diff --git a/lib/src/sparql/http/dummy.rs b/lib/src/sparql/http/dummy.rs
index 37497456..739cf8e1 100644
--- a/lib/src/sparql/http/dummy.rs
+++ b/lib/src/sparql/http/dummy.rs
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 use crate::error::invalid_input_error;
 use std::io;
 use std::io::{BufRead, Empty, Read, Result};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 pub struct Client {}
 
 impl Client {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
+    pub fn new(_timeout: Option<Duration>) -> Self {
         Self {}
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/sparql/http/simple.rs b/lib/src/sparql/http/simple.rs
index aa278d05..bc69628a 100644
--- a/lib/src/sparql/http/simple.rs
+++ b/lib/src/sparql/http/simple.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
 use crate::error::{invalid_data_error, invalid_input_error};
 use oxhttp::model::{Body, HeaderName, Method, Request};
-use std::io::{Read, Result};
+use std::io::Result;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+const USER_AGENT: &str = concat!("Oxigraph/", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"));
 
-#[derive(Default)]
 pub struct Client {
     client: oxhttp::Client,
 }
 
 impl Client {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
-        Self::default()
+    pub fn new(timeout: Option<Duration>) -> Self {
+        let mut client = oxhttp::Client::new();
+        client.set_global_timeout(timeout);
+        Self { client }
     }
 
     pub fn get(&self, url: &str, accept: &str) -> Result<(String, Body)> {
@@ -20,9 +24,7 @@ impl Client {
         );
         request.headers_mut().append(
             HeaderName::USER_AGENT,
-            concat!("Oxigraph/", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"))
-                .parse()
-                .map_err(invalid_input_error)?,
+            USER_AGENT.parse().map_err(invalid_input_error)?,
         );
         let response = self.client.request(request)?;
         let content_type = response
@@ -49,9 +51,7 @@ impl Client {
         );
         request.headers_mut().append(
             HeaderName::USER_AGENT,
-            concat!("Oxigraph/", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"))
-                .parse()
-                .map_err(invalid_input_error)?,
+            USER_AGENT.parse().map_err(invalid_input_error)?,
         );
         request.headers_mut().append(
             HeaderName::CONTENT_TYPE,
diff --git a/lib/src/sparql/mod.rs b/lib/src/sparql/mod.rs
index 41c639f4..0042421e 100644
--- a/lib/src/sparql/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/src/sparql/mod.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ use crate::storage::Storage;
 pub use spargebra::ParseError;
 use std::convert::TryInto;
 use std::rc::Rc;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
+#[allow(clippy::needless_pass_by_value)]
 pub(crate) fn evaluate_query(
     storage: Storage,
     query: impl TryInto<Query, Error = impl Into<EvaluationError>>,
@@ -50,7 +52,7 @@ pub(crate) fn evaluate_query(
             Ok(SimpleEvaluator::new(
                 Rc::new(dataset),
                 base_iri.map(Rc::new),
-                options.service_handler,
+                options.service_handler(),
             )
             .evaluate_select_plan(
                 &plan,
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ pub(crate) fn evaluate_query(
             SimpleEvaluator::new(
                 Rc::new(dataset),
                 base_iri.map(Rc::new),
-                options.service_handler,
+                options.service_handler(),
             )
             .evaluate_ask_plan(&plan)
         }
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ pub(crate) fn evaluate_query(
             Ok(SimpleEvaluator::new(
                 Rc::new(dataset),
                 base_iri.map(Rc::new),
-                options.service_handler,
+                options.service_handler(),
             )
             .evaluate_construct_plan(&plan, construct))
         }
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@ pub(crate) fn evaluate_query(
             Ok(SimpleEvaluator::new(
                 Rc::new(dataset),
                 base_iri.map(Rc::new),
-                options.service_handler,
+                options.service_handler(),
             )
             .evaluate_describe_plan(&plan))
         }
@@ -109,18 +111,16 @@ pub(crate) fn evaluate_query(
 /// a simple HTTP 1.1 client is used to execute [SPARQL 1.1 Federated Query](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-federated-query/) SERVICE calls.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct QueryOptions {
-    pub(crate) service_handler: Rc<dyn ServiceHandler<Error = EvaluationError>>,
+    pub(crate) service_handler: Option<Rc<dyn ServiceHandler<Error = EvaluationError>>>,
+    http_timeout: Option<Duration>,
 }
 
 impl Default for QueryOptions {
     #[inline]
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
-            service_handler: if cfg!(feature = "http_client") {
-                Rc::new(service::SimpleServiceHandler::new())
-            } else {
-                Rc::new(EmptyServiceHandler)
-            },
+            service_handler: None,
+            http_timeout: None,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -129,16 +129,35 @@ impl QueryOptions {
     /// Use a given [`ServiceHandler`] to execute [SPARQL 1.1 Federated Query](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-federated-query/) SERVICE calls.
     #[inline]
     pub fn with_service_handler(mut self, service_handler: impl ServiceHandler + 'static) -> Self {
-        self.service_handler = Rc::new(ErrorConversionServiceHandler::wrap(service_handler));
+        self.service_handler = Some(Rc::new(ErrorConversionServiceHandler::wrap(
+            service_handler,
+        )));
         self
     }
 
     /// Disables the `SERVICE` calls
     #[inline]
     pub fn without_service_handler(mut self) -> Self {
-        self.service_handler = Rc::new(EmptyServiceHandler);
+        self.service_handler = Some(Rc::new(EmptyServiceHandler));
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Sets a timeout for HTTP requests done during SPARQL evaluation
+    #[cfg(feature = "http_client")]
+    pub fn with_http_timeout(mut self, timeout: Duration) -> Self {
+        self.http_timeout = Some(timeout);
         self
     }
+
+    fn service_handler(&self) -> Rc<dyn ServiceHandler<Error = EvaluationError>> {
+        self.service_handler.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            if cfg!(feature = "http_client") {
+                Rc::new(service::SimpleServiceHandler::new(self.http_timeout))
+            } else {
+                Rc::new(EmptyServiceHandler)
+            }
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 /// Options for SPARQL update evaluation
diff --git a/lib/src/sparql/service.rs b/lib/src/sparql/service.rs
index 539d5af8..1571842a 100644
--- a/lib/src/sparql/service.rs
+++ b/lib/src/sparql/service.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use crate::sparql::model::QueryResults;
 use crate::sparql::QueryResultsFormat;
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::io::BufReader;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 /// Handler for [SPARQL 1.1 Federated Query](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-federated-query/) SERVICE.
 ///
@@ -96,9 +97,9 @@ pub struct SimpleServiceHandler {
 }
 
 impl SimpleServiceHandler {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
+    pub fn new(http_timeout: Option<Duration>) -> Self {
         Self {
-            client: Client::new(),
+            client: Client::new(http_timeout),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/sparql/update.rs b/lib/src/sparql/update.rs
index 9603ff79..cdd0647c 100644
--- a/lib/src/sparql/update.rs
+++ b/lib/src/sparql/update.rs
@@ -40,11 +40,12 @@ impl<'a> SimpleUpdateEvaluator<'a> {
         base_iri: Option<Rc<Iri<String>>>,
         options: UpdateOptions,
     ) -> Self {
+        let client = Client::new(options.query_options.http_timeout);
         Self {
             storage,
             base_iri,
             options,
-            client: Client::new(),
+            client,
         }
     }
 
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ impl<'a> SimpleUpdateEvaluator<'a> {
         let evaluator = SimpleEvaluator::new(
             dataset.clone(),
             self.base_iri.clone(),
-            self.options.query_options.service_handler.clone(),
+            self.options.query_options.service_handler(),
         );
         let mut bnodes = HashMap::new();
         for tuple in evaluator.plan_evaluator(&plan)(EncodedTuple::with_capacity(variables.len())) {