diff --git a/plugins/Web/config.py b/plugins/Web/config.py
index 2ce3e3bfc..f22e0ad15 100644
--- a/plugins/Web/config.py
+++ b/plugins/Web/config.py
@@ -58,4 +58,9 @@ conf.registerGlobalValue(Web.fetch, 'maximum',
     registry.NonNegativeInteger(0, """Determines the maximum number of
     bytes the bot will download via the 'fetch' command in this plugin."""))
 
+conf.registerGlobalValue(Web.fetch, 'timeout',
+    registry.NonNegativeInteger(5, """Determines the maximum number of
+    seconds the bot will wait for the site to respond, when using the 'fetch'
+    command in this plugin. If 0, will use socket.defaulttimeout"""))
+
 # vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab textwidth=79:
diff --git a/plugins/Web/plugin.py b/plugins/Web/plugin.py
index 78ba0f0d3..00cd104e7 100644
--- a/plugins/Web/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/Web/plugin.py
@@ -236,7 +236,10 @@ class Web(callbacks.PluginRegexp):
             irc.error('This command is disabled '
                       '(supybot.plugins.Web.fetch.maximum is set to 0).',
                       Raise=True)
-        fd = utils.web.getUrlFd(url)
+        timeout = self.registryValue('fetch.timeout')
+        if timeout == 0:
+            timeout = None
+        fd = utils.web.getUrlFd(url, timeout=timeout)
         irc.reply(fd.read(max))
     fetch = wrap(fetch, ['url'])
 
diff --git a/src/utils/web.py b/src/utils/web.py
index cbd0ecc73..f460bb1f6 100644
--- a/src/utils/web.py
+++ b/src/utils/web.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ defaultHeaders = {
 # application-specific function.  Feel free to use a callable here.
 proxy = None
 
-def getUrlFd(url, headers=None, data=None):
+def getUrlFd(url, headers=None, data=None, timeout=None):
     """getUrlFd(url, headers=None, data=None)
 
     Opens the given url and returns a file object.  Headers and data are
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def getUrlFd(url, headers=None, data=None):
         httpProxy = force(proxy)
         if httpProxy:
             request.set_proxy(httpProxy, 'http')
-        fd = urllib2.urlopen(request)
+        fd = urllib2.urlopen(request, timeout=timeout)
         return fd
     except socket.timeout, e:
         raise Error, TIMED_OUT