diff --git a/openformsclient/admin.py b/openformsclient/admin.py
index 8a1f544..ce4463e 100644
--- a/openformsclient/admin.py
+++ b/openformsclient/admin.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class ConfigurationAdmin(SingletonModelAdmin):
                 "fields": (
                     "api_root",
                     "api_token",
+                    "client_timeout",
                     "status",
                 )
             },
diff --git a/openformsclient/client.py b/openformsclient/client.py
index 1504278..599ded2 100644
--- a/openformsclient/client.py
+++ b/openformsclient/client.py
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@
 
 
 class Client:
-    def __init__(self, api_root, api_token):
+    def __init__(self, api_root, api_token, client_timeout):
         self.api_root = api_root
         self.api_token = api_token
+        self.timeout = client_timeout
 
     def _request(self, method, relative_url, **extra_kwargs):
-
         kwargs = {
             "headers": {"Authorization": f"Token {self.api_token}"},
-            "timeout": 5,
+            "timeout": self.timeout,
         }
         kwargs.update(extra_kwargs)
 
diff --git a/openformsclient/migrations/0001_initial.py b/openformsclient/migrations/0001_initial.py
index 0b10859..5a9680e 100644
--- a/openformsclient/migrations/0001_initial.py
+++ b/openformsclient/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 
 class Migration(migrations.Migration):
-
     initial = True
 
     dependencies = []
diff --git a/openformsclient/migrations/0002_alter_configuration_options.py b/openformsclient/migrations/0002_alter_configuration_options.py
index d651b1d..c9ea2c6 100644
--- a/openformsclient/migrations/0002_alter_configuration_options.py
+++ b/openformsclient/migrations/0002_alter_configuration_options.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 
 class Migration(migrations.Migration):
-
     dependencies = [
         ("openformsclient", "0001_initial"),
     ]
diff --git a/openformsclient/migrations/0003_configuration_client_timeout.py b/openformsclient/migrations/0003_configuration_client_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89f0372
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openformsclient/migrations/0003_configuration_client_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.2.23 on 2024-02-13 08:57
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("openformsclient", "0002_alter_configuration_options"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="configuration",
+            name="client_timeout",
+            field=models.PositiveIntegerField(
+                default=5,
+                help_text="The timeout that is used for requests (in seconds)",
+                verbose_name="Client request timeout",
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/openformsclient/models.py b/openformsclient/models.py
index 8c9330a..fcaec5a 100644
--- a/openformsclient/models.py
+++ b/openformsclient/models.py
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ class Configuration(SingletonModel):
             "The Open Forms API token value. Example: 7ab84e80b3d68d52a5f9e1712e3d0eda27d21e58"
         ),
     )
+    client_timeout = models.PositiveIntegerField(
+        _("Client request timeout"),
+        default=5,
+        help_text=_("The timeout that is used for requests (in seconds)"),
+    )
 
     sdk_css_url = models.URLField(
         _("SDK CSS URL"),
@@ -73,7 +78,7 @@ def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
     @cached_property
     def client(self):
-        return Client(self.api_root, self.api_token)
+        return Client(self.api_root, self.api_token, self.client_timeout)
 
 
 class OpenFormsBaseField:
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 3956099..00b473f 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
 from django.test import TestCase
 
 import requests_mock
@@ -11,11 +13,12 @@ class ClientTests(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.api_root = "https://example.com/api/v1/"
         self.api_token = "token"
-        self.client = Client(self.api_root, self.api_token)
+        self.client_timeout = 2
+        self.client = Client(self.api_root, self.api_token, self.client_timeout)
 
     def test_has_config(self, m):
         self.assertTrue(self.client.has_config())
-        self.assertFalse(Client("", "").has_config())
+        self.assertFalse(Client("", "", "").has_config())
 
     def test_is_healthy(self, m):
         m.head(
@@ -76,3 +79,13 @@ def test_get_form_with_error(self, m):
 
         with self.assertRaises(HTTPError):
             self.client.get_form("myform")
+
+    def test_request_uses_configured_timeout(self, m):
+        with patch("openformsclient.client.requests.request") as mock_request:
+            self.client.get_form("myform")
+            mock_request.assert_called_with(
+                "get",
+                "https://example.com/api/v1/forms/myform",
+                headers={"Authorization": "Token token"},
+                timeout=2,
+            )
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index 6df90a5..64f325d 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         )
 
     def test_get_form_choices_without_config(self, m):
-        client = Client("", "")
+        client = Client("", "", "")
         result = get_form_choices(client)
         self.assertEqual(result, [])