diff --git a/Sources/Shout/SSH.swift b/Sources/Shout/SSH.swift
index a0236d9..008e02e 100644
--- a/Sources/Shout/SSH.swift
+++ b/Sources/Shout/SSH.swift
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class SSH {
     /// - Throws: SSHError if the SSH session couldn't be created
     public init(host: String, port: Int32 = 22, timeout: UInt = 0) throws {
         self.sock = try Socket.create()
-        self.session = try Session()
+        self.session = try Session(timeout: timeout)
         
         session.blocking = 1
         try sock.connect(to: host, port: port, timeout: timeout)
diff --git a/Sources/Shout/Session.swift b/Sources/Shout/Session.swift
index 43ccfb7..da202f1 100644
--- a/Sources/Shout/Session.swift
+++ b/Sources/Shout/Session.swift
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class Session {
         }
     }
     
-    init() throws {
+    init(timeout: UInt = 0) throws {
         guard Session.initResult == 0 else {
             throw SSHError.genericError("libssh2_init failed")
         }
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class Session {
         }
         
         self.cSession = cSession
+        libssh2_session_set_timeout(cSession, Int(timeout))
     }
     
     func handshake(over socket: Socket) throws {