diff --git a/etcdctl/command/auth_commands.go b/etcdctl/command/auth_commands.go
index 2ee483fab7e..4724847537a 100644
--- a/etcdctl/command/auth_commands.go
+++ b/etcdctl/command/auth_commands.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func authEnableDisable(c *cli.Context, enable bool) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	s := mustNewAuthAPI(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	var err error
 	if enable {
 		err = s.Enable(ctx)
diff --git a/etcdctl/command/member_commands.go b/etcdctl/command/member_commands.go
index be59886bd7a..f1d5fe2d4ed 100644
--- a/etcdctl/command/member_commands.go
+++ b/etcdctl/command/member_commands.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/codegangsta/cli"
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
-	"github.com/coreos/etcd/client"
 )
 
 func NewMemberCommand() cli.Command {
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ func actionMemberList(c *cli.Context) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	mAPI := mustNewMembersAPI(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	members, err := mAPI.List(ctx)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ func actionMemberAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 	mAPI := mustNewMembersAPI(c)
 
 	url := args[1]
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	m, err := mAPI.Add(ctx, url)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ func actionMemberAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 	newName := args[0]
 	fmt.Printf("Added member named %s with ID %s to cluster\n", newName, newID)
 
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	members, err := mAPI.List(ctx)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ func actionMemberRemove(c *cli.Context) {
 
 	mAPI := mustNewMembersAPI(c)
 	// Get the list of members.
-	listctx, listCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	listctx, listCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	members, err := mAPI.List(listctx)
 	listCancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@ func actionMemberRemove(c *cli.Context) {
 	}
 
 	// Actually attempt to remove the member.
-	ctx, removeCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, removeCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	err = mAPI.Remove(ctx, removalID)
 	removeCancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -180,7 +179,7 @@ func actionMemberUpdate(c *cli.Context) {
 
 	mid := args[0]
 	urls := args[1]
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	err := mAPI.Update(ctx, mid, strings.Split(urls, ","))
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/etcdctl/command/role_commands.go b/etcdctl/command/role_commands.go
index 2b3ed240111..100b34254aa 100644
--- a/etcdctl/command/role_commands.go
+++ b/etcdctl/command/role_commands.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func actionRoleList(c *cli.Context) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	r := mustNewAuthRoleAPI(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	roles, err := r.ListRoles(ctx)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -108,14 +108,14 @@ func actionRoleList(c *cli.Context) {
 
 func actionRoleAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, role := mustRoleAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	currentRole, err := api.GetRole(ctx, role)
 	cancel()
 	if currentRole != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Role %s already exists\n", role)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	err = api.AddRole(ctx, role)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func actionRoleAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 
 func actionRoleRemove(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, role := mustRoleAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	err := api.RemoveRole(ctx, role)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -182,14 +182,14 @@ func roleGrantRevoke(c *cli.Context, grant bool) {
 	}
 
 	api, role := mustRoleAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	currentRole, err := api.GetRole(ctx, role)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err.Error())
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	var newRole *client.Role
 	if grant {
 		newRole, err = api.GrantRoleKV(ctx, role, []string{path}, permType)
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func roleGrantRevoke(c *cli.Context, grant bool) {
 func actionRoleGet(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, rolename := mustRoleAPIAndName(c)
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	role, err := api.GetRole(ctx, rolename)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/etcdctl/command/user_commands.go b/etcdctl/command/user_commands.go
index 5596fe78b6b..6cb1d3ef7ad 100644
--- a/etcdctl/command/user_commands.go
+++ b/etcdctl/command/user_commands.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func actionUserList(c *cli.Context) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	u := mustNewAuthUserAPI(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	users, err := u.ListUsers(ctx)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func actionUserList(c *cli.Context) {
 
 func actionUserAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, user := mustUserAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	currentUser, err := api.GetUser(ctx, user)
 	cancel()
 	if currentUser != nil {
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func actionUserAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Error reading password:", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	err = api.AddUser(ctx, user, pass)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func actionUserAdd(c *cli.Context) {
 
 func actionUserRemove(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, user := mustUserAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	err := api.RemoveUser(ctx, user)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func actionUserRemove(c *cli.Context) {
 
 func actionUserPasswd(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, user := mustUserAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	currentUser, err := api.GetUser(ctx, user)
 	cancel()
 	if currentUser == nil {
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func actionUserPasswd(c *cli.Context) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	_, err = api.ChangePassword(ctx, user, pass)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func userGrantRevoke(c *cli.Context, grant bool) {
 	}
 
 	api, user := mustUserAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	currentUser, err := api.GetUser(ctx, user)
 	cancel()
 	if currentUser == nil {
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func userGrantRevoke(c *cli.Context, grant bool) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	var newUser *client.User
 	if grant {
 		newUser, err = api.GrantUser(ctx, user, roles)
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func userGrantRevoke(c *cli.Context, grant bool) {
 
 func actionUserGet(c *cli.Context) {
 	api, username := mustUserAPIAndName(c)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 	user, err := api.GetUser(ctx, username)
 	cancel()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/etcdctl/command/util.go b/etcdctl/command/util.go
index 0e9b5155838..ed615e70e0e 100644
--- a/etcdctl/command/util.go
+++ b/etcdctl/command/util.go
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func mustNewClient(c *cli.Context) client.Client {
 		if debug {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "start to sync cluster using endpoints(%s)\n", strings.Join(hc.Endpoints(), ","))
 		}
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), client.DefaultRequestTimeout)
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), c.GlobalDuration("total-timeout"))
 		err := hc.Sync(ctx)
 		cancel()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/etcdctl/main.go b/etcdctl/main.go
index da30af69c21..5854bdbfab6 100644
--- a/etcdctl/main.go
+++ b/etcdctl/main.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ func main() {
 		cli.StringFlag{Name: "ca-file", Value: "", Usage: "verify certificates of HTTPS-enabled servers using this CA bundle"},
 		cli.StringFlag{Name: "username, u", Value: "", Usage: "provide username[:password] and prompt if password is not supplied."},
 		cli.DurationFlag{Name: "timeout", Value: time.Second, Usage: "connection timeout per request"},
+		cli.DurationFlag{Name: "total-timeout", Value: time.Second * 5, Usage: "timeout of entire RPC execution"},
 	}
 	app.Commands = []cli.Command{
 		command.NewBackupCommand(),