diff --git a/fuse/api.go b/fuse/api.go
index fbdebfab..39a098f9 100644
--- a/fuse/api.go
+++ b/fuse/api.go
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@
 // [2] https://sylabs.io/guides/3.7/user-guide/bind_paths_and_mounts.html#fuse-mounts
 package fuse
 
+import "time"
+
 // Types for users to implement.
 
 // The result of Read is an array of bytes, but for performance
@@ -266,6 +268,9 @@ type MountOptions struct {
 
 	// don't alloc buffer for read operation
 	NoAllocForRead bool
+
+	// max duration for a request
+	Timeout time.Duration
 }
 
 // RawFileSystem is an interface close to the FUSE wire protocol.
diff --git a/fuse/server.go b/fuse/server.go
index 8003c395..2accb15f 100644
--- a/fuse/server.go
+++ b/fuse/server.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type Server struct {
 
 	// maxReaders is the maximum number of goroutines reading requests
 	maxReaders int
+	maxUnique  uint64
 
 	// Pools for []byte
 	buffers bufferPool
@@ -122,9 +123,9 @@ func (ms *Server) RecordLatencies(l LatencyMap) {
 // Does not work when we were mounted with the magic /dev/fd/N mountpoint syntax,
 // as we do not know the real mountpoint. Unmount using
 //
-//   fusermount -u /path/to/real/mountpoint
+//	fusermount -u /path/to/real/mountpoint
 //
-/// in this case.
+// / in this case.
 func (ms *Server) Unmount() (err error) {
 	if ms.mountPoint == "" {
 		return nil
@@ -396,9 +397,7 @@ func (ms *Server) readRequest(exitIdle bool) (req *request, code Status) {
 	}
 
 	req = ms.reqPool.Get().(*request)
-	if ms.latencies != nil {
-		req.startTime = time.Now()
-	}
+	req.startTime = time.Now()
 	gobbled := req.setInput(dest[:n])
 	if !gobbled {
 		ms.readPool.Put(dest)
@@ -414,6 +413,9 @@ func (ms *Server) readRequest(exitIdle bool) (req *request, code Status) {
 	if ms.recentUnique != nil {
 		ms.recentUnique = append(ms.recentUnique, req.inHeader.Unique)
 	}
+	if req.inHeader.Unique > ms.maxUnique {
+		ms.maxUnique = req.inHeader.Unique
+	}
 	req.inflightIndex = len(ms.reqInflight)
 	ms.reqInflight = append(ms.reqInflight, req)
 
@@ -436,13 +438,14 @@ func (ms *Server) checkLostRequests() {
 	var recentUnique []uint64
 	time.Sleep(time.Second * 3)
 	for {
-		if len(ms.recentUnique) > 10 {
-			ms.reqMu.Lock()
+		ms.reqMu.Lock()
+		if len(ms.recentUnique) >= 30 {
 			recentUnique = ms.recentUnique
 			ms.recentUnique = nil
 			ms.reqMu.Unlock()
 			break
 		}
+		ms.reqMu.Unlock()
 		time.Sleep(time.Second)
 	}
 
@@ -537,6 +540,9 @@ func (ms *Server) recordStats(req *request) {
 // Each filesystem operation executes in a separate goroutine.
 func (ms *Server) Serve() {
 	ms.loop(false)
+	if ms.opts.Timeout > 0 {
+		go ms.checkHangRequests(ms.opts.Timeout)
+	}
 	ms.loops.Wait()
 
 	// shutdown in-flight cache retrieves.
@@ -574,6 +580,35 @@ func (ms *Server) wakeupReader() {
 	_ = cmd.Run()
 }
 
+func (ms *Server) checkHangRequests(timeout time.Duration) {
+	for {
+		time.Sleep(timeout / 100)
+		var batch = 100
+		for i := 0; ; i += batch {
+			now := time.Now()
+			ms.reqMu.Lock()
+			if ms.shutdown {
+				ms.reqMu.Unlock()
+				break
+			}
+			for j := 0; j < batch && i+j < len(ms.reqInflight); j++ {
+				req := ms.reqInflight[i+j]
+				if req.interrupted {
+					unique := req.inHeader.Unique
+					ms.reqMu.Unlock()
+					ms.returnInterrupted(unique)
+					ms.reqMu.Lock()
+				} else if used := now.Sub(req.startTime); used > timeout || req.inHeader.Unique+2e6 > ms.maxUnique {
+					log.Printf("interrupt request %d after %s: %+v", req.inHeader.Unique, used, req.inHeader)
+					req.interrupted = true
+					close(req.cancel)
+				}
+			}
+			ms.reqMu.Unlock()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (ms *Server) Shutdown() bool {
 	log.Printf("try to restart gracefully")
 	start := time.Now()