diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 08b6d20..7b01a70 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gin-contrib/cors v1.7.6
 	github.com/gin-contrib/secure v1.1.2
 	github.com/gin-contrib/slog v1.2.0
+	github.com/gin-contrib/timeout v1.1.0
 	github.com/gin-gonic/gin v1.11.0
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.5.3
 	github.com/swaggo/files v1.0.1
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index d3993c3..1ce9a76 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ github.com/gin-contrib/slog v1.2.0 h1:vAxZfr7knD1ZYK5+pMJLP52sZXIkJXkcRPa/0dx9hS
 github.com/gin-contrib/slog v1.2.0/go.mod h1:vYK6YltmpsEFkO0zfRMLTKHrWS3DwUSn0TMpT+kMagI=
 github.com/gin-contrib/sse v1.1.0 h1:n0w2GMuUpWDVp7qSpvze6fAu9iRxJY4Hmj6AmBOU05w=
 github.com/gin-contrib/sse v1.1.0/go.mod h1:hxRZ5gVpWMT7Z0B0gSNYqqsSCNIJMjzvm6fqCz9vjwM=
+github.com/gin-contrib/timeout v1.1.0 h1:WAmWseo5gfBUbMrMJu5hJxDclehfSJUmK2wGwCC/EFw=
+github.com/gin-contrib/timeout v1.1.0/go.mod h1:NpRo4gd1Ad8ZQ4T6bQLVFDqiplCmPRs2nvfckxS2Fw4=
 github.com/gin-gonic/gin v1.11.0 h1:OW/6PLjyusp2PPXtyxKHU0RbX6I/l28FTdDlae5ueWk=
 github.com/gin-gonic/gin v1.11.0/go.mod h1:+iq/FyxlGzII0KHiBGjuNn4UNENUlKbGlNmc+W50Dls=
 github.com/go-jose/go-jose/v4 v4.1.3 h1:CVLmWDhDVRa6Mi/IgCgaopNosCaHz7zrMeF9MlZRkrs=
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 281aec0..e8e18d3 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gin-contrib/cors"
 	"github.com/gin-contrib/secure"
 	ginslog "github.com/gin-contrib/slog"
+	"github.com/gin-contrib/timeout"
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 )
 
@@ -134,3 +135,25 @@ func WithSlog(logger *slog.Logger) Option {
 		))
 	}
 }
+
+// WithTimeout adds per-request timeout middleware via gin-contrib/timeout.
+// If a handler exceeds the given duration, the request is aborted with a
+// 504 Gateway Timeout carrying the standard error envelope:
+//
+//	{"success":false,"error":{"code":"timeout","message":"Request timed out"}}
+//
+// A zero or negative duration effectively disables the timeout (the handler
+// runs without a deadline) — this is safe and will not panic.
+func WithTimeout(d time.Duration) Option {
+	return func(e *Engine) {
+		e.middlewares = append(e.middlewares, timeout.New(
+			timeout.WithTimeout(d),
+			timeout.WithResponse(timeoutResponse),
+		))
+	}
+}
+
+// timeoutResponse writes a 504 Gateway Timeout with the standard error envelope.
+func timeoutResponse(c *gin.Context) {
+	c.JSON(http.StatusGatewayTimeout, Fail("timeout", "Request timed out"))
+}
diff --git a/timeout_test.go b/timeout_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d761602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/timeout_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
+package api_test
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+
+	api "forge.lthn.ai/core/go-api"
+)
+
+// ── Helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+// slowGroup provides a route that sleeps longer than the test timeout.
+type slowGroup struct{}
+
+func (s *slowGroup) Name() string     { return "slow" }
+func (s *slowGroup) BasePath() string { return "/v1/slow" }
+func (s *slowGroup) RegisterRoutes(rg *gin.RouterGroup) {
+	rg.GET("/wait", func(c *gin.Context) {
+		time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, api.OK("done"))
+	})
+}
+
+// ── WithTimeout ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func TestWithTimeout_Good_FastRequestSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	e, _ := api.New(api.WithTimeout(500 * time.Millisecond))
+	e.Register(&stubGroup{})
+
+	h := e.Handler()
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/stub/ping", nil)
+	h.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	var resp api.Response[string]
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !resp.Success {
+		t.Fatal("expected Success=true")
+	}
+	if resp.Data != "pong" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected Data=%q, got %q", "pong", resp.Data)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWithTimeout_Good_SlowRequestTimesOut(t *testing.T) {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	e, _ := api.New(api.WithTimeout(50 * time.Millisecond))
+	e.Register(&slowGroup{})
+
+	h := e.Handler()
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/v1/slow/wait", nil)
+	h.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusGatewayTimeout {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 504, got %d", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWithTimeout_Good_TimeoutResponseEnvelope(t *testing.T) {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	e, _ := api.New(api.WithTimeout(50 * time.Millisecond))
+	e.Register(&slowGroup{})
+
+	h := e.Handler()
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/v1/slow/wait", nil)
+	h.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusGatewayTimeout {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 504, got %d", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	var resp api.Response[any]
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp.Success {
+		t.Fatal("expected Success=false")
+	}
+	if resp.Error == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected Error to be non-nil")
+	}
+	if resp.Error.Code != "timeout" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error code=%q, got %q", "timeout", resp.Error.Code)
+	}
+	if resp.Error.Message != "Request timed out" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error message=%q, got %q", "Request timed out", resp.Error.Message)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWithTimeout_Good_CombinesWithOtherMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	e, _ := api.New(
+		api.WithRequestID(),
+		api.WithTimeout(500*time.Millisecond),
+	)
+	e.Register(&stubGroup{})
+
+	h := e.Handler()
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/stub/ping", nil)
+	h.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	// WithRequestID should still set the header.
+	id := w.Header().Get("X-Request-ID")
+	if id == "" {
+		t.Fatal("expected X-Request-ID header to be set")
+	}
+
+	var resp api.Response[string]
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp.Data != "pong" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected Data=%q, got %q", "pong", resp.Data)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWithTimeout_Ugly_ZeroDurationDoesNotPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("WithTimeout(0) panicked: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	e, err := api.New(api.WithTimeout(0))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	e.Register(&stubGroup{})
+
+	h := e.Handler()
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/stub/ping", nil)
+	h.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+
+	// We only care that it did not panic. Status may vary with zero timeout.
+}