diff --git a/src/pkg/http/serve_test.go b/src/pkg/http/serve_test.go
index 7da3fc6f343..80ad86290d4 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/serve_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/serve_test.go
@@ -9,10 +9,13 @@ package http
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"net"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type dummyAddr string
@@ -283,3 +286,66 @@ func TestMuxRedirectLeadingSlashes(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestServerTimeouts(t *testing.T) {
+	l, err := net.ListenTCP("tcp", &net.TCPAddr{Port: 0})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("listen error: %v", err)
+	}
+	addr, _ := l.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+
+	reqNum := 0
+	handler := HandlerFunc(func(res ResponseWriter, req *Request) {
+		reqNum++
+		fmt.Fprintf(res, "req=%d", reqNum)
+	})
+
+	const second = 1000000000 /* nanos */
+	server := &Server{Handler: handler, ReadTimeout: 0.25 * second, WriteTimeout: 0.25 * second}
+	go server.Serve(l)
+
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/", addr.Port)
+
+	// Hit the HTTP server successfully.
+	r, _, err := Get(url)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("http Get #1: %v", err)
+	}
+	got, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
+	expected := "req=1"
+	if string(got) != expected {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected response for request #1; got %q; expected %q",
+			string(got), expected)
+	}
+
+	// Slow client that should timeout.
+	t1 := time.Nanoseconds()
+	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", "", fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", addr.Port))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Dial: %v", err)
+	}
+	buf := make([]byte, 1)
+	n, err := conn.Read(buf)
+	latency := time.Nanoseconds() - t1
+	if n != 0 || err != os.EOF {
+		t.Errorf("Read = %v, %v, wanted %v, %v", n, err, 0, os.EOF)
+	}
+	if latency < second*0.20 /* fudge from 0.25 above */ {
+		t.Errorf("got EOF after %d ns, want >= %d", latency, second*0.20)
+	}
+
+	// Hit the HTTP server successfully again, verifying that the
+	// previous slow connection didn't run our handler.  (that we
+	// get "req=2", not "req=3")
+	r, _, err = Get(url)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("http Get #2: %v", err)
+	}
+	got, _ = ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
+	expected = "req=2"
+	if string(got) != expected {
+		t.Errorf("Get #2 got %q, want %q", string(got), expected)
+	}
+
+	l.Close()
+}
diff --git a/src/pkg/http/server.go b/src/pkg/http/server.go
index 6672c494bf1..0be270ad30d 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/server.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/server.go
@@ -670,6 +670,39 @@ func HandleFunc(pattern string, handler func(ResponseWriter, *Request)) {
 // read requests and then call handler to reply to them.
 // Handler is typically nil, in which case the DefaultServeMux is used.
 func Serve(l net.Listener, handler Handler) os.Error {
+	srv := &Server{Handler: handler}
+	return srv.Serve(l)
+}
+
+// A Server defines parameters for running an HTTP server.
+type Server struct {
+	Addr         string  // TCP address to listen on, ":http" if empty
+	Handler      Handler // handler to invoke, http.DefaultServeMux if nil
+	ReadTimeout  int64   // the net.Conn.SetReadTimeout value for new connections
+	WriteTimeout int64   // the net.Conn.SetWriteTimeout value for new connections
+}
+
+// ListenAndServe listens on the TCP network address srv.Addr and then
+// calls Serve to handle requests on incoming connections.  If
+// srv.Addr is blank, ":http" is used.
+func (srv *Server) ListenAndServe() os.Error {
+	addr := srv.Addr
+	if addr == "" {
+		addr = ":http"
+	}
+	l, e := net.Listen("tcp", addr)
+	if e != nil {
+		return e
+	}
+	return srv.Serve(l)
+}
+
+// Serve accepts incoming connections on the Listener l, creating a
+// new service thread for each.  The service threads read requests and
+// then call srv.Handler to reply to them.
+func (srv *Server) Serve(l net.Listener) os.Error {
+	defer l.Close()
+	handler := srv.Handler
 	if handler == nil {
 		handler = DefaultServeMux
 	}
@@ -678,6 +711,12 @@ func Serve(l net.Listener, handler Handler) os.Error {
 		if e != nil {
 			return e
 		}
+		if srv.ReadTimeout != 0 {
+			rw.SetReadTimeout(srv.ReadTimeout)
+		}
+		if srv.WriteTimeout != 0 {
+			rw.SetWriteTimeout(srv.WriteTimeout)
+		}
 		c, err := newConn(rw, handler)
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
@@ -715,13 +754,8 @@ func Serve(l net.Listener, handler Handler) os.Error {
 //		}
 //	}
 func ListenAndServe(addr string, handler Handler) os.Error {
-	l, e := net.Listen("tcp", addr)
-	if e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	e = Serve(l, handler)
-	l.Close()
-	return e
+	server := &Server{Addr: addr, Handler: handler}
+	return server.ListenAndServe()
 }
 
 // ListenAndServeTLS acts identically to ListenAndServe, except that it