diff --git a/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java b/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java
index 206e1fecaa58..c70975502a06 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
 
 import com.google.api.client.extensions.appengine.http.UrlFetchTransport;
+import com.google.api.client.http.HttpRequest;
 import com.google.api.client.http.HttpRequestInitializer;
 import com.google.api.client.http.HttpTransport;
 import com.google.api.client.http.javanet.NetHttpTransport;
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ public abstract class ServiceOptions<
   private final AuthCredentials authCredentials;
   private final RetryParams retryParams;
   private final ServiceRpcFactory<ServiceRpcT, OptionsT> serviceRpcFactory;
+  private final int connectTimeout;
+  private final int readTimeout;
 
   public interface HttpTransportFactory extends Serializable {
     HttpTransport create();
@@ -102,6 +105,8 @@ protected abstract static class Builder<
     private AuthCredentials authCredentials;
     private RetryParams retryParams;
     private ServiceRpcFactory<ServiceRpcT, OptionsT> serviceRpcFactory;
+    private int connectTimeout = -1;
+    private int readTimeout = -1;
 
     protected Builder() {}
 
@@ -121,35 +126,89 @@ protected B self() {
       return (B) this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets project id.
+     *
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
     public B projectId(String projectId) {
       this.projectId = projectId;
       return self();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets service host.
+     *
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
     public B host(String host) {
       this.host = host;
       return self();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the transport factory.
+     *
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
     public B httpTransportFactory(HttpTransportFactory httpTransportFactory) {
       this.httpTransportFactory = httpTransportFactory;
       return self();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the service authentication credentials.
+     *
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
     public B authCredentials(AuthCredentials authCredentials) {
       this.authCredentials = authCredentials;
       return self();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets configuration parameters for request retries.
+     *
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
     public B retryParams(RetryParams retryParams) {
       this.retryParams = retryParams;
       return self();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the factory for rpc services.
+     *
+     * @return the builder
+     */
     public B serviceRpcFactory(ServiceRpcFactory<ServiceRpcT, OptionsT> serviceRpcFactory) {
       this.serviceRpcFactory = serviceRpcFactory;
       return self();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the timeout in milliseconds to establish a connection.
+     *
+     * @param connectTimeout connection timeout in milliseconds. 0 for an infinite timeout, a
+     * negative number for the default value (20000).
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
+    public B connectTimeout(int connectTimeout) {
+      this.connectTimeout = connectTimeout;
+      return self();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the timeout in milliseconds to read data from an established connection.
+     *
+     * @param readTimeout read timeout in milliseconds. 0 for an infinite timeout, a
+     * negative number for the default value (20000).
+     * @return the builder.
+     */
+    public B readTimeout(int readTimeout) {
+      this.readTimeout = readTimeout;
+      return self();
+    }
   }
 
   protected ServiceOptions(Builder<ServiceRpcT, OptionsT, ?> builder) {
@@ -160,6 +219,8 @@ protected ServiceOptions(Builder<ServiceRpcT, OptionsT, ?> builder) {
     authCredentials = firstNonNull(builder.authCredentials, defaultAuthCredentials());
     retryParams = builder.retryParams;
     serviceRpcFactory = builder.serviceRpcFactory;
+    connectTimeout = builder.connectTimeout;
+    readTimeout = builder.readTimeout;
   }
 
   private static AuthCredentials defaultAuthCredentials() {
@@ -277,33 +338,84 @@ protected static String getAppEngineProjectId() {
 
   protected abstract Set<String> scopes();
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the project id. 
+   */
   public String projectId() {
     return projectId;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the service host.
+   */
   public String host() {
     return host;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the transport factory.
+   */
   public HttpTransportFactory httpTransportFactory() {
     return httpTransportFactory;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the authentication credentials.
+   */
   public AuthCredentials authCredentials() {
     return authCredentials;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns configuration parameters for request retries.
+   */
   public RetryParams retryParams() {
     return retryParams != null ? retryParams : RetryParams.noRetries();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the factory for rpc services.
+   */
   public ServiceRpcFactory<ServiceRpcT, OptionsT> serviceRpcFactory() {
     return serviceRpcFactory;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a request initializer responsible for initializing requests according to service
+   * options.
+   */
   public HttpRequestInitializer httpRequestInitializer() {
     HttpTransport httpTransport = httpTransportFactory.create();
-    return authCredentials().httpRequestInitializer(httpTransport, scopes());
+    final HttpRequestInitializer baseRequestInitializer =
+        authCredentials().httpRequestInitializer(httpTransport, scopes());
+    return new HttpRequestInitializer() {
+      @Override
+      public void initialize(HttpRequest httpRequest) throws IOException {
+        baseRequestInitializer.initialize(httpRequest);
+        if (connectTimeout >= 0) {
+          httpRequest.setConnectTimeout(connectTimeout);
+        }
+        if (readTimeout >= 0) {
+          httpRequest.setReadTimeout(readTimeout);
+        }
+      }
+    };
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the timeout in milliseconds to establish a connection. 0 is an infinite timeout, a
+   * negative number is the default value (20000).
+   */
+  public int connectTimeout() {
+    return connectTimeout;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the timeout in milliseconds to read from an established connection. 0 is an infinite
+   * timeout, a negative number is the default value (20000).
+   */
+  public int readTimeout() {
+    return readTimeout;
   }
 
   protected int baseHashCode() {