diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5c5719e..cc9a57f 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ void setup()
   // use Serial (port 0); initialize Modbus communication baud rate
   Serial.begin(19200);
 
-  // communicate with Modbus slave ID 2 over Serial (port 0)
-  node.begin(2, Serial);
+  // communicate with Modbus slave ID 2 over Serial (port 0), with a 1-second timeout
+  node.begin(2, Serial, 1000);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ModbusMaster.cpp b/src/ModbusMaster.cpp
index 4169e58..1ec7754 100644
--- a/src/ModbusMaster.cpp
+++ b/src/ModbusMaster.cpp
@@ -56,13 +56,15 @@ Call once class has been instantiated, typically within setup().
 
 @param slave Modbus slave ID (1..255)
 @param &serial reference to serial port object (Serial, Serial1, ... Serial3)
+@param u16MBResponseTimeout Modbus timeout in milliseconds (default 2000)
 @ingroup setup
 */
-void ModbusMaster::begin(uint8_t slave, Stream &serial)
+void ModbusMaster::begin(uint8_t slave, Stream &serial, uint16_t u16MBResponseTimeout = ModbusMaster::ku16MBResponseTimeout)
 {
 //  txBuffer = (uint16_t*) calloc(ku8MaxBufferSize, sizeof(uint16_t));
   _u8MBSlave = slave;
   _serial = &serial;
+  _u16MBResponseTimeout = u16MBResponseTimeout;
   _u8TransmitBufferIndex = 0;
   u16TransmitBufferLength = 0;
   
@@ -797,7 +799,7 @@ uint8_t ModbusMaster::ModbusMasterTransaction(uint8_t u8MBFunction)
           break;
       }
     }
-    if ((millis() - u32StartTime) > ku16MBResponseTimeout)
+    if ((millis() - u32StartTime) > _u16MBResponseTimeout)
     {
       u8MBStatus = ku8MBResponseTimedOut;
     }
diff --git a/src/ModbusMaster.h b/src/ModbusMaster.h
index 8c433e6..3632a99 100644
--- a/src/ModbusMaster.h
+++ b/src/ModbusMaster.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class ModbusMaster
   public:
     ModbusMaster();
    
-    void begin(uint8_t, Stream &serial);
+    void begin(uint8_t, Stream &serial, uint16_t u16MBResponseTimeout);
     void idle(void (*)());
     void preTransmission(void (*)());
     void postTransmission(void (*)());
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ class ModbusMaster
     
   private:
     Stream* _serial;                                             ///< reference to serial port object
+    uint16_t _u16MBResponseTimeout;                              ///< Modbus timeout [milliseconds]
     uint8_t  _u8MBSlave;                                         ///< Modbus slave (1..255) initialized in begin()
     static const uint8_t ku8MaxBufferSize                = 64;   ///< size of response/transmit buffers    
     uint16_t _u16ReadAddress;                                    ///< slave register from which to read
@@ -248,8 +249,8 @@ class ModbusMaster
     static const uint8_t ku8MBMaskWriteRegister          = 0x16; ///< Modbus function 0x16 Mask Write Register
     static const uint8_t ku8MBReadWriteMultipleRegisters = 0x17; ///< Modbus function 0x17 Read Write Multiple Registers
     
-    // Modbus timeout [milliseconds]
-    static const uint16_t ku16MBResponseTimeout          = 2000; ///< Modbus timeout [milliseconds]
+    // Default Modbus timeout [milliseconds]
+    static const uint16_t ku16MBResponseTimeout          = 2000; ///< Default Modbus timeout [milliseconds]
     
     // master function that conducts Modbus transactions
     uint8_t ModbusMasterTransaction(uint8_t u8MBFunction);