diff --git a/hugolib/config.go b/hugolib/config.go
index 1bed9c0d9c8..e29d6ac9f92 100644
--- a/hugolib/config.go
+++ b/hugolib/config.go
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ func loadDefaultSettingsFor(v *viper.Viper) error {
 	v.SetDefault("disableAliases", false)
 	v.SetDefault("debug", false)
 	v.SetDefault("disableFastRender", false)
-	v.SetDefault("timeout", 30000) // 30 seconds
+	v.SetDefault("timeout", "30s")
 	v.SetDefault("enableInlineShortcodes", false)
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/hugolib/image_test.go b/hugolib/image_test.go
index d0bff75a2ff..9568c17f8c8 100644
--- a/hugolib/image_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/image_test.go
@@ -35,11 +35,12 @@ func TestImageOps(t *testing.T) {
 	c.Assert(err, qt.IsNil)
 	defer clean()
 
-	newBuilder := func() *sitesBuilder {
+	newBuilder := func(timeout string) *sitesBuilder {
 
 		v := viper.New()
 		v.Set("workingDir", workDir)
 		v.Set("baseURL", "https://example.org")
+		v.Set("timeout", timeout)
 
 		b := newTestSitesBuilder(t).WithWorkingDir(workDir)
 		b.Fs = hugofs.NewDefault(v)
@@ -49,9 +50,17 @@ func TestImageOps(t *testing.T) {
 title: "My bundle"
 ---
 
+{{< imgproc >}}
+
 `)
 
-		b.WithTemplatesAdded("index.html", `
+		b.WithTemplatesAdded(
+			"shortcodes/imgproc.html", `
+{{ $img := resources.Get "images/sunset.jpg" }}
+{{ $r := $img.Resize "129x239" }}
+IMG SHORTCODE: {{ $r.RelPermalink }}/{{ $r.Width }}
+`,
+			"index.html", `
 {{ $p := .Site.GetPage "mybundle" }}
 {{ $img1 := resources.Get "images/sunset.jpg" }}
 {{ $img2 := $p.Resources.GetMatch "sunset.jpg" }}
@@ -83,7 +92,7 @@ BG3: {{ $blurryGrayscale3.RelPermalink }}/{{ $blurryGrayscale3.Width }}
 {{ $blurryGrayscale4 := $r.Filter $filters }}
 BG4: {{ $blurryGrayscale4.RelPermalink }}/{{ $blurryGrayscale4.Width }}
 
-
+{{ $p.Content }}
 
 `)
 
@@ -112,8 +121,8 @@ BG4: {{ $blurryGrayscale4.RelPermalink }}/{{ $blurryGrayscale4.Width }}
 	out.Close()
 	src.Close()
 
-	b := newBuilder()
-	b.Build(BuildCfg{})
+	// First build it with a very short timeout to trigger errors.
+	b := newBuilder("1ns")
 
 	imgExpect := `
 Resized1: images/sunset.jpg|123|234|image/jpg|/images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_123x234_resize_q75_box.jpg|
@@ -126,16 +135,29 @@ BG1: /images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_2ae8bb993431ec1aec4
 BG2: /images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_2ae8bb993431ec1aec40fe59927b46b4.jpg/123
 BG3: /images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_ed7740a90b82802261c2fbdb98bc8082.jpg/123
 BG4: /images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_ed7740a90b82802261c2fbdb98bc8082.jpg/123
+IMG SHORTCODE: /images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_129x239_resize_q75_box.jpg/129
 `
 
-	b.AssertFileContent(filepath.Join(workDir, "public/index.html"), imgExpect)
-	b.AssertImage(350, 219, "public/images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_350x0_resize_q75_box.a86fe88d894e5db613f6aa8a80538fefc25b20fa24ba0d782c057adcef616f56.jpg")
+	assertImages := func() {
+		b.AssertFileContent(filepath.Join(workDir, "public/index.html"), imgExpect)
+		b.AssertImage(350, 219, "public/images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_350x0_resize_q75_box.a86fe88d894e5db613f6aa8a80538fefc25b20fa24ba0d782c057adcef616f56.jpg")
+		b.AssertImage(129, 239, "public/images/sunset_hu59e56ffff1bc1d8d122b1403d34e039f_90587_129x239_resize_q75_box.jpg")
+	}
+
+	err = b.BuildE(BuildCfg{})
+	c.Assert(err, qt.Not(qt.IsNil))
+	assertImages()
+
+	b = newBuilder("30s")
+	b.Build(BuildCfg{})
+
+	assertImages()
 
 	// Build it again to make sure we read images from file cache.
-	b = newBuilder()
+	b = newBuilder("30s")
 	b.Build(BuildCfg{})
 
-	b.AssertFileContent(filepath.Join(workDir, "public/index.html"), imgExpect)
+	assertImages()
 
 }
 
diff --git a/hugolib/site.go b/hugolib/site.go
index 0b45c4803d4..0ec7a36af92 100644
--- a/hugolib/site.go
+++ b/hugolib/site.go
@@ -410,10 +410,23 @@ func newSite(cfg deps.DepsCfg) (*Site, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	timeout := 30 * time.Second
+	if cfg.Language.IsSet("timeout") {
+		switch v := cfg.Language.Get("timeout").(type) {
+		case int:
+			timeout = time.Duration(v) * time.Millisecond
+		case string:
+			d, err := time.ParseDuration(v)
+			if err == nil {
+				timeout = d
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	siteConfig := siteConfigHolder{
 		sitemap:          config.DecodeSitemap(config.Sitemap{Priority: -1, Filename: "sitemap.xml"}, cfg.Language.GetStringMap("sitemap")),
 		taxonomiesConfig: taxonomies,
-		timeout:          time.Duration(cfg.Language.GetInt("timeout")) * time.Millisecond,
+		timeout:          timeout,
 		hasCJKLanguage:   cfg.Language.GetBool("hasCJKLanguage"),
 		enableEmoji:      cfg.Language.Cfg.GetBool("enableEmoji"),
 	}