diff --git a/crates/core/src/types/config.rs b/crates/core/src/types/config.rs
index bb883603..1396396d 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/types/config.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/types/config.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,21 @@ pub struct NetworkConfig {
     pub network_passphrase: String,
     /// History archive URL(s).
     pub archive_urls: Vec<String>,
+    /// Per-request timeout in seconds for all RPC calls.
+    ///
+    /// Any request that does not receive a complete response within this
+    /// window is cancelled and returns [`crate::types::error::PrismError::NetworkTimeout`].
+    /// Defaults to [`DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS`] (30 s) when deserializing
+    /// configs that do not specify this field.
+    #[serde(default = "default_request_timeout_secs")]
+    pub request_timeout_secs: u64,
+}
+
+/// Default per-request timeout: 30 seconds.
+pub const DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS: u64 = 30;
+
+fn default_request_timeout_secs() -> u64 {
+    DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS
 }
 
 impl NetworkConfig {
@@ -50,6 +65,7 @@ impl NetworkConfig {
             archive_urls: vec![
                 "https://history.stellar.org/prd/core-testnet/core_testnet_001".to_string(),
             ],
+            request_timeout_secs: DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS,
         }
     }
 
@@ -62,6 +78,7 @@ impl NetworkConfig {
             archive_urls: vec![
                 "https://history.stellar.org/prd/core-live/core_live_001".to_string()
             ],
+            request_timeout_secs: DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS,
         }
     }
 
@@ -72,6 +89,7 @@ impl NetworkConfig {
             rpc_url: "https://rpc-futurenet.stellar.org".to_string(),
             network_passphrase: "Test SDF Future Network ; October 2022".to_string(),
             archive_urls: vec!["https://history-futurenet.stellar.org".to_string()],
+            request_timeout_secs: DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS,
         }
     }
 
@@ -82,6 +100,7 @@ impl NetworkConfig {
             rpc_url: rpc_url.to_string(),
             network_passphrase: passphrase.to_string(),
             archive_urls: Vec::new(),
+            request_timeout_secs: DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/core/src/types/error.rs b/crates/core/src/types/error.rs
index cbd3fc3b..acc9e93d 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/types/error.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/types/error.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ use std::fmt;
 /// Top-level error type for all Prism operations.
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum PrismError {
+    /// A network request exceeded the configured timeout duration.
+    NetworkTimeout { method: String, timeout_secs: u64 },
     /// Error communicating with the Soroban RPC endpoint.
     RpcError(String),
     /// Error fetching or parsing history archive data.
@@ -34,6 +36,9 @@ pub enum PrismError {
 impl fmt::Display for PrismError {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
+            Self::NetworkTimeout { method, timeout_secs } => {
+                write!(f, "RPC request timed out after {timeout_secs}s (method: {method})")
+            }
             Self::RpcError(msg) => write!(f, "RPC error: {msg}"),
             Self::ArchiveError(msg) => write!(f, "Archive error: {msg}"),
             Self::XdrError(msg) => write!(f, "XDR error: {msg}"),