+    httpretty.enable()
+
+    timeout_in_sec = 1
+
+    client = make_client(version)
+    #
+    # configure to raise the error before the timeout
+    #
+    client.timeout = timeout_in_sec / 2.0
+
+    def timeout_request_callback(request, uri, headers):
+        sleep(timeout_in_sec)
+
+        return 200, headers, {'result': 'success'}
+
+    uri = get_fix(version).DISCOVERY_URI_HTTP
+
+    httpretty.register_uri(
+        httpretty.POST,
+        uri,
+        body=timeout_request_callback,
+        content_type='application/json'
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(requests.exceptions.Timeout):
+        client.discover_services(uri=uri)
+
+    httpretty.disable()
+    httpretty.reset()