diff --git a/scripts/rpc.py b/scripts/rpc.py
index d22033486..2e07eb690 100755
--- a/scripts/rpc.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc.py
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument('-p', dest='port',
                         help='RPC port number (if server_addr is IP address)',
                         default=5260, type=int)
+    parser.add_argument('-t', dest='timeout',
+                        help='Timout as a floating point number expressed in seconds waiting for reponse. Default: 60.0',
+                        default=60.0, type=float)
     parser.add_argument('-v', dest='verbose',
                         help='Verbose mode', action='store_true')
     subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(help='RPC methods')
@@ -503,5 +506,5 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    args.client = rpc.client.JSONRPCClient(args.server_addr, args.port, args.verbose)
+    args.client = rpc.client.JSONRPCClient(args.server_addr, args.port, args.verbose, args.timeout)
     args.func(args)
diff --git a/scripts/rpc/client.py b/scripts/rpc/client.py
index 5756365eb..1f318c2b7 100755
--- a/scripts/rpc/client.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc/client.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import json
 import socket
+import time
 
 try:
     from shlex import quote
@@ -20,8 +21,9 @@ def int_arg(arg):
 
 
 class JSONRPCClient(object):
-    def __init__(self, addr, port=None, verbose=False):
+    def __init__(self, addr, port=None, verbose=False, timeout=60.0):
         self.verbose = verbose
+        self.timeout = timeout
         if addr.startswith('/'):
             self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
             self.sock.connect(addr)
@@ -56,13 +58,23 @@ class JSONRPCClient(object):
         buf = ''
         closed = False
         response = {}
+        start_time = time.clock()
+
         while not closed:
-            newdata = self.sock.recv(4096)
-            if (newdata == b''):
-                closed = True
-            buf += newdata
             try:
+                timeout = self.timeout - (time.clock() - start_time)
+                if timeout <= 0.0:
+                    break
+
+                self.sock.settimeout(timeout)
+                newdata = self.sock.recv(4096)
+                if (newdata == b''):
+                    closed = True
+
+                buf += newdata
                 response = json.loads(buf)
+            except socket.timeout:
+                break
             except ValueError:
                 continue  # incomplete response; keep buffering
             break
@@ -70,7 +82,10 @@ class JSONRPCClient(object):
         if not response:
             if method == "kill_instance":
                 exit(0)
-            print "Connection closed with partial response:"
+            if closed:
+                print "Connection closed with partial response:"
+            else:
+                print "Timeout while waiting for response:"
             print buf
             exit(1)