diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 0df125e1..a3b8e22b 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package sftp
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -321,19 +322,27 @@ func (c *Client) Walk(root string) *fs.Walker {
 	return fs.WalkFS(root, c)
 }
 
-// ReadDir reads the directory named by dirname and returns a list of
-// directory entries.
+// ReadDir reads the directory named by p
+// and returns a list of directory entries.
 func (c *Client) ReadDir(p string) ([]os.FileInfo, error) {
-	handle, err := c.opendir(p)
+	return c.ReadDirContext(context.Background(), p)
+}
+
+// ReadDirContext reads the directory named by p
+// and returns a list of directory entries.
+// The passed context can be used to cancel the operation
+// returning all entries listed up to the cancellation.
+func (c *Client) ReadDirContext(ctx context.Context, p string) ([]os.FileInfo, error) {
+	handle, err := c.opendir(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer c.close(handle) // this has to defer earlier than the lock below
-	var attrs []os.FileInfo
+	var entries []os.FileInfo
 	var done = false
 	for !done {
 		id := c.nextID()
-		typ, data, err1 := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpReaddirPacket{
+		typ, data, err1 := c.sendPacket(ctx, nil, &sshFxpReaddirPacket{
 			ID:     id,
 			Handle: handle,
 		})
@@ -358,7 +367,7 @@ func (c *Client) ReadDir(p string) ([]os.FileInfo, error) {
 				if filename == "." || filename == ".." {
 					continue
 				}
-				attrs = append(attrs, fileInfoFromStat(attr, path.Base(filename)))
+				entries = append(entries, fileInfoFromStat(attr, path.Base(filename)))
 			}
 		case sshFxpStatus:
 			// TODO(dfc) scope warning!
@@ -371,12 +380,12 @@ func (c *Client) ReadDir(p string) ([]os.FileInfo, error) {
 	if err == io.EOF {
 		err = nil
 	}
-	return attrs, err
+	return entries, err
 }
 
-func (c *Client) opendir(path string) (string, error) {
+func (c *Client) opendir(ctx context.Context, path string) (string, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpOpendirPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(ctx, nil, &sshFxpOpendirPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: path,
 	})
@@ -412,7 +421,7 @@ func (c *Client) Stat(p string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
 // If 'p' is a symbolic link, the returned FileInfo structure describes the symbolic link.
 func (c *Client) Lstat(p string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpLstatPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpLstatPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: p,
 	})
@@ -437,7 +446,7 @@ func (c *Client) Lstat(p string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
 // ReadLink reads the target of a symbolic link.
 func (c *Client) ReadLink(p string) (string, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpReadlinkPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpReadlinkPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: p,
 	})
@@ -466,7 +475,7 @@ func (c *Client) ReadLink(p string) (string, error) {
 // Link creates a hard link at 'newname', pointing at the same inode as 'oldname'
 func (c *Client) Link(oldname, newname string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpHardlinkPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpHardlinkPacket{
 		ID:      id,
 		Oldpath: oldname,
 		Newpath: newname,
@@ -485,7 +494,7 @@ func (c *Client) Link(oldname, newname string) error {
 // Symlink creates a symbolic link at 'newname', pointing at target 'oldname'
 func (c *Client) Symlink(oldname, newname string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpSymlinkPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpSymlinkPacket{
 		ID:         id,
 		Linkpath:   newname,
 		Targetpath: oldname,
@@ -503,7 +512,7 @@ func (c *Client) Symlink(oldname, newname string) error {
 
 func (c *Client) setfstat(handle string, flags uint32, attrs interface{}) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpFsetstatPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpFsetstatPacket{
 		ID:     id,
 		Handle: handle,
 		Flags:  flags,
@@ -523,7 +532,7 @@ func (c *Client) setfstat(handle string, flags uint32, attrs interface{}) error
 // setstat is a convience wrapper to allow for changing of various parts of the file descriptor.
 func (c *Client) setstat(path string, flags uint32, attrs interface{}) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpSetstatPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpSetstatPacket{
 		ID:    id,
 		Path:  path,
 		Flags: flags,
@@ -593,7 +602,7 @@ func (c *Client) OpenFile(path string, f int) (*File, error) {
 
 func (c *Client) open(path string, pflags uint32) (*File, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpOpenPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpOpenPacket{
 		ID:     id,
 		Path:   path,
 		Pflags: pflags,
@@ -621,7 +630,7 @@ func (c *Client) open(path string, pflags uint32) (*File, error) {
 // immediately after this request has been sent.
 func (c *Client) close(handle string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpClosePacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpClosePacket{
 		ID:     id,
 		Handle: handle,
 	})
@@ -638,7 +647,7 @@ func (c *Client) close(handle string) error {
 
 func (c *Client) stat(path string) (*FileStat, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpStatPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpStatPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: path,
 	})
@@ -662,7 +671,7 @@ func (c *Client) stat(path string) (*FileStat, error) {
 
 func (c *Client) fstat(handle string) (*FileStat, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpFstatPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpFstatPacket{
 		ID:     id,
 		Handle: handle,
 	})
@@ -691,7 +700,7 @@ func (c *Client) fstat(handle string) (*FileStat, error) {
 func (c *Client) StatVFS(path string) (*StatVFS, error) {
 	// send the StatVFS packet to the server
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpStatvfsPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpStatvfsPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: path,
 	})
@@ -746,7 +755,7 @@ func (c *Client) Remove(path string) error {
 
 func (c *Client) removeFile(path string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpRemovePacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpRemovePacket{
 		ID:       id,
 		Filename: path,
 	})
@@ -764,7 +773,7 @@ func (c *Client) removeFile(path string) error {
 // RemoveDirectory removes a directory path.
 func (c *Client) RemoveDirectory(path string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpRmdirPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpRmdirPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: path,
 	})
@@ -782,7 +791,7 @@ func (c *Client) RemoveDirectory(path string) error {
 // Rename renames a file.
 func (c *Client) Rename(oldname, newname string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpRenamePacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpRenamePacket{
 		ID:      id,
 		Oldpath: oldname,
 		Newpath: newname,
@@ -802,7 +811,7 @@ func (c *Client) Rename(oldname, newname string) error {
 // which will replace newname if it already exists.
 func (c *Client) PosixRename(oldname, newname string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpPosixRenamePacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpPosixRenamePacket{
 		ID:      id,
 		Oldpath: oldname,
 		Newpath: newname,
@@ -824,7 +833,7 @@ func (c *Client) PosixRename(oldname, newname string) error {
 // or relative pathnames without a leading slash into absolute paths.
 func (c *Client) RealPath(path string) (string, error) {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpRealpathPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpRealpathPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: path,
 	})
@@ -861,7 +870,7 @@ func (c *Client) Getwd() (string, error) {
 // parent folder does not exist (the method cannot create complete paths).
 func (c *Client) Mkdir(path string) error {
 	id := c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpMkdirPacket{
+	typ, data, err := c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpMkdirPacket{
 		ID:   id,
 		Path: path,
 	})
@@ -1007,7 +1016,7 @@ func (f *File) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
 func (f *File) readChunkAt(ch chan result, b []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
 	for err == nil && n < len(b) {
 		id := f.c.nextID()
-		typ, data, err := f.c.sendPacket(ch, &sshFxpReadPacket{
+		typ, data, err := f.c.sendPacket(context.Background(), ch, &sshFxpReadPacket{
 			ID:     id,
 			Handle: f.handle,
 			Offset: uint64(off) + uint64(n),
@@ -1475,7 +1484,7 @@ func (f *File) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
 }
 
 func (f *File) writeChunkAt(ch chan result, b []byte, off int64) (int, error) {
-	typ, data, err := f.c.sendPacket(ch, &sshFxpWritePacket{
+	typ, data, err := f.c.sendPacket(context.Background(), ch, &sshFxpWritePacket{
 		ID:     f.c.nextID(),
 		Handle: f.handle,
 		Offset: uint64(off),
@@ -1933,7 +1942,7 @@ func (f *File) Chmod(mode os.FileMode) error {
 // Sync requires the server to support the fsync@openssh.com extension.
 func (f *File) Sync() error {
 	id := f.c.nextID()
-	typ, data, err := f.c.sendPacket(nil, &sshFxpFsyncPacket{
+	typ, data, err := f.c.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, &sshFxpFsyncPacket{
 		ID:     id,
 		Handle: f.handle,
 	})
diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 3bb2ba15..93bc37bf 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package sftp
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -128,14 +129,19 @@ type idmarshaler interface {
 	encoding.BinaryMarshaler
 }
 
-func (c *clientConn) sendPacket(ch chan result, p idmarshaler) (byte, []byte, error) {
+func (c *clientConn) sendPacket(ctx context.Context, ch chan result, p idmarshaler) (byte, []byte, error) {
 	if cap(ch) < 1 {
 		ch = make(chan result, 1)
 	}
 
 	c.dispatchRequest(ch, p)
-	s := <-ch
-	return s.typ, s.data, s.err
+
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return 0, nil, ctx.Err()
+	case s := <-ch:
+		return s.typ, s.data, s.err
+	}
 }
 
 // dispatchRequest should ideally only be called by race-detection tests outside of this file,
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index ae61eec6..87beece5 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package sftp
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ func TestInvalidExtendedPacket(t *testing.T) {
 	defer server.Close()
 
 	badPacket := sshFxpTestBadExtendedPacket{client.nextID(), "thisDoesn'tExist", "foobar"}
-	typ, data, err := client.clientConn.sendPacket(nil, badPacket)
+	typ, data, err := client.clientConn.sendPacket(context.Background(), nil, badPacket)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error from sendPacket: %s", err)
 	}