diff --git a/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/CassandraContext.java b/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/CassandraContext.java
index b370fd0..07344eb 100644
--- a/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/CassandraContext.java
+++ b/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/CassandraContext.java
@@ -109,6 +109,36 @@ public ConsistencyLevel rdfWriteConsistency() {
         return rdfWriteConsistency;
     }
 
+    @Inject
+    @Config(value = { "cassandra.connectionTimeout", "CASSANDRA_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT" }, defaultValue = "5000")
+    private int connectTimeoutMillis;
+
+    @Inject
+    @Config(value = { "cassandra.readTimeout", "CASSANDRA_READ_TIMEOUT" }, defaultValue = "12000")
+    private int readTimeoutMillis;
+
+    /**
+     * The timeout for making a connection to Cassandra, in ms. *
+     * 
+     * @see SocketOptions#setReadTimeoutMillis(int)
+     */
+    @Produces
+    @ConnectionTimeout
+    private int connectTimeoutMillis() {
+        return connectTimeoutMillis;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The timeout for reading from a connection to Cassandra, in ms.
+     * 
+     * @see SocketOptions#setConnectTimeoutMillis(int)
+     */
+    @Produces
+    @ReadTimeout
+    private int readTimeoutMillis() {
+        return readTimeoutMillis;
+    }
+
     private Cluster cluster;
 
     private Session session;
@@ -129,10 +159,13 @@ public ConsistencyLevel rdfWriteConsistency() {
     @PostConstruct
     public void connect() {
         log.info("Using Cassandra node address: {} and port: {}", contactAddress, contactPort);
+        log.info("Using connection timeout: {} and read timeout: { in ms.}", connectTimeoutMillis, readTimeoutMillis);
         log.debug("Looking for connection...");
+        SocketOptions socketOptions = new SocketOptions().setConnectTimeoutMillis(connectTimeoutMillis)
+                        .setReadTimeoutMillis(readTimeoutMillis);
         this.cluster = Cluster.builder().withTimestampGenerator(new AtomicMonotonicTimestampGenerator())
                         .withoutJMXReporting().withoutMetrics().addContactPoint(contactAddress)
-                        .withPort(parseInt(contactPort)).build();
+                        .withPort(parseInt(contactPort)).withSocketOptions(socketOptions).build();
         if (log.isDebugEnabled()) cluster.register(QueryLogger.builder().build());
         cluster.getConfiguration().getCodecRegistry().register(STANDARD_CODECS);
         Timer connector = new Timer("Cassandra Connection Maker", true);
diff --git a/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/ConnectionTimeout.java b/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/ConnectionTimeout.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..58f6ec9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/ConnectionTimeout.java
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package edu.si.trellis;
+
+import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME;
+
+import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+
+import javax.inject.Qualifier;
+
+/**
+ * The timeout for making a connection to Cassandra, in ms.
+ */
+@Documented
+@Retention(RUNTIME)
+@Qualifier
+public @interface ConnectionTimeout {}
diff --git a/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/ReadTimeout.java b/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/ReadTimeout.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e7b24a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/src/main/java/edu/si/trellis/ReadTimeout.java
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package edu.si.trellis;
+
+import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME;
+
+import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+
+import javax.inject.Qualifier;
+
+/**
+ * The timeout for reading from a connection to Cassandra, in ms.
+ */
+@Documented
+@Retention(RUNTIME)
+@Qualifier
+public @interface ReadTimeout {
+
+}