diff --git a/data/example_new.conf b/data/example_new.conf
index 03c6fb0d0..0b016e4a7 100644
--- a/data/example_new.conf
+++ b/data/example_new.conf
@@ -308,6 +308,11 @@ options {
 	 * this timer.
 	 */
 	expiretimeout = 30m
+
+	/*
+	 * Sets the timout period for reading from the uplink.
+	 */
+	readtimeout = 5s
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/extern.h b/include/extern.h
index 0d558ec7b..c8627b7bc 100644
--- a/include/extern.h
+++ b/include/extern.h
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ E int   BadPassLimit;
 E time_t BadPassTimeout;
 E time_t UpdateTimeout;
 E time_t ExpireTimeout;
-E int   ReadTimeout;
+E time_t ReadTimeout;
 E int   WarningTimeout;
 E int   TimeoutCheck;
 E int   KeepLogs;
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index c1b9ff204..a3bbe92b4 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ int BadPassLimit;
 time_t BadPassTimeout;
 time_t UpdateTimeout;
 time_t ExpireTimeout;
-int ReadTimeout;
+time_t ReadTimeout;
 int WarningTimeout;
 int TimeoutCheck;
 int KeepLogs;
@@ -644,6 +644,7 @@ int ServerConfig::Read(bool bail)
 		{"options", "badpasstimeout", "0", new ValueContainerTime(&BadPassTimeout), DT_TIME, NoValidation},
 		{"options", "updatetimeout", "0", new ValueContainerTime(&UpdateTimeout), DT_TIME, ValidateNotZero},
 		{"options", "expiretimeout", "0", new ValueContainerTime(&ExpireTimeout), DT_TIME, ValidateNotZero},
+		{"options", "readtimeout", "0", new ValueContainerTime(&ReadTimeout), DT_TIME, ValidateNotZero},
 		{"nickserv", "nick", "NickServ", new ValueContainerChar(&s_NickServ), DT_CHARPTR | DT_NORELOAD, ValidateNotEmpty},
 		{"nickserv", "description", "Nickname Registration Service", new ValueContainerChar(&desc_NickServ), DT_CHARPTR | DT_NORELOAD, ValidateNotEmpty},
 		{"nickserv", "database", "nick.db", new ValueContainerChar(&NickDBName), DT_CHARPTR, ValidateNotEmpty},
@@ -1374,7 +1375,6 @@ Directive directives[] = {
 	{"ModuleAutoload", {{PARAM_STRING, PARAM_RELOAD, &Modules}}},
 	{"NewsCount", {{PARAM_POSINT, PARAM_RELOAD, &NewsCount}}},
 	{"NickRegDelay", {{PARAM_POSINT, PARAM_RELOAD, &NickRegDelay}}},
-	{"ReadTimeout", {{PARAM_TIME, PARAM_RELOAD, &ReadTimeout}}},
 	{"RemoteServer2", {{PARAM_STRING, 0, &RemoteServer2},
 					   {PARAM_PORT, 0, &RemotePort2},
 					   {PARAM_STRING, 0, &RemotePassword2}}},
@@ -1701,7 +1701,6 @@ int read_config(int reload)
 		}
 	}
 
-	CHECK(ReadTimeout);
 	CHECK(WarningTimeout);
 	CHECK(TimeoutCheck);