diff --git a/commands/http/handler.go b/commands/http/handler.go
index 774c5ca4a..772e7b7c2 100644
--- a/commands/http/handler.go
+++ b/commands/http/handler.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/rs/cors"
 	context "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -106,20 +107,36 @@ func (i internalHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(node.Context())
-	defer cancel()
-	/*
-		TODO(cryptix): the next line looks very fishy to me..
-		It looks like the the context for the command request beeing prepared here is shared across all incoming requests..
 
-		I assume it really isn't because ServeHTTP() doesn't take a pointer receiver, but it's really subtule..
+	tout, found, err := req.Option("timeout").String()
+	if err != nil {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("error parsing timeout option: %s", err)
+		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
+	}
 
-		Shouldn't the context be just put on the command request?
+	var ctx context.Context
+	if found {
+		duration, err := time.ParseDuration(tout)
+		if err != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("error parsing timeout option: %s", err)
+			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			return
+		}
 
-		ps: take note of the name clash - commands.Context != context.Context
-	*/
-	i.ctx.Context = ctx
-	req.SetContext(i.ctx)
+		tctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(node.Context(), duration)
+		defer cancel()
+		ctx = tctx
+	} else {
+		cctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(node.Context())
+		defer cancel()
+		ctx = cctx
+	}
+
+	//ps: take note of the name clash - commands.Context != context.Context
+	cmdctx := i.ctx
+	cmdctx.Context = ctx
+	req.SetContext(cmdctx)
 
 	// call the command
 	res := i.root.Call(req)
diff --git a/commands/option.go b/commands/option.go
index 85ed78015..fdab518a9 100644
--- a/commands/option.go
+++ b/commands/option.go
@@ -154,22 +154,25 @@ func (ov OptionValue) String() (value string, found bool, err error) {
 
 // Flag names
 const (
-	EncShort = "enc"
-	EncLong  = "encoding"
-	RecShort = "r"
-	RecLong  = "recursive"
-	ChanOpt  = "stream-channels"
+	EncShort   = "enc"
+	EncLong    = "encoding"
+	RecShort   = "r"
+	RecLong    = "recursive"
+	ChanOpt    = "stream-channels"
+	TimeoutOpt = "timeout"
 )
 
 // options that are used by this package
 var OptionEncodingType = StringOption(EncShort, EncLong, "The encoding type the output should be encoded with (json, xml, or text)")
 var OptionRecursivePath = BoolOption(RecShort, RecLong, "Add directory paths recursively")
 var OptionStreamChannels = BoolOption(ChanOpt, "Stream channel output")
+var OptionTimeout = StringOption(TimeoutOpt, "set a global timeout on the command")
 
 // global options, added to every command
 var globalOptions = []Option{
 	OptionEncodingType,
 	OptionStreamChannels,
+	OptionTimeout,
 }
 
 // the above array of Options, wrapped in a Command
diff --git a/core/commands/block.go b/core/commands/block.go
index 38d1533fc..6346e53ac 100644
--- a/core/commands/block.go
+++ b/core/commands/block.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	mh "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-multihash"
-	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks"
 	key "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks/key"
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ func getBlockForKey(req cmds.Request, skey string) (*blocks.Block, error) {
 	}
 
 	k := key.Key(h)
-	b, err := n.Blocks.GetBlock(context.TODO(), k)
+	b, err := n.Blocks.GetBlock(req.Context().Context, k)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/core/commands/ls.go b/core/commands/ls.go
index 758709944..27f11d1da 100644
--- a/core/commands/ls.go
+++ b/core/commands/ls.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ it contains, with the following format:
 				Links: make([]LsLink, len(dagnode.Links)),
 			}
 			for j, link := range dagnode.Links {
-				ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.TODO(), time.Minute)
+				ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(req.Context().Context, time.Minute)
 				defer cancel()
 				link.Node, err = link.GetNode(ctx, node.DAG)
 				if err != nil {