diff --git a/doc/webfuse.md b/doc/webfuse.md
index a23589c..cc5f72e 100644
--- a/doc/webfuse.md
+++ b/doc/webfuse.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ filesystem via fuse and exposes it's API via websockets.
 | --wf-key     | path     | -         | Optional. Specify the file path of the server's private key |
 | --wf- authenticator | path | -      | Optional. Specify the file path of the authenticator executable |
 | --wf-auth-header | name | -         | Optional. Specify the name of the HTTP header used for authentication |
+| --wf-timeout | timeout  | 10        | Optional. Specify the communication timeout. |
 
 ## Fuse options
 
diff --git a/src/webfuse/webfuse.cpp b/src/webfuse/webfuse.cpp
index 742fea6..37916e0 100644
--- a/src/webfuse/webfuse.cpp
+++ b/src/webfuse/webfuse.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ WEBFUSE options:
     --wf-key  PATH              path of the server's private key (optional)
     --wf-authenticator PATH     path of authenticatior app (optional)
     --wf-auth-header   NAME     name of the authentication header (optional)
+    --wf-timeout       TIMEOUT  communication timeout in seconds (default: 10)
 )";
             }
             break;
diff --git a/src/webfuse/ws/config.cpp b/src/webfuse/ws/config.cpp
index df2b737..e8f0120 100644
--- a/src/webfuse/ws/config.cpp
+++ b/src/webfuse/ws/config.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ namespace
 
 constexpr int const default_port = 8081;
 constexpr char const default_vhost_name[] = "localhost";
+constexpr uint64_t const default_timeout_secs = 10;
 
 void verify(webfuse::ws_config & config)
 {
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ bool get_arg(webfuse::ws_config & config, webfuse::commandline_reader& reader, s
 namespace webfuse
 {
 
+// NOLINTNEXTLINE
 ws_config::ws_config(int argc, char * argv[])
 : exit_code(EXIT_SUCCESS)
 , args(argv[0], argc)
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ ws_config::ws_config(int argc, char * argv[])
 , port(default_port)
 , vhost_name(default_vhost_name)
 , use_tls(false)
+, timeout_secs(default_timeout_secs)
 {
     commandline_reader reader(argc, argv);
 
@@ -101,6 +104,14 @@ ws_config::ws_config(int argc, char * argv[])
                     [](auto c) {return std::tolower(c); });
             }
         }
+        else if (arg == "--wf-timeout")
+        {
+            std::string timeout_str;
+            if (get_arg(*this, reader, timeout_str, "missing TIMEOUT"))
+            {
+                timeout_secs = static_cast<uint64_t>(std::stoi(timeout_str));
+            }
+        }
         else
         {
             args.push(arg.c_str());
diff --git a/src/webfuse/ws/config.hpp b/src/webfuse/ws/config.hpp
index f884a5c..53b2616 100644
--- a/src/webfuse/ws/config.hpp
+++ b/src/webfuse/ws/config.hpp
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ public:
 
     std::string authenticator;
     std::string auth_header;
+
+    uint64_t timeout_secs;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/webfuse/ws/server.cpp b/src/webfuse/ws/server.cpp
index 50ba599..731ae77 100644
--- a/src/webfuse/ws/server.cpp
+++ b/src/webfuse/ws/server.cpp
@@ -19,13 +19,6 @@
 #include <unordered_map>
 
 
-namespace
-{
-
-constexpr int64_t const timeout_secs = 10;
-
-}
-
 extern "C"
 {
 
@@ -79,6 +72,7 @@ public:
     detail(ws_config const & config)
     : shutdown_requested(false)
     , data(config.authenticator, config.auth_header)
+    , timeout_secs(config.timeout_secs)
     {
         lws_set_log_level(0, nullptr);
 
@@ -131,6 +125,7 @@ public:
     lws_context_creation_info info;
     lws_context * context;
     server_handler data;
+    uint64_t timeout_secs;
 };
 
 ws_server::ws_server(ws_config const & config)
@@ -167,7 +162,7 @@ messagereader ws_server::perform(messagewriter writer)
     auto result = d->data.perform(std::move(writer));
 
     lws_cancel_service(d->context);
-    if(std::future_status::timeout == result.wait_for(std::chrono::seconds(timeout_secs)))
+    if(std::future_status::timeout == result.wait_for(std::chrono::seconds(d->timeout_secs)))
     {
         throw std::runtime_error("timeout");
     }