diff --git a/lib/dalli/elasticache.rb b/lib/dalli/elasticache.rb
index 1fdf5f6..5f7f1da 100644
--- a/lib/dalli/elasticache.rb
+++ b/lib/dalli/elasticache.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ class ElastiCache
     attr_reader :endpoint, :options
     
     def initialize(config_endpoint, options={})
-      @endpoint = Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint.new(config_endpoint)
+      cluster_timeout = (options || {}).delete(:cluster_timeout) || (options || {}).delete('cluster_timeout')
+      @endpoint = Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint.new(config_endpoint, cluster_timeout)
       @options = options
     end
     
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ def servers
     # Clear all cached data from the cluster endpoint
     def refresh
       config_endpoint = "#{endpoint.host}:#{endpoint.port}"
-      @endpoint = Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint.new(config_endpoint)
+      @endpoint = Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint.new(config_endpoint, endpoint.timeout)
       
       self
     end
diff --git a/lib/dalli/elasticache/auto_discovery/endpoint.rb b/lib/dalli/elasticache/auto_discovery/endpoint.rb
index 6e4c6a1..0a683af 100644
--- a/lib/dalli/elasticache/auto_discovery/endpoint.rb
+++ b/lib/dalli/elasticache/auto_discovery/endpoint.rb
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ module Dalli
   module Elasticache
     module AutoDiscovery
       class Endpoint
+        class Timeout < StandardError; end;
         
         # Endpoint configuration
         attr_reader :host
         attr_reader :port
+        attr_reader :timeout
     
         # Matches Strings like "my-host.cache.aws.com:11211"
         ENDPOINT_REGEX = /([-.a-zA-Z0-9]+):(\d+)/
@@ -15,11 +17,12 @@ class Endpoint
         # Legacy command for version < 1.4.14
         OLD_CONFIG_COMMAND = "get AmazonElastiCache:cluster\r\n"
     
-        def initialize(endpoint)
+        def initialize(endpoint, timeout)
           ENDPOINT_REGEX.match(endpoint) do |m|
             @host = m[1]
             @port = m[2].to_i
           end
+          @timeout = timeout
         end
     
         # A cached ElastiCache::StatsResponse
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ def get_config_from_remote
         #
         # Returns the raw response as a String
         def remote_command(command)
-          socket = TCPSocket.new(@host, @port)
+          socket = tcp_socket(@host, @port, @timeout)
           socket.puts command
         
           data = ""
@@ -72,6 +75,53 @@ def remote_command(command)
           socket.close
           data
         end
+
+        # Creates and connects a tcp socket with an optional timeout
+        #
+        # Returns a Socket or TCPSocket instance
+        def tcp_socket(host, port, timeout)
+          if timeout.nil?
+            TCPSocket.new(host, port)
+          else
+            # Convert the passed host into structures the non-blocking calls
+            # can deal with
+            addr = Socket.getaddrinfo(host, nil)
+            sockaddr = Socket.pack_sockaddr_in(port, addr[0][3])
+
+            Socket.new(Socket.const_get(addr[0][0]), Socket::SOCK_STREAM, 0).tap do |socket|
+              socket.setsockopt(Socket::IPPROTO_TCP, Socket::TCP_NODELAY, 1)
+
+              begin
+                # Initiate the socket connection in the background. If it doesn't fail
+                # immediatelyit will raise an IO::WaitWritable (Errno::EINPROGRESS)
+                # indicating the connection is in progress.
+                socket.connect_nonblock(sockaddr)
+
+              rescue IO::WaitWritable
+                # IO.select will block until the socket is writable or the timeout
+                # is exceeded - whichever comes first.
+                if IO.select(nil, [socket], nil, timeout)
+                  begin
+                    # Verify there is now a good connection
+                    socket.connect_nonblock(sockaddr)
+                  rescue Errno::EISCONN
+                    return socket
+                      # Good news everybody, the socket is connected!
+                  rescue
+                    # An unexpected exception was raised - the connection is no good.
+                    socket.close
+                    raise
+                  end
+                else
+                  # IO.select returns nil when the socket is not ready before timeout
+                  # seconds have elapsed
+                  socket.close
+                  raise Timeout, "Connection attempt took longer than timeout of #{timeout} seconds"
+                end
+              end
+            end
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/elasticache_spec.rb b/spec/elasticache_spec.rb
index 90c87ae..47a83f0 100644
--- a/spec/elasticache_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/elasticache_spec.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
     options = {
       :expires_in => 24*60*60,
       :namespace => "my_app",
-      :compress => true
+      :compress => true,
+      :cluster_timeout => 5
     }
     Dalli::ElastiCache.new("my-cluster.cfg.use1.cache.amazonaws.com:11211", options)
   end
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
     it 'builds endpoint' do
       cache.endpoint.host.should == "my-cluster.cfg.use1.cache.amazonaws.com"
       cache.endpoint.port.should == 11211
+      cache.endpoint.timeout.should == 5
     end
     
     it 'stores Dalli options' do
diff --git a/spec/endpoint_spec.rb b/spec/endpoint_spec.rb
index a8036d5..35b8683 100644
--- a/spec/endpoint_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/endpoint_spec.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 describe 'Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint' do
   let(:endpoint) do
-    Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint.new("my-cluster.cfg.use1.cache.amazonaws.com:11211")
+    Dalli::Elasticache::AutoDiscovery::Endpoint.new("my-cluster.cfg.use1.cache.amazonaws.com:11211", nil)
   end
   
   describe '.new' do