diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 76bf87e..c2203e3 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package mysqlproto
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"net"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type Conn struct {
@@ -12,10 +14,11 @@ type Conn struct {
 
 var ErrNoStream = errors.New("mysqlproto: stream is not set")
 
-func ConnectPlainHandshake(rw io.ReadWriteCloser, capabilityFlags uint32,
+func ConnectPlainHandshake(rw net.Conn, capabilityFlags uint32,
 	username, password, database string,
-	connectAttrs map[string]string) (Conn, error) {
-	stream := NewStream(rw)
+	connectAttrs map[string]string,
+	readTimeout time.Duration) (Conn, error) {
+	stream := NewStream(rw, readTimeout)
 	handshakeV10, err := ReadHandshakeV10(stream)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Conn{}, err
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index e4955ab..199fd17 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package mysqlproto
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func TestConnCloseServerReplyERRPacket(t *testing.T) {
 		0x73, 0x65, 0x64,
 	}
 	buf := newBuffer(data)
-	conn := Conn{Stream: NewStream(buf), CapabilityFlags: CLIENT_PROTOCOL_41}
+	conn := Conn{Stream: NewStream(buf, time.Duration(0)), CapabilityFlags: CLIENT_PROTOCOL_41}
 	err := conn.Close()
 	assert.NotNil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, err.Error(), "mysqlproto: Error: 1096 SQLSTATE: HY000 Message: No tables used")
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ func TestConnCloseServerReplyInvalidPacket(t *testing.T) {
 		0x48, 0x59, 0x30, 0x30,
 	}
 	buf := newBuffer(data)
-	conn := Conn{Stream: NewStream(buf)}
+	conn := Conn{Stream: NewStream(buf, time.Duration(0))}
 	err := conn.Close()
 	assert.NotNil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, err.Error(), "mysqlproto: invalid ERR_PACKET payload: dd48042348593030")
diff --git a/handshake_v10_test.go b/handshake_v10_test.go
index c4179b1..bb6cad0 100644
--- a/handshake_v10_test.go
+++ b/handshake_v10_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package mysqlproto
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ func TestNewHandshakeV10FullPacket(t *testing.T) {
 		0x76, 0x65, 0x5f, 0x70, 0x61, 0x73, 0x73, 0x77, 0x6f, 0x72, 0x64, 0x00,
 	}
 	stream := newBuffer(data)
-	packet, err := ReadHandshakeV10(NewStream(stream))
+	packet, err := ReadHandshakeV10(NewStream(stream, time.Duration(0)))
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, packet.ProtocolVersion, byte(0x0a))
 	assert.Equal(t, packet.ServerVersion, "5.6.25")
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ func TestNewHandshakeV10ShortPacket(t *testing.T) {
 		0x00, 0x9e, 0x2e, 0x00, 0x00, 0x4f, 0x61, 0x7b, 0x65, 0x68, 0x5c,
 		0x73, 0x4e, 0x00, 0xff, 0xf7,
 	})
-	packet, err := ReadHandshakeV10(NewStream(buf))
+	packet, err := ReadHandshakeV10(NewStream(buf, time.Duration(0)))
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, packet.ProtocolVersion, byte(0x0a))
 	assert.Equal(t, packet.ServerVersion, "5.6.25")
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index fc0a27d..9b72e3b 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -2,21 +2,23 @@ package mysqlproto
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"io"
+	"net"
+	"time"
 )
 
 const PACKET_BUFFER_SIZE = 1500 // default MTU
 
 type Stream struct {
-	stream   io.ReadWriteCloser
+	stream   net.Conn
 	buffer   []byte
 	read     int
 	left     int
 	syscalls int
+	readTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
-func NewStream(stream io.ReadWriteCloser) *Stream {
-	return &Stream{stream, nil, 0, 0, 0}
+func NewStream(stream net.Conn, readTimeout time.Duration) *Stream {
+	return &Stream{stream, nil, 0, 0, 0, readTimeout}
 }
 
 func (s *Stream) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
@@ -86,6 +88,12 @@ func (s *Stream) ResetStats() {
 func (s *Stream) readAtLeast(buf []byte, min int) (n int, err error) {
 	for n < min && err == nil {
 		var nn int
+		if s.readTimeout > 0 {
+			if err = s.stream.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(s.readTimeout)); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
 		nn, err = s.stream.Read(buf[n:])
 		s.syscalls += 1
 		n += nn
@@ -117,3 +125,12 @@ func (b *buffer) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
 
 	return b.writeFn(data)
 }
+func (b *buffer) RemoteAddr() net.Addr { return MockAddr{} }
+func (b *buffer) LocalAddr() net.Addr { return MockAddr{} }
+func (b *buffer) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error { return nil}
+func (b *buffer) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error { return nil}
+func (b *buffer) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error { return nil}
+
+type MockAddr struct {}
+func (m MockAddr) Network() string { return "" }
+func (m MockAddr) String() string { return "" }
diff --git a/stream_test.go b/stream_test.go
index fe1a9f3..c0a65cd 100644
--- a/stream_test.go
+++ b/stream_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package mysqlproto
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ func TestNextPacket7(t *testing.T) {
 		0x01, 0x02, 0x03,
 	})
 
-	stream := NewStream(buf)
+	stream := NewStream(buf, time.Duration(0))
 	packet, err := stream.NextPacket()
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, packet.SequenceID, byte(0x02))
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ func TestNextPacket256(t *testing.T) {
 		0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0x01, 0x02,
 	})
 
-	stream := NewStream(buf)
+	stream := NewStream(buf, time.Duration(0))
 	packet, err := stream.NextPacket()
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, packet.SequenceID, byte(0x02))