diff --git a/cmd/clef/main.go b/cmd/clef/main.go
index 348bcb22f6..5b94652bca 100644
--- a/cmd/clef/main.go
+++ b/cmd/clef/main.go
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ func signer(c *cli.Context) error {
 
 		// start http server
 		httpEndpoint := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", c.String(utils.RPCListenAddrFlag.Name), c.Int(rpcPortFlag.Name))
-		listener, _, err := rpc.StartHTTPEndpoint(httpEndpoint, rpcAPI, []string{"account"}, cors, vhosts)
+		listener, _, err := rpc.StartHTTPEndpoint(httpEndpoint, rpcAPI, []string{"account"}, cors, vhosts, rpc.NewDefaultHTTPTimeouts())
 		if err != nil {
 			utils.Fatalf("Could not start RPC api: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/geth/main.go b/cmd/geth/main.go
index 77ef6afe24..24cabc3f39 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ var (
 		utils.RPCListenAddrFlag,
 		utils.RPCPortFlag,
 		utils.RPCApiFlag,
+		utils.RPCReadTimeoutFlag,
+		utils.RPCWriteTimeoutFlag,
+		utils.RPCIdleTimeoutFlag,
 		utils.WSEnabledFlag,
 		utils.WSListenAddrFlag,
 		utils.WSPortFlag,
diff --git a/cmd/geth/usage.go b/cmd/geth/usage.go
index 6a12a66cc2..fb5629be7b 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/usage.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/usage.go
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ var AppHelpFlagGroups = []flagGroup{
 			utils.RPCListenAddrFlag,
 			utils.RPCPortFlag,
 			utils.RPCApiFlag,
+			utils.RPCReadTimeoutFlag,
+			utils.RPCWriteTimeoutFlag,
+			utils.RPCIdleTimeoutFlag,
 			utils.WSEnabledFlag,
 			utils.WSListenAddrFlag,
 			utils.WSPortFlag,
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 522ad06b61..5c53fed55d 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/nat"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/netutil"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/params"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 	whisper "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/whisper/whisperv6"
 	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1"
 )
@@ -385,6 +386,21 @@ var (
 		Usage: "HTTP-RPC server listening port",
 		Value: node.DefaultHTTPPort,
 	}
+	RPCReadTimeoutFlag = cli.DurationFlag{
+		Name:  "rpcreadtimeout",
+		Usage: "HTTP-RPC server read timeout",
+		Value: rpc.DefaultHTTPReadTimeout,
+	}
+	RPCWriteTimeoutFlag = cli.DurationFlag{
+		Name:  "rpcwritetimeout",
+		Usage: "HTTP-RPC server write timeout",
+		Value: rpc.DefaultHTTPWriteTimeout,
+	}
+	RPCIdleTimeoutFlag = cli.DurationFlag{
+		Name:  "rpcidletimeout",
+		Usage: "HTTP-RPC server idle timeout",
+		Value: rpc.DefaultHTTPIdleTimeout,
+	}
 	RPCCORSDomainFlag = cli.StringFlag{
 		Name:  "rpccorsdomain",
 		Usage: "Comma separated list of domains from which to accept cross origin requests (browser enforced)",
@@ -729,6 +745,17 @@ func setHTTP(ctx *cli.Context, cfg *node.Config) {
 	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(RPCVirtualHostsFlag.Name) {
 		cfg.HTTPVirtualHosts = splitAndTrim(ctx.GlobalString(RPCVirtualHostsFlag.Name))
 	}
+
+	cfg.HTTPTimeouts = rpc.NewDefaultHTTPTimeouts()
+	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(RPCReadTimeoutFlag.Name) {
+		cfg.HTTPTimeouts.ReadTimeout = ctx.GlobalDuration(RPCReadTimeoutFlag.Name)
+	}
+	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(RPCWriteTimeoutFlag.Name) {
+		cfg.HTTPTimeouts.WriteTimeout = ctx.GlobalDuration(RPCWriteTimeoutFlag.Name)
+	}
+	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(RPCIdleTimeoutFlag.Name) {
+		cfg.HTTPTimeouts.IdleTimeout = ctx.GlobalDuration(RPCIdleTimeoutFlag.Name)
+	}
 }
 
 // setWS creates the WebSocket RPC listener interface string from the set
diff --git a/node/api.go b/node/api.go
index 117b76b6d8..f44c991539 100644
--- a/node/api.go
+++ b/node/api.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func (api *PrivateAdminAPI) StartRPC(host *string, port *int, cors *string, apis
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := api.node.startHTTP(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", *host, *port), api.node.rpcAPIs, modules, allowedOrigins, allowedVHosts); err != nil {
+	if err := api.node.startHTTP(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", *host, *port), api.node.rpcAPIs, modules, allowedOrigins, allowedVHosts, api.node.config.HTTPTimeouts); err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 	return true, nil
diff --git a/node/config.go b/node/config.go
index 1b75baaeb2..2035c3b3a0 100644
--- a/node/config.go
+++ b/node/config.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discover"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -119,6 +120,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// exposed.
 	HTTPModules []string `toml:",omitempty"`
 
+	HTTPTimeouts rpc.HTTPTimeouts
+
 	// WSHost is the host interface on which to start the websocket RPC server. If
 	// this field is empty, no websocket API endpoint will be started.
 	WSHost string `toml:",omitempty"`
diff --git a/node/defaults.go b/node/defaults.go
index 8875605807..d818ba3eb4 100644
--- a/node/defaults.go
+++ b/node/defaults.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/nat"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ var DefaultConfig = Config{
 	HTTPPort:         DefaultHTTPPort,
 	HTTPModules:      []string{"net", "web3"},
 	HTTPVirtualHosts: []string{"localhost"},
+	HTTPTimeouts:     rpc.NewDefaultHTTPTimeouts(),
 	WSPort:           DefaultWSPort,
 	WSModules:        []string{"net", "web3"},
 	P2P: p2p.Config{
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 7cc11b781a..ada3837217 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func (n *Node) startRPC(services map[reflect.Type]Service) error {
 		n.stopInProc()
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := n.startHTTP(n.httpEndpoint, apis, n.config.HTTPModules, n.config.HTTPCors, n.config.HTTPVirtualHosts); err != nil {
+	if err := n.startHTTP(n.httpEndpoint, apis, n.config.HTTPModules, n.config.HTTPCors, n.config.HTTPVirtualHosts, n.config.HTTPTimeouts); err != nil {
 		n.stopIPC()
 		n.stopInProc()
 		return err
@@ -331,12 +331,12 @@ func (n *Node) stopIPC() {
 }
 
 // startHTTP initializes and starts the HTTP RPC endpoint.
-func (n *Node) startHTTP(endpoint string, apis []rpc.API, modules []string, cors []string, vhosts []string) error {
+func (n *Node) startHTTP(endpoint string, apis []rpc.API, modules []string, cors []string, vhosts []string, timeouts rpc.HTTPTimeouts) error {
 	// Short circuit if the HTTP endpoint isn't being exposed
 	if endpoint == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
-	listener, handler, err := rpc.StartHTTPEndpoint(endpoint, apis, modules, cors, vhosts)
+	listener, handler, err := rpc.StartHTTPEndpoint(endpoint, apis, modules, cors, vhosts, timeouts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/rpc/endpoints.go b/rpc/endpoints.go
index 692c62d3a4..8ca6d4eb0c 100644
--- a/rpc/endpoints.go
+++ b/rpc/endpoints.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // StartHTTPEndpoint starts the HTTP RPC endpoint, configured with cors/vhosts/modules
-func StartHTTPEndpoint(endpoint string, apis []API, modules []string, cors []string, vhosts []string) (net.Listener, *Server, error) {
+func StartHTTPEndpoint(endpoint string, apis []API, modules []string, cors []string, vhosts []string, timeouts HTTPTimeouts) (net.Listener, *Server, error) {
 	// Generate the whitelist based on the allowed modules
 	whitelist := make(map[string]bool)
 	for _, module := range modules {
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func StartHTTPEndpoint(endpoint string, apis []API, modules []string, cors []str
 	if listener, err = net.Listen("tcp", endpoint); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	go NewHTTPServer(cors, vhosts, handler).Serve(listener)
+	go NewHTTPServer(cors, vhosts, timeouts, handler).Serve(listener)
 	return listener, handler, err
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/http.go b/rpc/http.go
index 6388d68961..702f7f78ed 100644
--- a/rpc/http.go
+++ b/rpc/http.go
@@ -66,6 +66,44 @@ func (hc *httpConn) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// HTTPTimeouts represents the configuration params for the HTTP RPC server.
+type HTTPTimeouts struct {
+	// ReadTimeout is the maximum duration for reading the entire
+	// request, including the body.
+	//
+	// Because ReadTimeout does not let Handlers make per-request
+	// decisions on each request body's acceptable deadline or
+	// upload rate, most users will prefer to use
+	// ReadHeaderTimeout. It is valid to use them both.
+	ReadTimeout time.Duration
+
+	// WriteTimeout is the maximum duration before timing out
+	// writes of the response. It is reset whenever a new
+	// request's header is read. Like ReadTimeout, it does not
+	// let Handlers make decisions on a per-request basis.
+	WriteTimeout time.Duration
+
+	// IdleTimeout is the maximum amount of time to wait for the
+	// next request when keep-alives are enabled. If IdleTimeout
+	// is zero, the value of ReadTimeout is used. If both are
+	// zero, ReadHeaderTimeout is used.
+	IdleTimeout time.Duration
+}
+
+const (
+	DefaultHTTPReadTimeout  = 5 * time.Second
+	DefaultHTTPWriteTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+	DefaultHTTPIdleTimeout  = 120 * time.Second
+)
+
+func NewDefaultHTTPTimeouts() HTTPTimeouts {
+	return HTTPTimeouts{
+		ReadTimeout:  DefaultHTTPReadTimeout,
+		WriteTimeout: DefaultHTTPWriteTimeout,
+		IdleTimeout:  DefaultHTTPIdleTimeout,
+	}
+}
+
 // DialHTTPWithClient creates a new RPC client that connects to an RPC server over HTTP
 // using the provided HTTP Client.
 func DialHTTPWithClient(endpoint string, client *http.Client) (*Client, error) {
@@ -161,15 +199,16 @@ func (t *httpReadWriteNopCloser) Close() error {
 // NewHTTPServer creates a new HTTP RPC server around an API provider.
 //
 // Deprecated: Server implements http.Handler
-func NewHTTPServer(cors []string, vhosts []string, srv *Server) *http.Server {
+func NewHTTPServer(cors []string, vhosts []string, timeouts HTTPTimeouts, srv *Server) *http.Server {
 	// Wrap the CORS-handler within a host-handler
 	handler := newCorsHandler(srv, cors)
 	handler = newVHostHandler(vhosts, handler)
+
 	return &http.Server{
 		Handler:      handler,
-		ReadTimeout:  5 * time.Second,
-		WriteTimeout: 10 * time.Second,
-		IdleTimeout:  120 * time.Second,
+		ReadTimeout:  timeouts.ReadTimeout,
+		WriteTimeout: timeouts.WriteTimeout,
+		IdleTimeout:  timeouts.IdleTimeout,
 	}
 }