diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 33c38e8..74399bc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -190,15 +190,23 @@ Create a connection pool with count of size established connections.
  - `pool ~= nil` on success
  - `error(reason)` on error
 
-### `conn = pool:get()`
+### `conn = pool:get(opts)`
 
 Get a connection from pool. Reset connection before returning it. If connection
-is broken then it will be reestablished. If there is no free connections then
-calling fiber will sleep until another fiber returns some connection to pool.
+is broken then it will be reestablished.
+If there is no free connections and timeout is not specified then calling fiber
+will sleep until another fiber returns some connection to pool.
+If timeout is specified, and there is no free connections for the duration of the timeout,
+then the return value is nil.
+
+*Options*:
+
+ - `timeout` - maximum number of seconds to wait for a connection
 
 *Returns*:
 
- - `conn ~= nil`
+ - `conn ~= nil` on success
+ - `conn == nil` on there is no free connections when timeout option is specified
  
 ### `pool:put(conn)`
 
diff --git a/mysql/init.lua b/mysql/init.lua
index dc2c0db..7e56ed3 100644
--- a/mysql/init.lua
+++ b/mysql/init.lua
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ local ffi = require('ffi')
 local pool_mt
 local conn_mt
 
+-- The marker for empty slots in a connection pool.
+--
+-- When a user puts a connection that is in an unusable state to a
+-- pool, we put this marker to a pool's internal connection queue.
+--
+-- Note: It should not be equal to `nil`, because fiber channel's
+-- `get` method returns `nil` when a timeout is reached.
+local POOL_EMPTY_SLOT = true
+
 --create a new connection
 local function conn_create(mysql_conn)
     local queue = fiber.channel(1)
@@ -20,10 +29,14 @@ local function conn_create(mysql_conn)
 end
 
 -- get connection from pool
-local function conn_get(pool)
-    local mysql_conn = pool.queue:get()
+local function conn_get(pool, timeout)
+    local mysql_conn = pool.queue:get(timeout)
+
+    -- A timeout was reached.
+    if mysql_conn == nil then return nil end
+
     local status
-    if mysql_conn == nil then
+    if mysql_conn == POOL_EMPTY_SLOT then
         status, mysql_conn = driver.connect(pool.host, pool.port or 0,
                                             pool.user, pool.pass,
                                             pool.db, pool.use_numeric_result)
@@ -31,12 +44,13 @@ local function conn_get(pool)
             return error(mysql_conn)
         end
     end
+
     local conn = conn_create(mysql_conn)
     -- we can use ffi gc to return mysql connection to pool
     conn.__gc_hook = ffi.gc(ffi.new('void *'),
             function(self)
                 mysql_conn:close()
-                pool.queue:put(nil)
+                pool.queue:put(POOL_EMPTY_SLOT)
             end)
     return conn
 end
@@ -46,7 +60,7 @@ local function conn_put(conn)
     ffi.gc(conn.__gc_hook, nil)
     if not conn.queue:get() then
         conn.usable = false
-        return nil
+        return POOL_EMPTY_SLOT
     end
     conn.usable = false
     return mysqlconn
@@ -171,7 +185,7 @@ local function pool_close(self)
     self.usable = false
     for i = 1, self.size do
         local mysql_conn = self.queue:get()
-        if mysql_conn ~= nil then
+        if mysql_conn ~= POOL_EMPTY_SLOT then
             mysql_conn:close()
         end
     end
@@ -179,11 +193,17 @@ local function pool_close(self)
 end
 
 -- Returns connection
-local function pool_get(self)
+local function pool_get(self, opts)
+    opts = opts or {}
+
     if not self.usable then
         return error('Pool is not usable')
     end
-    local conn = conn_get(self)
+    local conn = conn_get(self, opts.timeout)
+
+    -- A timeout was reached.
+    if conn == nil then return nil end
+
     conn:reset(self.user, self.pass, self.db)
     return conn
 end
@@ -193,7 +213,7 @@ local function pool_put(self, conn)
     if conn.usable then
         self.queue:put(conn_put(conn))
     else
-        self.queue:put(nil)
+        self.queue:put(POOL_EMPTY_SLOT)
     end
 end
 
diff --git a/test/mysql.test.lua b/test/mysql.test.lua
index 337f39b..2835421 100755
--- a/test/mysql.test.lua
+++ b/test/mysql.test.lua
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ local function test_mysql_int64(t, p)
 end
 
 local function test_connection_pool(test, pool)
-    test:plan(5)
+    test:plan(6)
 
     -- {{{ Case group: all connections are consumed initially.
 
@@ -211,6 +211,28 @@ local function test_connection_pool(test, pool)
         assert(pool.queue:is_empty(), 'test case postcondition fails')
     end)
 
+    -- Case: get a connection with a timeout.
+    test:test('pool:get({timeout = <...>})', function(test)
+        test:plan(3)
+        assert(pool.queue:is_empty(), 'test case precondition fails')
+
+        -- Verify that we blocks until reach a timeout, then
+        -- unblocks and get `nil` as a result.
+        local latch = fiber.channel(1)
+        local conn
+        fiber.create(function()
+            conn = pool:get({timeout = 2})
+            latch:put(true)
+        end)
+        local res = latch:get(1)
+        test:is(res, nil, 'pool:get() blocks until a timeout')
+        local res = latch:get()
+        test:ok(res ~= nil, 'pool:get() unblocks after a timeout')
+        test:is(conn, nil, 'pool:get() returns nil if a timeout was reached')
+
+        assert(pool.queue:is_empty(), 'test case postcondition fails')
+    end)
+
     -- Give all connections back to the poll.
     for _, conn in ipairs(connections) do
         pool:put(conn)