diff --git a/.changeset/smiling-snobbish-cockle.md b/.changeset/smiling-snobbish-cockle.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8e911c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/smiling-snobbish-cockle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"stagehand": patch
+---
+
+Pass api_timeout param to Stagehand API correctly
diff --git a/stagehand/api.py b/stagehand/api.py
index aec343a4..e8635fd4 100644
--- a/stagehand/api.py
+++ b/stagehand/api.py
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ async def _create_session(self):
         else None
     )
 
+    # API requires timeout while python sdk uses api_timeout which is converted to apiTimeout
+    if (
+        browserbase_session_create_params
+        and "apiTimeout" in browserbase_session_create_params
+    ):
+        browserbase_session_create_params["timeout"] = (
+            browserbase_session_create_params.pop("apiTimeout")
+        )
+
     payload = {
         "modelName": self.model_name,
         "verbose": 2 if self.verbose == 3 else self.verbose,