diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
index cb3f9df..f854dba 100644
--- a/docs/api.md
+++ b/docs/api.md
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ net.http_get(
     -- key/value pairs to be url encoded and appended to the `url`
     params jsonb default '{}'::jsonb,
     -- key/values to be included in request headers
-    headers jsonb default '{}'::jsonb
+    headers jsonb default '{}'::jsonb,
+    -- WARNING: this is currently ignored, so there is no timeout
+    -- the maximum number of milliseconds the request may take before being cancelled
+    timeout_milliseconds int default 1000
 )
     -- request_id reference
     returns bigint
@@ -59,7 +62,10 @@ net.http_post(
     -- key/value pairs to be url encoded and appended to the `url`
     params jsonb default '{}'::jsonb,
     -- key/values to be included in request headers
-    headers jsonb default '{"Content-Type": "application/json"}'::jsonb
+    headers jsonb default '{"Content-Type": "application/json"}'::jsonb,
+    -- WARNING: this is currently ignored, so there is no timeout
+    -- the maximum number of milliseconds the request may take before being cancelled
+    timeout_milliseconds int default 1000
 )
     -- request_id reference
     returns bigint
diff --git a/sql/pg_net--0.1.sql b/sql/pg_net--0.1.sql
index 859e292..b05fb8a 100644
--- a/sql/pg_net--0.1.sql
+++ b/sql/pg_net--0.1.sql
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ create table net.http_request_queue(
     url text not null,
     headers jsonb not null,
     body bytea,
+    -- TODO: respect this
+    timeout_milliseconds int not null,
     created timestamptz not null default now()
 );
 
@@ -91,7 +93,9 @@ create or replace function net.http_get(
     -- key/value pairs to be url encoded and appended to the `url`
     params jsonb default '{}'::jsonb,
     -- key/values to be included in request headers
-    headers jsonb default '{}'::jsonb
+    headers jsonb default '{}'::jsonb,
+    -- the maximum number of milliseconds the request may take before being cancelled
+    timeout_milliseconds int default 1000
 )
     -- request_id reference
     returns bigint
@@ -109,11 +113,12 @@ begin
     from jsonb_each_text(params);
 
     -- Add to the request queue
-    insert into net.http_request_queue(method, url, headers)
+    insert into net.http_request_queue(method, url, headers, timeout_milliseconds)
     values (
         'GET',
         net._encode_url_with_params_array(url, params_array),
-        headers
+        headers,
+        timeout_milliseconds
     )
     returning id
     into request_id;
@@ -132,7 +137,9 @@ create or replace function net.http_post(
     -- key/value pairs to be url encoded and appended to the `url`
     params jsonb default '{}'::jsonb,
     -- key/values to be included in request headers
-    headers jsonb default '{"Content-Type": "application/json"}'::jsonb
+    headers jsonb default '{"Content-Type": "application/json"}'::jsonb,
+    -- the maximum number of milliseconds the request may take before being cancelled
+    timeout_milliseconds int DEFAULT 1000
 )
     -- request_id reference
     returns bigint
@@ -180,12 +187,13 @@ begin
         jsonb_each_text(params);
 
     -- Add to the request queue
-    insert into net.http_request_queue(method, url, headers, body)
+    insert into net.http_request_queue(method, url, headers, body, timeout_milliseconds)
     values (
         'POST',
         net._encode_url_with_params_array(url, params_array),
         headers,
-        body::text::bytea
+        body::text::bytea,
+        timeout_milliseconds
     )
     returning id
     into request_id;