diff --git a/cmd/XDC/main.go b/cmd/XDC/main.go
index a241614d87..7169f1decd 100644
--- a/cmd/XDC/main.go
+++ b/cmd/XDC/main.go
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ var (
 		utils.HTTPListenAddrFlag,
 		utils.HTTPPortFlag,
 		utils.HTTPReadTimeoutFlag,
+		utils.HTTPReadHeaderTimeoutFlag,
 		utils.HTTPWriteTimeoutFlag,
 		utils.HTTPIdleTimeoutFlag,
 		utils.HTTPApiFlag,
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index ce9c730226..97b2490270 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -476,6 +476,12 @@ var (
 		Value:    rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.ReadTimeout,
 		Category: flags.APICategory,
 	}
+	HTTPReadHeaderTimeoutFlag = &cli.DurationFlag{
+		Name:     "http-readheadertimeout",
+		Usage:    "HTTP-RPC server read timeout",
+		Value:    rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout,
+		Category: flags.APICategory,
+	}
 	HTTPWriteTimeoutFlag = &cli.DurationFlag{
 		Name:     "http-writetimeout",
 		Aliases:  []string{"rpcwritetimeout"},
@@ -999,6 +1005,9 @@ func setHTTP(ctx *cli.Context, cfg *node.Config) {
 	if ctx.IsSet(HTTPReadTimeoutFlag.Name) {
 		cfg.HTTPTimeouts.ReadTimeout = ctx.Duration(HTTPReadTimeoutFlag.Name)
 	}
+	if ctx.IsSet(HTTPReadHeaderTimeoutFlag.Name) {
+		cfg.HTTPTimeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout = ctx.Duration(HTTPReadHeaderTimeoutFlag.Name)
+	}
 	if ctx.IsSet(HTTPWriteTimeoutFlag.Name) {
 		cfg.HTTPTimeouts.WriteTimeout = ctx.Duration(HTTPWriteTimeoutFlag.Name)
 	}
diff --git a/node/endpoints.go b/node/endpoints.go
index 312d925567..a6a7318759 100644
--- a/node/endpoints.go
+++ b/node/endpoints.go
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ func CheckTimeouts(timeouts *rpc.HTTPTimeouts) {
 		log.Warn("Sanitizing invalid HTTP read timeout", "provided", timeouts.ReadTimeout, "updated", rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.ReadTimeout)
 		timeouts.ReadTimeout = rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.ReadTimeout
 	}
+	if timeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout < time.Second {
+		log.Warn("Sanitizing invalid HTTP read header timeout", "provided", timeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout, "updated", rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout)
+		timeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout = rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout
+	}
 	if timeouts.WriteTimeout < 2*time.Second {
 		log.Warn("Sanitizing invalid HTTP write timeout", "provided", timeouts.WriteTimeout, "updated", rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.WriteTimeout)
 		timeouts.WriteTimeout = rpc.DefaultHTTPTimeouts.WriteTimeout
diff --git a/node/rpcstack.go b/node/rpcstack.go
index fd9d00a6ea..829c0b77bf 100644
--- a/node/rpcstack.go
+++ b/node/rpcstack.go
@@ -125,10 +125,11 @@ func (h *httpServer) start() error {
 	h.server = &http.Server{Handler: h}
 	if h.timeouts != (rpc.HTTPTimeouts{}) {
 		h.server.ReadTimeout = h.timeouts.ReadTimeout
+		h.server.ReadHeaderTimeout = h.timeouts.ReadHeaderTimeout
 		h.server.WriteTimeout = h.timeouts.WriteTimeout
 		h.server.IdleTimeout = h.timeouts.IdleTimeout
 	}
-	log.Info("Start http server", "ReadTimeout", h.server.ReadTimeout, "WriteTimeout", h.server.WriteTimeout, "IdleTimeout", h.server.IdleTimeout)
+	log.Info("Start http server", "ReadTimeout", h.server.ReadTimeout, "ReadHeaderTimeout", h.server.ReadHeaderTimeout, "WriteTimeout", h.server.WriteTimeout, "IdleTimeout", h.server.IdleTimeout)
 	// Start the server.
 	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", h.endpoint)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/rpc/http.go b/rpc/http.go
index 45da82dff8..403a7a73b2 100644
--- a/rpc/http.go
+++ b/rpc/http.go
@@ -87,6 +87,14 @@ type HTTPTimeouts struct {
 	// ReadHeaderTimeout. It is valid to use them both.
 	ReadTimeout time.Duration
 
+	// ReadHeaderTimeout is the amount of time allowed to read
+	// request headers. The connection's read deadline is reset
+	// after reading the headers and the Handler can decide what
+	// is considered too slow for the body. If ReadHeaderTimeout
+	// is zero, the value of ReadTimeout is used. If both are
+	// zero, there is no timeout.
+	ReadHeaderTimeout 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
@@ -103,9 +111,10 @@ type HTTPTimeouts struct {
 // DefaultHTTPTimeouts represents the default timeout values used if further
 // configuration is not provided.
 var DefaultHTTPTimeouts = HTTPTimeouts{
-	ReadTimeout:  30 * time.Second,
-	WriteTimeout: 30 * time.Second,
-	IdleTimeout:  120 * time.Second,
+	ReadTimeout:       30 * time.Second,
+	ReadHeaderTimeout: 30 * time.Second,
+	WriteTimeout:      30 * time.Second,
+	IdleTimeout:       120 * time.Second,
 }
 
 // DialHTTPWithClient creates a new RPC client that connects to an RPC server over HTTP