diff --git a/lib/pubsub/index.js b/lib/pubsub/index.js
index 64d7b375c056..505be907c3d2 100644
--- a/lib/pubsub/index.js
+++ b/lib/pubsub/index.js
@@ -480,11 +480,16 @@ PubSub.prototype.subscribe = function(topic, subName, options, callback) {
  * @param {string} name - The name of the subscription.
  * @param {object=} options - Configuration object.
  * @param {boolean} options.autoAck - Automatically acknowledge the message once
- *     it's pulled.
+ *     it's pulled. (default: false)
  * @param {string} options.encoding - When pulling for messages, this type is
  *     used when converting a message's data to a string. (default: 'utf-8')
  * @param {number} options.interval - Interval in milliseconds to check for new
- *     messages.
+ *     messages. (default: 10)
+ * @param {number} options.maxInProgress - Maximum messages to consume
+ *     simultaneously.
+ * @param {number} options.timeout - Set a maximum amount of time in
+ *     milliseconds on an HTTP request to pull new messages to wait for a
+ *     response before the connection is broken.
  * @return {module:pubsub/subscription}
  *
  * @example
diff --git a/lib/pubsub/subscription.js b/lib/pubsub/subscription.js
index ec48d1a0b14a..46e4846b0db1 100644
--- a/lib/pubsub/subscription.js
+++ b/lib/pubsub/subscription.js
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ var util = require('../common/util.js');
  *
  * @param {module:pubsub} pubsub - PubSub object.
  * @param {object} options - Configuration object.
- * @param {boolean} options.autoAck - Automatically acknowledge the message
- *     once it's pulled. (default: false)
+ * @param {boolean} options.autoAck - Automatically acknowledge the message once
+ *     it's pulled. (default: false)
  * @param {string} options.encoding - When pulling for messages, this type is
  *     used when converting a message's data to a string. (default: 'utf-8')
  * @param {number} options.interval - Interval in milliseconds to check for new
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ var util = require('../common/util.js');
  * @param {string} options.name - Name of the subscription.
  * @param {number} options.maxInProgress - Maximum messages to consume
  *     simultaneously.
+ * @param {number} options.timeout - Set a maximum amount of time in
+ *     milliseconds on an HTTP request to pull new messages to wait for a
+ *     response before the connection is broken. (default: 90000)
  */
 /**
  * A Subscription object will give you access to your Google Cloud Pub/Sub
@@ -269,13 +272,16 @@ function Subscription(pubsub, options) {
 
   this.autoAck = is.boolean(options.autoAck) ? options.autoAck : false;
   this.closed = true;
-  this.interval = is.number(options.interval) ? options.interval : 10;
+  this.encoding = options.encoding || 'utf-8';
   this.inProgressAckIds = {};
+  this.interval = is.number(options.interval) ? options.interval : 10;
   this.maxInProgress =
     is.number(options.maxInProgress) ? options.maxInProgress : Infinity;
   this.messageListeners = 0;
   this.paused = false;
-  this.encoding = options.encoding || 'utf-8';
+  // The default timeout set used in this library is 60s, but a pull request
+  // times out around 90 seconds.
+  this.timeout = is.number(options.timeout) ? options.timeout : 90000;
 
   this.listenForEvents_();
 }
@@ -447,10 +453,10 @@ Subscription.prototype.delete = function(callback) {
  * @resource [Subscriptions: pull API Documentation]{@link https://cloud.google.com/pubsub/reference/rest/v1/projects.subscriptions/pull}
  *
  * @param {object=} options - Configuration object.
+ * @param {number} options.maxResults - Limit the amount of messages pulled.
  * @param {boolean} options.returnImmediately - If set, the system will respond
  *     immediately. Otherwise, wait until new messages are available. Returns if
  *     timeout is reached.
- * @param {number} options.maxResults - Limit the amount of messages pulled.
  * @param {function} callback - The callback function.
  *
  * @example
@@ -496,9 +502,7 @@ Subscription.prototype.pull = function(options, callback) {
   }
 
   this.request({
-    // The default timeout set used in this library is 60s, but a pull request
-    // times out around 90 seconds.
-    timeout: 90000,
+    timeout: this.timeout,
     method: 'POST',
     uri: ':pull',
     json: {
@@ -507,8 +511,15 @@ Subscription.prototype.pull = function(options, callback) {
     }
   }, function(err, response) {
     if (err) {
-      callback(err, null, response);
-      return;
+      if (err.code === 'ETIMEDOUT' && !err.connect) {
+        // Simulate a server timeout where no messages were received.
+        response = {
+          receivedMessages: []
+        };
+      } else {
+        callback(err, null, response);
+        return;
+      }
     }
 
     var messages = arrify(response.receivedMessages)
diff --git a/test/pubsub/subscription.js b/test/pubsub/subscription.js
index a953ce389ea9..f8700f4cdff4 100644
--- a/test/pubsub/subscription.js
+++ b/test/pubsub/subscription.js
@@ -116,13 +116,15 @@ describe('Subscription', function() {
         autoAck: true,
         interval: 100,
         maxInProgress: 3,
-        encoding: 'binary'
+        encoding: 'binary',
+        timeout: 30000
       };
       var sub = new Subscription(PUBSUB, CONFIG);
       assert.strictEqual(sub.autoAck, CONFIG.autoAck);
       assert.strictEqual(sub.interval, CONFIG.interval);
-      assert.strictEqual(sub.maxInProgress, 3);
       assert.strictEqual(sub.encoding, CONFIG.encoding);
+      assert.strictEqual(sub.maxInProgress, CONFIG.maxInProgress);
+      assert.strictEqual(sub.timeout, CONFIG.timeout);
     });
 
     it('should be closed', function() {
@@ -157,6 +159,10 @@ describe('Subscription', function() {
       assert.strictEqual(subscription.encoding, 'utf-8');
     });
 
+    it('should default timeout to 90 seconds', function() {
+      assert.strictEqual(subscription.timeout, 90000);
+    });
+
     it('should create an iam object', function() {
       assert.deepEqual(subscription.iam.calledWith_, [
         PUBSUB,
@@ -475,6 +481,22 @@ describe('Subscription', function() {
       subscription.pull({ maxResults: 1 }, assert.ifError);
     });
 
+    it('should pass a timeout if specified', function(done) {
+      var timeout = 90000;
+
+      var subscription = new Subscription(PUBSUB, {
+        name: SUB_NAME,
+        timeout: timeout
+      });
+
+      subscription.request = function(reqOpts) {
+        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.timeout, timeout);
+        done();
+      };
+
+      subscription.pull(assert.ifError);
+    });
+
     it('should pass error to callback', function(done) {
       var error = new Error('Error.');
       subscription.request = function(reqOpts, callback) {
@@ -486,6 +508,21 @@ describe('Subscription', function() {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should not return messages if request timed out', function(done) {
+      subscription.request = function(reqOpts, callback) {
+        var error = new Error();
+        error.code = 'ETIMEDOUT';
+        error.connect = false;
+        callback(error);
+      };
+
+      subscription.pull({}, function(err, messages) {
+        assert.ifError(err);
+        assert.deepEqual(messages, []);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should call formatMessage_ with encoding', function(done) {
       subscription.encoding = 'encoding-value';