diff --git a/lib/bunny/client08.rb b/lib/bunny/client08.rb
index c083a7e3f..064d81493 100644
--- a/lib/bunny/client08.rb
+++ b/lib/bunny/client08.rb
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class Client < Qrack::Client
 * <tt>:frame_max => maximum frame size in bytes (default = 131072)</tt>
 * <tt>:channel_max => maximum number of channels (default = 0 no maximum)</tt>
 * <tt>:heartbeat => number of seconds (default = 0 no heartbeat)</tt>
+* <tt>:timeout => number of seconds before Qrack::ConnectionTimeout is raised (default = 5)</tt>
 
 =end
 
diff --git a/lib/bunny/client09.rb b/lib/bunny/client09.rb
index 935a707e2..f1bf46d4f 100644
--- a/lib/bunny/client09.rb
+++ b/lib/bunny/client09.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class Client09 < Qrack::Client
 * <tt>:frame_max => maximum frame size in bytes (default = 131072)</tt>
 * <tt>:channel_max => maximum number of channels (default = 0 no maximum)</tt>
 * <tt>:heartbeat => number of seconds (default = 0 no heartbeat)</tt>
+* <tt>:timeout => number of seconds before Qrack::ConnectionTimeout is raised (default = 5)</tt>
 
 =end
 
@@ -459,4 +460,4 @@ def buffer
     end
 
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/qrack/client.rb b/lib/qrack/client.rb
index 60ef23a0c..4590886d9 100644
--- a/lib/qrack/client.rb
+++ b/lib/qrack/client.rb
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 module Qrack
 	
 	class ClientTimeout < Timeout::Error; end
+  class ConnectionTimeout < Timeout::Error; end
 	
 	# Client ancestor class
 	class Client
 		
-		CONNECT_TIMEOUT = 1.0
+		CONNECT_TIMEOUT = 5.0
     RETRY_DELAY     = 10.0
 
     attr_reader   :status, :host, :vhost, :port, :logging, :spec, :heartbeat
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ def initialize(opts = {})
 			@frame_max = opts[:frame_max] || 131072
 			@channel_max = opts[:channel_max] || 0
 			@heartbeat = opts[:heartbeat] || 0
+      @connect_timeout = opts[:timeout] || CONNECT_TIMEOUT
 			@logger = nil
 			create_logger if @logging
 			@message_in = false
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ def socket
 
       begin
         # Attempt to connect.
-        @socket = timeout(CONNECT_TIMEOUT) do
+        @socket = timeout(@connect_timeout, ConnectionTimeout) do
           TCPSocket.new(host, port)
         end