diff --git a/pkg/builtin/http/http.go b/pkg/builtin/http/http.go
index d58d3fe7f..10eae7156 100644
--- a/pkg/builtin/http/http.go
+++ b/pkg/builtin/http/http.go
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ func (c *HTTPCmd) Run(meta *registry.Meta) (res interface{}, err error) {
 		}
 	)
 	if obj := meta.Obj.LookupPath(value.FieldPath("request")); obj.Exists() {
+		// Allow CUE authors to override the default 3s timeout via request.timeout
+		// (e.g., timeout: "30s"). Expects a string duration parseable by time.ParseDuration.
+		// Only positive durations are accepted; zero or negative values are ignored.
+		if v := obj.LookupPath(value.FieldPath("timeout")); v.Exists() {
+			if timeoutStr, parseErr := v.String(); parseErr == nil {
+				if d, parseErr := time.ParseDuration(timeoutStr); parseErr == nil && d > 0 {
+					client.Timeout = d
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		if v := obj.LookupPath(value.FieldPath("body")); v.Exists() {
 			r, err = v.Reader()
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/builtin/http/http_test.go b/pkg/builtin/http/http_test.go
index a56d53a7c..5cadfbab0 100644
--- a/pkg/builtin/http/http_test.go
+++ b/pkg/builtin/http/http_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"cuelang.org/go/cue"
 	"cuelang.org/go/cue/cuecontext"
@@ -99,6 +100,110 @@ func TestHTTPCmdRun(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestHTTPCmdRunWithCustomTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	// Start a slow server that takes 200ms to respond
+	ts := httptest.NewUnstartedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"status":"ok"}`))
+	}))
+	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to listen on ephemeral port: %v", err)
+	}
+	ts.Listener.Close()
+	ts.Listener = l
+	ts.Start()
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	// Derive the server URL from the listener address
+	serverURL := fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/api/v1/slow", l.Addr().String())
+
+	// Without custom timeout (default 3s) — should succeed since server responds in 200ms
+	reqDefault := cuecontext.New().CompileString(fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		method: "GET"
+		url: "%s"
+	}`, serverURL))
+	runner, _ := newHTTPCmd(cue.Value{})
+	got, err := runner.Run(&registry.Meta{Obj: reqDefault.Value()})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	body := (got.(map[string]interface{}))["body"].(string)
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"status":"ok"}`, body)
+
+	// With explicit timeout of 1s — should also succeed
+	reqCustom := cuecontext.New().CompileString(fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		method: "GET"
+		url: "%s"
+		request: {
+			timeout: "1s"
+		}
+	}`, serverURL))
+	got, err = runner.Run(&registry.Meta{Obj: reqCustom.Value()})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	body = (got.(map[string]interface{}))["body"].(string)
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"status":"ok"}`, body)
+
+	// With a very short timeout of 50ms — should fail
+	reqShort := cuecontext.New().CompileString(fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		method: "GET"
+		url: "%s"
+		request: {
+			timeout: "50ms"
+		}
+	}`, serverURL))
+	_, err = runner.Run(&registry.Meta{Obj: reqShort.Value()})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "expected timeout error with 50ms deadline on a 200ms server")
+}
+
+func TestHTTPCmdRunWithInvalidTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	s := NewMock()
+	defer s.Close()
+
+	runner, _ := newHTTPCmd(cue.Value{})
+
+	// Invalid timeout value should be silently ignored and use the default 3s
+	reqInvalid := cuecontext.New().CompileString(`{
+		method: "GET"
+		url: "http://127.0.0.1:8090/api/v1/token?val=test-token"
+		request: {
+			timeout: "not-a-duration"
+			header: {
+				"Accept-Language": "en,nl"
+			}
+		}
+	}`)
+	got, err := runner.Run(&registry.Meta{Obj: reqInvalid.Value()})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	body := (got.(map[string]interface{}))["body"].(string)
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"token":"test-token"}`, body)
+
+	// Zero timeout should be rejected and fall back to default 3s
+	reqZero := cuecontext.New().CompileString(`{
+		method: "GET"
+		url: "http://127.0.0.1:8090/api/v1/token?val=test-zero"
+		request: {
+			timeout: "0s"
+		}
+	}`)
+	got, err = runner.Run(&registry.Meta{Obj: reqZero.Value()})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	body = (got.(map[string]interface{}))["body"].(string)
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"token":"test-zero"}`, body)
+
+	// Negative timeout should be rejected and fall back to default 3s
+	reqNegative := cuecontext.New().CompileString(`{
+		method: "GET"
+		url: "http://127.0.0.1:8090/api/v1/token?val=test-negative"
+		request: {
+			timeout: "-5s"
+		}
+	}`)
+	got, err = runner.Run(&registry.Meta{Obj: reqNegative.Value()})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	body = (got.(map[string]interface{}))["body"].(string)
+	assert.Equal(t, `{"token":"test-negative"}`, body)
+}
+
 func TestHTTPSRun(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newMockHttpsServer()
 	defer s.Close()