diff --git a/lib/api.js b/lib/api.js
index f663bdc..4865d05 100644
--- a/lib/api.js
+++ b/lib/api.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ async function apiRequest({method = 'GET', endpoint, json, authorize = true, ful
     url: `${options.api}${endpoint}`,
     responseType: 'json',
     timeout: {
-      request: CONSTANTS.REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+      response: options.responseTimeout
     }  
   }
   
diff --git a/lib/args.js b/lib/args.js
index 9ef150c..cdf8c5e 100644
--- a/lib/args.js
+++ b/lib/args.js
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ program
 .option('--no-ignore-dot', 'Do not ignore dotfiles in the path (`WATCHER_IGNORE_DOT=0`).')
 .option('--strict-revision-check', 'For CKL, ignore checklist of uninstalled STIG revision (`WATCHER_STRICT_REVISION_CHECK=1`). Negate with `--no-strict-revision-check`.', getBoolean('WATCHER_STRICT_REVISION_CHECK', false))
 .option('--no-strict-revision-check', 'For CKL, allow checklist of uninstalled STIG revision (`WATCHER_STRICT_REVISION_CHECK=0`). This is the default behavior.')
+.option('--response-timeout <ms>', 'Specify the timeout duration in milliseconds for an API response to begin. If a response takes longer than this time, an error will be thrown.', parseIntegerArg, parseIntegerEnv(pe.WATCHER_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT) ?? 20000) // 20 secs
 
 // Parse ARGV and get the parsed options object
 // Options properties are created as camelCase versions of the long option name
diff --git a/lib/auth.js b/lib/auth.js
index f3c039d..01be618 100644
--- a/lib/auth.js
+++ b/lib/auth.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ async function getOpenIDConfiguration () {
   const requestOptions = {
     responseType: 'json',
     timeout: {
-      request: CONSTANTS.REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+      response:  options.responseTimeout
     }  
   }
   let response
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ async function authenticateClientSecret () {
     password: options.clientSecret,
     responseType: 'json',
     timeout: {
-      request: CONSTANTS.REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+      response: options.responseTimeout
     }  
   }
 
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ async function authenticateSignedJwt () {
       },
       responseType: 'json',
       timeout: {
-        request: CONSTANTS.REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+        response:  options.responseTimeout
       }  
     }
     logger.debug({
diff --git a/lib/consts.js b/lib/consts.js
index a584ca2..ee4e86a 100644
--- a/lib/consts.js
+++ b/lib/consts.js
@@ -3,5 +3,4 @@ export const ERR_AUTHOFFLINE = 2
 export const ERR_NOTOKEN = 3
 export const ERR_NOGRANT = 4
 export const ERR_UNKNOWN = 5
-export const ERR_FAILINIT = 6
-export const REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 5000
+export const ERR_FAILINIT = 6
\ No newline at end of file