diff --git a/lib/httparty/request.rb b/lib/httparty/request.rb
index 745016f..9c7a051 100644
--- a/lib/httparty/request.rb
+++ b/lib/httparty/request.rb
@@ -41,12 +41,24 @@ module HTTParty
     end
 
     private
+      # def http
+      #   http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port, options[:http_proxyaddr], options[:http_proxyport])
+      #   http.use_ssl = (uri.port == 443)
+      #   http.verify_mode = OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_NONE
+      #   http
+      # end
+
       def http
         http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port, options[:http_proxyaddr], options[:http_proxyport])
         http.use_ssl = (uri.port == 443)
         http.verify_mode = OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_NONE
+        if options[:timeout] && options[:timeout].is_a?(Integer)
+          http.open_timeout = options[:timeout]
+          http.read_timeout = options[:timeout]
+        end
         http
       end
+      
 
       def body
         options[:body].is_a?(Hash) ? options[:body].to_params : options[:body]
diff --git a/spec/httparty/request_spec.rb b/spec/httparty/request_spec.rb
index 2961010..237e9a1 100644
--- a/spec/httparty/request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/httparty/request_spec.rb
@@ -46,6 +46,23 @@ describe HTTParty::Request do
       @request.send(:setup_raw_request)
       @request.instance_variable_get(:@raw_request)['authorization'].should_not be_nil
     end
+    
+    it "should change timeout when configured (if an Integer)" do
+      @request.send(:http).open_timeout.should be_nil
+      @request.send(:http).read_timeout.should == 60
+      
+      invalid_timeout = "invalid"
+      invalid_timeout.is_a?(Integer).should be_false
+      @request.options[:timeout] = invalid_timeout
+      @request.send(:http).open_timeout.should be_nil
+      @request.send(:http).read_timeout.should == 60
+      
+      timeout = 30
+      timeout.is_a?(Integer).should be_true
+      @request.options[:timeout] = timeout
+      @request.send(:http).open_timeout.should == timeout
+      @request.send(:http).read_timeout.should == timeout
+    end
   end
   
   describe '#format_from_mimetype' do