diff --git a/api-docs/docs/interfaces/ReaderConfig.md b/api-docs/docs/interfaces/ReaderConfig.md
index 2ed88a0..34af2c9 100644
--- a/api-docs/docs/interfaces/ReaderConfig.md
+++ b/api-docs/docs/interfaces/ReaderConfig.md
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
 
 ### maxWait
 
-• **maxWait**: `number`
+• **maxWait**: `string`
 
 #### Defined in
 
diff --git a/api-docs/index.d.ts b/api-docs/index.d.ts
index 05f1763..755398c 100644
--- a/api-docs/index.d.ts
+++ b/api-docs/index.d.ts
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export interface ReaderConfig {
   minBytes: number;
   maxBytes: number;
   readBatchTimeout: number;
-  maxWait: number;
+  maxWait: string;
   readLagInterval: number;
   groupBalancers: GROUP_BALANCERS[];
   heartbeatInterval: number;
diff --git a/reader.go b/reader.go
index e08a8c6..010d326 100644
--- a/reader.go
+++ b/reader.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ type ReaderConfig struct {
 	Brokers                []string      `json:"brokers"`
 	GroupTopics            []string      `json:"groupTopics"`
 	GroupBalancers         []string      `json:"groupBalancers"`
-	MaxWait                time.Duration `json:"maxWait"`
+	MaxWait                Duration      `json:"maxWait"`
 	ReadBatchTimeout       time.Duration `json:"readBatchTimeout"`
 	ReadLagInterval        time.Duration `json:"readLagInterval"`
 	HeartbeatInterval      time.Duration `json:"heartbeatInterval"`
@@ -78,6 +78,33 @@ type ConsumeConfig struct {
 	Limit int64 `json:"limit"`
 }
 
+type Duration struct {
+	time.Duration
+}
+
+func (d Duration) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal(d.String())
+}
+
+func (d *Duration) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
+	var v interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &v); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	switch value := v.(type) {
+	case string:
+		var err error
+		d.Duration, err = time.ParseDuration(value)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	default:
+		return errors.New("invalid duration")
+	}
+}
+
 // readerClass is a wrapper around kafkago.reader and acts as a JS constructor
 // for this extension, thus it must be called with new operator, e.g. new Reader(...).
 // nolint: funlen
@@ -227,7 +254,7 @@ func (k *Kafka) reader(readerConfig *ReaderConfig) *kafkago.Reader {
 		QueueCapacity:          readerConfig.QueueCapacity,
 		MinBytes:               readerConfig.MinBytes,
 		MaxBytes:               readerConfig.MaxBytes,
-		MaxWait:                readerConfig.MaxWait,
+		MaxWait:                readerConfig.MaxWait.Duration,
 		ReadBatchTimeout:       readerConfig.ReadBatchTimeout,
 		ReadLagInterval:        readerConfig.ReadLagInterval,
 		GroupBalancers:         groupBalancers,
@@ -297,9 +324,12 @@ func (k *Kafka) consume(
 
 	messages := make([]map[string]interface{}, 0)
 
-	for i := int64(0); i < consumeConfig.Limit; i++ {
-		msg, err := reader.ReadMessage(ctx)
+	maxWait := reader.Config().MaxWait
 
+	for i := int64(0); i < consumeConfig.Limit; i++ {
+		ctxWithTimeout, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, maxWait)
+		msg, err := reader.ReadMessage(ctxWithTimeout)
+		cancel()
 		if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
 			k.reportReaderStats(reader.Stats())
 
diff --git a/reader_test.go b/reader_test.go
index da9b080..eac05e6 100644
--- a/reader_test.go
+++ b/reader_test.go
@@ -3,13 +3,51 @@ package kafka
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/dop251/goja"
 	"github.com/riferrei/srclient"
+	kafkago "github.com/segmentio/kafka-go"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+// TestConsumerMaxWaitExceeded tests the consume function when no messages are sent.
+// The reader should not hang
+func TestConsumerMaxWaitExceeded(t *testing.T) {
+	test := getTestModuleInstance(t)
+	writer := test.newWriter("test-topic")
+	defer writer.Close()
+
+	// Create a reader to consume messages.
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		reader := test.module.Kafka.reader(&ReaderConfig{
+			Brokers: []string{"localhost:9092"},
+			Topic:   "test-topic",
+			MaxWait: Duration{time.Second * 3},
+		})
+		assert.NotNil(t, reader)
+		defer reader.Close()
+
+		// Switch to VU code.
+		require.NoError(t, test.moveToVUCode())
+
+		// Consume a message in the VU function.
+		assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+			messages := test.module.Kafka.consume(reader, &ConsumeConfig{Limit: 1})
+			assert.Empty(t, messages)
+		})
+	})
+
+	// Check if no message was consumed.
+	metricsValues := test.getCounterMetricsValues()
+	assert.Equal(t, 1.0, metricsValues[test.module.metrics.ReaderDials.Name])
+	assert.Equal(t, 0.0, metricsValues[test.module.metrics.ReaderErrors.Name])
+	assert.Equal(t, 0.0, metricsValues[test.module.metrics.ReaderBytes.Name])
+	assert.Equal(t, 0.0, metricsValues[test.module.metrics.ReaderMessages.Name])
+	assert.Equal(t, 0.0, metricsValues[test.module.metrics.ReaderRebalances.Name])
+}
+
 // TestConsume tests the consume function.
 // nolint: funlen
 func TestConsume(t *testing.T) {
@@ -297,11 +335,17 @@ func TestReaderClass(t *testing.T) {
 					map[string]interface{}{
 						"brokers": []string{"localhost:9092"},
 						"topic":   "test-reader-class",
+						"maxWait": "3s",
 					},
 				),
 			},
 		})
 		assert.NotNil(t, reader)
+		this := reader.Get("This").Export().(*kafkago.Reader)
+		assert.NotNil(t, this)
+		assert.Equal(t, this.Config().Brokers, []string{"localhost:9092"})
+		assert.Equal(t, this.Config().Topic, "test-reader-class")
+		assert.Equal(t, this.Config().MaxWait, time.Second*3)
 
 		consume := reader.Get("consume").Export().(func(goja.FunctionCall) goja.Value)
 		messages := consume(goja.FunctionCall{
diff --git a/scripts/test_timeout.js b/scripts/test_timeout.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57c202f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_timeout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+
+This is a k6 test script that imports the xk6-kafka and
+
+
+*/
+
+import { check } from "k6";
+// import * as kafka from "k6/x/kafka";
+import { Reader, Connection } from "k6/x/kafka"; // import kafka extension
+
+// Prints module-level constants
+// console.log(kafka);
+
+const brokers = ["localhost:9092"];
+const topic = "xk6_kafka_json_topic";
+
+const reader = new Reader({
+  brokers: brokers,
+  topic: topic,
+  maxWait: "5s",
+});
+
+const connection = new Connection({
+  address: brokers[0],
+});
+
+if (__VU === 0) {
+  connection.createTopic({ topic: topic });
+}
+
+export const options = {
+  thresholds: {
+    // Base thresholds to see if the writer or reader is working
+    kafka_writer_error_count: ["count == 0"],
+    kafka_reader_error_count: ["count == 0"],
+  },
+  duration: "11s",
+};
+
+export default function () {
+  // Read 10 messages only
+  let messages = reader.consume({ limit: 10 });
+
+  console.log("continuing execution");
+
+  check(messages, {
+    "10 messages are received": (messages) => messages.length === 10,
+  });
+}
+
+export function teardown(data) {
+  if (__VU === 0) {
+    // Delete the topic
+    connection.deleteTopic(topic);
+  }
+  reader.close();
+  connection.close();
+}