diff --git a/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/__tests__/project.test.ts b/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/__tests__/project.test.ts
index 89f10c661e..52aec78781 100644
--- a/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/__tests__/project.test.ts
+++ b/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/__tests__/project.test.ts
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ describe('publish luis files', () => {
         crossTrainConfig: {},
         luFiles: [],
       },
+      setTimeout: (msecs: number, callback: () => any): void => {},
     } as Request;
     await ProjectController.build(mockReq, mockRes);
     expect(mockRes.status).toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/project.ts b/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/project.ts
index 5234672c4d..cbe7788f11 100644
--- a/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/project.ts
+++ b/Composer/packages/server/src/controllers/project.ts
@@ -355,6 +355,11 @@ async function build(req: Request, res: Response) {
   const projectId = req.params.projectId;
   const user = await ExtensionContext.getUserFromRequest(req);
 
+  // Disable Express' built in 2 minute timeout for requests. Otherwise, large models may fail to build.
+  req.setTimeout(0, () => {
+    throw new Error('LUIS publish process timed out.');
+  });
+
   const currentProject = await BotProjectService.getProjectById(projectId, user);
   if (currentProject !== undefined) {
     try {