diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go b/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go
index 34451f9ed05..194f04a428b 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ var (
 
 	mysqlConnReadTimeout  = flag.Duration("mysql_server_read_timeout", 0, "connection read timeout")
 	mysqlConnWriteTimeout = flag.Duration("mysql_server_write_timeout", 0, "connection write timeout")
+	mysqlQueryTimeout     = flag.Duration("mysql_server_query_timeout", 0, "mysql query timeout")
 
 	busyConnections int32
 )
@@ -77,7 +78,14 @@ func (vh *vtgateHandler) NewConnection(c *mysql.Conn) {
 
 func (vh *vtgateHandler) ConnectionClosed(c *mysql.Conn) {
 	// Rollback if there is an ongoing transaction. Ignore error.
-	ctx := context.Background()
+	var ctx context.Context
+	var cancel context.CancelFunc
+	if *mysqlQueryTimeout != 0 {
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), *mysqlQueryTimeout)
+		defer cancel()
+	} else {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 	session, _ := c.ClientData.(*vtgatepb.Session)
 	if session != nil {
 		if session.InTransaction {
@@ -88,8 +96,14 @@ func (vh *vtgateHandler) ConnectionClosed(c *mysql.Conn) {
 }
 
 func (vh *vtgateHandler) ComQuery(c *mysql.Conn, query string, callback func(*sqltypes.Result) error) error {
-	// FIXME(alainjobart): Add some kind of timeout to the context.
-	ctx := context.Background()
+	var ctx context.Context
+	var cancel context.CancelFunc
+	if *mysqlQueryTimeout != 0 {
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), *mysqlQueryTimeout)
+		defer cancel()
+	} else {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 
 	// Fill in the ImmediateCallerID with the UserData returned by
 	// the AuthServer plugin for that user. If nothing was
diff --git a/go/vt/vtqueryserver/plugin_mysql_server.go b/go/vt/vtqueryserver/plugin_mysql_server.go
index f0400a88c3e..ab0327b6273 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtqueryserver/plugin_mysql_server.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtqueryserver/plugin_mysql_server.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ var (
 
 	mysqlConnReadTimeout  = flag.Duration("mysql_server_read_timeout", 0, "connection read timeout")
 	mysqlConnWriteTimeout = flag.Duration("mysql_server_write_timeout", 0, "connection write timeout")
+	mysqlQueryTimeout     = flag.Duration("mysql_server_query_timeout", 0, "mysql query timeout")
 )
 
 // proxyHandler implements the Listener interface.
@@ -71,7 +72,14 @@ func (mh *proxyHandler) NewConnection(c *mysql.Conn) {
 
 func (mh *proxyHandler) ConnectionClosed(c *mysql.Conn) {
 	// Rollback if there is an ongoing transaction. Ignore error.
-	ctx := context.Background()
+	var ctx context.Context
+	var cancel context.CancelFunc
+	if *mysqlQueryTimeout != 0 {
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), *mysqlQueryTimeout)
+		defer cancel()
+	} else {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 	session, _ := c.ClientData.(*mysqlproxy.ProxySession)
 	if session != nil && session.TransactionID != 0 {
 		_ = mh.mp.Rollback(ctx, session)
@@ -79,9 +87,14 @@ func (mh *proxyHandler) ConnectionClosed(c *mysql.Conn) {
 }
 
 func (mh *proxyHandler) ComQuery(c *mysql.Conn, query string, callback func(*sqltypes.Result) error) error {
-	// FIXME(alainjobart): Add some kind of timeout to the context.
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
+	var ctx context.Context
+	var cancel context.CancelFunc
+	if *mysqlQueryTimeout != 0 {
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), *mysqlQueryTimeout)
+		defer cancel()
+	} else {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 	// Fill in the ImmediateCallerID with the UserData returned by
 	// the AuthServer plugin for that user. If nothing was
 	// returned, use the User. This lets the plugin map a MySQL
diff --git a/test/mysql_server_test.py b/test/mysql_server_test.py
index 6f07e804ed4..3cd11cf148d 100755
--- a/test/mysql_server_test.py
+++ b/test/mysql_server_test.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def test_mysql_connector(self):
       fd.write("""{
       "table_groups": [
           {
-             "table_names_or_prefixes": ["vt_insert_test"],
+             "table_names_or_prefixes": ["vt_insert_test", "dual"],
              "readers": ["vtgate client 1"],
              "writers": ["vtgate client 1"],
              "admins": ["vtgate client 1"]
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def test_mysql_connector(self):
     # start vtgate
     utils.VtGate(mysql_server=True).start(
         extra_args=['-mysql_auth_server_impl', 'static',
+                    '-mysql_server_query_timeout', '1s',
                     '-mysql_auth_server_static_file', mysql_auth_server_static])
     # We use gethostbyname('localhost') so we don't presume
     # of the IP format (travis is only IP v4, really).
@@ -189,6 +190,18 @@ def test_mysql_connector(self):
 
     conn.close()
 
+    # 'vtgate client' this query should timeout
+    conn = MySQLdb.Connect(**params)
+    try:
+      cursor = conn.cursor()
+      cursor.execute('SELECT SLEEP(5)', {})
+      self.fail('Execute went through')
+    except MySQLdb.OperationalError, e:
+      s = str(e)
+      # 1317 is DeadlineExceeded error code
+      self.assertIn('1317', s)
+    conn.close()
+
     # 'vtgate client 2' is not authorized to access vt_insert_test
     params['user'] = 'testuser2'
     params['passwd'] = 'testpassword2'