diff --git a/src/main/scala/redis/Redis.scala b/src/main/scala/redis/Redis.scala
index 49530be9..5d48a867 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/redis/Redis.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/redis/Redis.scala
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import redis.api.pubsub._
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong
 import akka.event.Logging
 
+import scala.concurrent.duration.FiniteDuration
+
 trait RedisCommands
   extends Keys
   with Strings
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ trait RedisCommands
   with Server
   with HyperLogLog
 
-abstract class RedisClientActorLike(system: ActorSystem, redisDispatcher: RedisDispatcher) extends ActorRequest {
+abstract class RedisClientActorLike(system: ActorSystem, redisDispatcher: RedisDispatcher, connectTimeout: Option[FiniteDuration] = None) extends ActorRequest {
   var host: String
   var port: Int
   val name: String
@@ -31,9 +33,8 @@ abstract class RedisClientActorLike(system: ActorSystem, redisDispatcher: RedisD
   val db: Option[Int] = None
   implicit val executionContext = system.dispatchers.lookup(redisDispatcher.name)
 
-  val redisConnection: ActorRef = system.actorOf(
-    Props(classOf[RedisClientActor], new InetSocketAddress(host, port), getConnectOperations,
-      onConnectStatus, redisDispatcher.name)
+  val redisConnection: ActorRef = system.actorOf(RedisClientActor.props(new InetSocketAddress(host, port),
+    getConnectOperations, onConnectStatus, redisDispatcher.name, connectTimeout)
       .withDispatcher(redisDispatcher.name),
     name + '-' + Redis.tempName()
   )
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ abstract class RedisClientActorLike(system: ActorSystem, redisDispatcher: RedisD
     db.foreach(redis.select(_))
   }
 
-  def onConnectStatus(): (Boolean) => Unit = (status: Boolean) => {
+  def onConnectStatus: (Boolean) => Unit = (status: Boolean) => {
 
   }
 
@@ -76,10 +77,11 @@ case class RedisClient(var host: String = "localhost",
                        var port: Int = 6379,
                        override val password: Option[String] = None,
                        override val db: Option[Int] = None,
-                       name: String = "RedisClient")
+                       name: String = "RedisClient",
+                       connectTimeout: Option[FiniteDuration] = None)
                       (implicit _system: ActorSystem,
                        redisDispatcher: RedisDispatcher = Redis.dispatcher
-                      ) extends RedisClientActorLike(_system, redisDispatcher) with RedisCommands with Transactions {
+                      ) extends RedisClientActorLike(_system, redisDispatcher, connectTimeout) with RedisCommands with Transactions {
 
 }
 
@@ -87,10 +89,11 @@ case class RedisBlockingClient(var host: String = "localhost",
                                var port: Int = 6379,
                                override val password: Option[String] = None,
                                override val db: Option[Int] = None,
-                               name: String = "RedisBlockingClient")
+                               name: String = "RedisBlockingClient",
+                               connectTimeout: Option[FiniteDuration] = None)
                               (implicit _system: ActorSystem,
                                redisDispatcher: RedisDispatcher = Redis.dispatcher
-                              ) extends RedisClientActorLike(_system, redisDispatcher) with BLists {
+                              ) extends RedisClientActorLike(_system, redisDispatcher, connectTimeout) with BLists {
 }
 
 case class RedisPubSub(
diff --git a/src/main/scala/redis/RedisPool.scala b/src/main/scala/redis/RedisPool.scala
index 00be014b..53b4e26b 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/redis/RedisPool.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/redis/RedisPool.scala
@@ -77,10 +77,9 @@ abstract class RedisClientPoolLike(system: ActorSystem, redisDispatcher: RedisDi
   }
 
   def makeRedisClientActor(server: RedisServer, active: Ref[Boolean]): ActorRef = {
-    system.actorOf(
-      Props(classOf[RedisClientActor], new InetSocketAddress(server.host, server.port),
-        getConnectOperations(server), onConnectStatus(server, active), redisDispatcher.name)
-        .withDispatcher(redisDispatcher.name),
+    system.actorOf(RedisClientActor.props(new InetSocketAddress(server.host, server.port),
+      getConnectOperations(server), onConnectStatus(server, active), redisDispatcher.name)
+      .withDispatcher(redisDispatcher.name),
       name + '-' + Redis.tempName()
     )
   }
diff --git a/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisClientActor.scala b/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisClientActor.scala
index bbaaeec8..5279714b 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisClientActor.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisClientActor.scala
@@ -1,14 +1,26 @@
 package redis.actors
 
-import akka.util.{ByteString, ByteStringBuilder}
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress
-import redis.{RedisDispatcher, Redis, Operation, Transaction}
+
+import akka.actor.SupervisorStrategy.Stop
 import akka.actor._
+import akka.util.{ByteString, ByteStringBuilder}
+import redis.{Operation, Transaction}
+
 import scala.collection.mutable
-import akka.actor.SupervisorStrategy.Stop
+import scala.concurrent.duration.FiniteDuration
+
+object RedisClientActor {
+
+  def props( address: InetSocketAddress, getConnectOperations: () => Seq[Operation[_, _]],
+             onConnectStatus: Boolean => Unit,
+             dispatcherName: String,
+             connectTimeout: Option[FiniteDuration] = None) =
+    Props(new RedisClientActor(address, getConnectOperations, onConnectStatus, dispatcherName, connectTimeout))
+}
 
 class RedisClientActor(override val address: InetSocketAddress, getConnectOperations: () =>
-    Seq[Operation[_, _]], onConnectStatus: Boolean => Unit, dispatcherName: String) extends RedisWorkerIO(address,onConnectStatus) {
+  Seq[Operation[_, _]], onConnectStatus: Boolean => Unit, dispatcherName: String, connectTimeout: Option[FiniteDuration] = None) extends RedisWorkerIO(address, onConnectStatus, connectTimeout) {
 
 
   import context._
@@ -24,7 +36,7 @@ class RedisClientActor(override val address: InetSocketAddress, getConnectOperat
   var queuePromises = mutable.Queue[Operation[_, _]]()
 
   def writing: Receive = {
-    case op : Operation[_,_] =>
+    case op: Operation[_, _] =>
       queuePromises enqueue op
       write(op.redisCommand.encodedRequest)
     case Transaction(commands) => {
diff --git a/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisWorkerIO.scala b/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisWorkerIO.scala
index 6ceb514e..32202217 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisWorkerIO.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/redis/actors/RedisWorkerIO.scala
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ import akka.io.Tcp.Register
 import akka.io.Tcp.Connect
 import akka.io.Tcp.CommandFailed
 import akka.io.Tcp.Received
+import scala.concurrent.duration.FiniteDuration
 
-abstract class RedisWorkerIO(val address: InetSocketAddress, onConnectStatus: Boolean => Unit ) extends Actor with ActorLogging {
+abstract class RedisWorkerIO(val address: InetSocketAddress, onConnectStatus: Boolean => Unit, connectTimeout: Option[FiniteDuration] = None) extends Actor with ActorLogging {
 
   private var currAddress = address
 
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ abstract class RedisWorkerIO(val address: InetSocketAddress, onConnectStatus: Bo
     log.info(s"Connect to $currAddress")
     // Create a new InetSocketAddress to clear the cached IP address.
     currAddress = new InetSocketAddress(currAddress.getHostName, currAddress.getPort)
-    tcp ! Connect(currAddress, options = SO.KeepAlive(on = true) :: Nil)
+    tcp ! Connect(remoteAddress = currAddress, options = SO.KeepAlive(on = true) :: Nil, timeout = connectTimeout)
   }
 
   def reconnect() = {