diff --git a/helix-core/src/syntax.rs b/helix-core/src/syntax.rs
index 9208f0e8e..b20d9092f 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/syntax.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/syntax.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ where
     Ok(Option::<AutoPairConfig>::deserialize(deserializer)?.and_then(AutoPairConfig::into))
 }
 
+fn default_timeout() -> u64 {
+    20
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Configuration {
     pub language: Vec<LanguageConfiguration>,
@@ -116,6 +120,8 @@ pub struct LanguageServerConfiguration {
     #[serde(default)]
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
     pub args: Vec<String>,
+    #[serde(default = "default_timeout")]
+    pub timeout: u64,
     pub language_id: Option<String>,
 }
 
diff --git a/helix-lsp/src/client.rs b/helix-lsp/src/client.rs
index 4bfa2f643..08201b3f4 100644
--- a/helix-lsp/src/client.rs
+++ b/helix-lsp/src/client.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pub struct Client {
     root_path: Option<std::path::PathBuf>,
     root_uri: Option<lsp::Url>,
     workspace_folders: Vec<lsp::WorkspaceFolder>,
+    req_timeout: u64,
 }
 
 impl Client {
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ impl Client {
         config: Option<Value>,
         root_markers: &[String],
         id: usize,
+        req_timeout: u64,
     ) -> Result<(Self, UnboundedReceiver<(usize, Call)>, Arc<Notify>)> {
         // Resolve path to the binary
         let cmd = which::which(cmd).map_err(|err| anyhow::anyhow!(err))?;
@@ -97,6 +99,7 @@ impl Client {
             capabilities: OnceCell::new(),
             offset_encoding: OffsetEncoding::Utf8,
             config,
+            req_timeout,
 
             root_path,
             root_uri,
@@ -170,6 +173,7 @@ impl Client {
     {
         let server_tx = self.server_tx.clone();
         let id = self.next_request_id();
+        let timeout_secs = self.req_timeout;
 
         async move {
             use std::time::Duration;
@@ -193,8 +197,8 @@ impl Client {
                 })
                 .map_err(|e| Error::Other(e.into()))?;
 
-            // TODO: specifiable timeout, delay other calls until initialize success
-            timeout(Duration::from_secs(20), rx.recv())
+            // TODO: delay other calls until initialize success
+            timeout(Duration::from_secs(timeout_secs), rx.recv())
                 .await
                 .map_err(|_| Error::Timeout)? // return Timeout
                 .ok_or(Error::StreamClosed)?
diff --git a/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs b/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs
index aeda16d0d..84fb00fe7 100644
--- a/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs
+++ b/helix-lsp/src/lib.rs
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ impl Registry {
                     language_config.config.clone(),
                     &language_config.roots,
                     id,
+                    config.timeout,
                 )?;
                 self.incoming.push(UnboundedReceiverStream::new(incoming));
                 let client = Arc::new(client);