diff --git a/lib/HTTP/UserAgent.rakumod b/lib/HTTP/UserAgent.rakumod
index d1100e9..dc50a17 100644
--- a/lib/HTTP/UserAgent.rakumod
+++ b/lib/HTTP/UserAgent.rakumod
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ role Connection {
     }
 }
 
-has Int $.timeout is rw = 180;
+has Int $.timeout is rw;
 has $.useragent;
 has HTTP::Cookies $.cookies is rw = HTTP::Cookies.new(
     file     => tempfile[0],
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ my sub _index_buf(Blob $input, Blob $sub) {
     -1
 }
 
-submethod BUILD(:$!useragent, Bool :$!throw-exceptions, :$!max-redirects = 5, :$!debug, :$!redirects-in-a-row) {
+submethod BUILD(:$!useragent, Bool :$!throw-exceptions, :$!max-redirects = 5, :$!debug, :$!redirects-in-a-row, :$!timeout = 180) {
     $!useragent = get-ua($!useragent) if $!useragent.defined;
     if $!debug.defined {
         if $!debug ~~ Bool and $!debug == True {
diff --git a/t/080-ua.rakutest b/t/080-ua.rakutest
index 526b1ee..b29444b 100644
--- a/t/080-ua.rakutest
+++ b/t/080-ua.rakutest
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use Test;
 
 use URI;
 
-plan 11;
+plan 13;
 
 # new
 my $ua = HTTP::UserAgent.new;
@@ -108,4 +108,9 @@ else {
     skip "NETWORK_TESTING not set", 8;
 }
 
+$ua = HTTP::UserAgent.new;
+is $ua.timeout, 180, 'default timeout provided';
+$ua = HTTP::UserAgent.new: timeout => 120;
+is $ua.timeout, 120, 'constructor accepts timeout';
+
 # vim: expandtab shiftwidth=4