diff --git a/.rspec b/.rspec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c99d2e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.rspec
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+--require spec_helper
diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index a0c1033..faafb11 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## v5.1.0
+
+- adding timeout as a contructor option
+
 ## v5.0.0
 
 - `converse` and `run_actions` are deprecated
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7c8d229..b578973 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ See the `examples` folder for more examples.
 
 The Wit constructor takes a `Hash` with the following symbol keys:
 * `:access_token` - the access token of your Wit instance
+* `:timeout` - the timeout duration in seconds. the class will raise a Net::ReadTimeout when the duration has expired.
 
 A minimal example looks like this:
 ```ruby
diff --git a/lib/wit.rb b/lib/wit.rb
index 5cfbdd3..7daaffc 100644
--- a/lib/wit.rb
+++ b/lib/wit.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class Error < StandardError; end
   WIT_API_VERSION = ENV['WIT_API_VERSION']  || '20160516'
   DEFAULT_MAX_STEPS = 5
   LEARN_MORE = 'Learn more at https://wit.ai/docs/quickstart'
+  DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 60
 
   def initialize(opts = {})
     @access_token = opts[:access_token]
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ def initialize(opts = {})
       logger.warn('Stories and POST /converse have been deprecated. This will break in February 2018!')
       @actions = validate_actions(logger, opts[:actions])
     end
-
+    @timeout = opts[:timeout] || DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
     @_sessions = {}
   end
 
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ def req(logger, access_token, meth_class, path, params={}, payload={})
     request.add_field 'Content-Type', 'application/json'
     request.body = payload.to_json
 
-    Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, {:use_ssl => uri.scheme == 'https'}) do |http|
+    Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, {:use_ssl => uri.scheme == 'https', :read_timeout => @timeout}) do |http|
       rsp = http.request(request)
       if rsp.code.to_i != 200
         raise Error.new("HTTP error code=#{rsp.code}")
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31e93b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+require 'webmock/rspec'
+WebMock.disable_net_connect!
+
+# This file was generated by the `rspec --init` command. Conventionally, all
+# specs live under a `spec` directory, which RSpec adds to the `$LOAD_PATH`.
+# The generated `.rspec` file contains `--require spec_helper` which will cause
+# this file to always be loaded, without a need to explicitly require it in any
+# files.
+#
+# Given that it is always loaded, you are encouraged to keep this file as
+# light-weight as possible. Requiring heavyweight dependencies from this file
+# will add to the boot time of your test suite on EVERY test run, even for an
+# individual file that may not need all of that loaded. Instead, consider making
+# a separate helper file that requires the additional dependencies and performs
+# the additional setup, and require it from the spec files that actually need
+# it.
+#
+# See http://rubydoc.info/gems/rspec-core/RSpec/Core/Configuration
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+  # rspec-expectations config goes here. You can use an alternate
+  # assertion/expectation library such as wrong or the stdlib/minitest
+  # assertions if you prefer.
+  config.expect_with :rspec do |expectations|
+    # This option will default to `true` in RSpec 4. It makes the `description`
+    # and `failure_message` of custom matchers include text for helper methods
+    # defined using `chain`, e.g.:
+    #     be_bigger_than(2).and_smaller_than(4).description
+    #     # => "be bigger than 2 and smaller than 4"
+    # ...rather than:
+    #     # => "be bigger than 2"
+    expectations.include_chain_clauses_in_custom_matcher_descriptions = true
+  end
+
+  # rspec-mocks config goes here. You can use an alternate test double
+  # library (such as bogus or mocha) by changing the `mock_with` option here.
+  config.mock_with :rspec do |mocks|
+    # Prevents you from mocking or stubbing a method that does not exist on
+    # a real object. This is generally recommended, and will default to
+    # `true` in RSpec 4.
+    mocks.verify_partial_doubles = true
+  end
+
+  # This option will default to `:apply_to_host_groups` in RSpec 4 (and will
+  # have no way to turn it off -- the option exists only for backwards
+  # compatibility in RSpec 3). It causes shared context metadata to be
+  # inherited by the metadata hash of host groups and examples, rather than
+  # triggering implicit auto-inclusion in groups with matching metadata.
+  config.shared_context_metadata_behavior = :apply_to_host_groups
+
+# The settings below are suggested to provide a good initial experience
+# with RSpec, but feel free to customize to your heart's content.
+=begin
+  # This allows you to limit a spec run to individual examples or groups
+  # you care about by tagging them with `:focus` metadata. When nothing
+  # is tagged with `:focus`, all examples get run. RSpec also provides
+  # aliases for `it`, `describe`, and `context` that include `:focus`
+  # metadata: `fit`, `fdescribe` and `fcontext`, respectively.
+  config.filter_run_when_matching :focus
+
+  # Allows RSpec to persist some state between runs in order to support
+  # the `--only-failures` and `--next-failure` CLI options. We recommend
+  # you configure your source control system to ignore this file.
+  config.example_status_persistence_file_path = "spec/examples.txt"
+
+  # Limits the available syntax to the non-monkey patched syntax that is
+  # recommended. For more details, see:
+  #   - http://rspec.info/blog/2012/06/rspecs-new-expectation-syntax/
+  #   - http://www.teaisaweso.me/blog/2013/05/27/rspecs-new-message-expectation-syntax/
+  #   - http://rspec.info/blog/2014/05/notable-changes-in-rspec-3/#zero-monkey-patching-mode
+  config.disable_monkey_patching!
+
+  # This setting enables warnings. It's recommended, but in some cases may
+  # be too noisy due to issues in dependencies.
+  config.warnings = true
+
+  # Many RSpec users commonly either run the entire suite or an individual
+  # file, and it's useful to allow more verbose output when running an
+  # individual spec file.
+  if config.files_to_run.one?
+    # Use the documentation formatter for detailed output,
+    # unless a formatter has already been configured
+    # (e.g. via a command-line flag).
+    config.default_formatter = "doc"
+  end
+
+  # Print the 10 slowest examples and example groups at the
+  # end of the spec run, to help surface which specs are running
+  # particularly slow.
+  config.profile_examples = 10
+
+  # Run specs in random order to surface order dependencies. If you find an
+  # order dependency and want to debug it, you can fix the order by providing
+  # the seed, which is printed after each run.
+  #     --seed 1234
+  config.order = :random
+
+  # Seed global randomization in this process using the `--seed` CLI option.
+  # Setting this allows you to use `--seed` to deterministically reproduce
+  # test failures related to randomization by passing the same `--seed` value
+  # as the one that triggered the failure.
+  Kernel.srand config.seed
+=end
+end
diff --git a/spec/wit_spec.rb b/spec/wit_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a99c3aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/wit_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+require 'wit'
+RSpec.describe Wit do
+  context "req" do
+    let(:wit) { Wit.new(timeout: 3, access_token: 'some_token') }
+
+    it "raises Net::ReadTimeout exception" do
+      stub_request(:any, /https:\/\/api\.wit\.ai*+/)
+      .to_timeout
+
+      expect do
+        wit.message("some text message")
+      end.to raise_error(Net::OpenTimeout)
+    end
+
+    it "returns expected json" do
+      stub_request(:any, /https:\/\/api\.wit\.ai*+/)
+      .to_return(status: 200, body: {}.to_s, headers: {})
+
+      expect(wit.message("some text message")).to eq({})
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/wit.gemspec b/wit.gemspec
index 341bd85..1de5888 100644
--- a/wit.gemspec
+++ b/wit.gemspec
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
+require 'date'
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.name = 'wit'
-  s.version = '5.0.0'
+  s.version = '5.1.0'
   s.date = Date.today.to_s
   s.summary = 'Ruby SDK for Wit.ai'
   s.description = 'Ruby SDK for Wit.ai'
@@ -12,4 +13,9 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.required_ruby_version = '>= 1.9.3'
   s.require_paths = ['lib']
   s.files = `git ls-files`.split("\n")
+  s.add_development_dependency "bundler"
+  s.add_development_dependency "rake"
+  s.add_development_dependency "rspec"
+  s.add_development_dependency "pry"
+  s.add_development_dependency "webmock"
 end