diff --git a/src/xcb.h b/src/xcb.h
index 09e123e..231986b 100644
--- a/src/xcb.h
+++ b/src/xcb.h
@@ -337,6 +337,13 @@ xcb_generic_event_t *xcb_poll_for_special_event(xcb_connection_t *c,
  */
 xcb_generic_event_t *xcb_wait_for_special_event(xcb_connection_t *c,
                                                 xcb_special_event_t *se);
+
+/**
+ * @brief Returns the next event from a special queue, blocking until one arrives
+ */
+xcb_generic_event_t *xcb_wait_for_special_event_with_timeout(xcb_connection_t *c,
+                                                             xcb_special_event_t *se,
+                                                             unsigned int millisecs_timeout);
 /**
  * @typedef typedef struct xcb_extension_t xcb_extension_t
  */
diff --git a/src/xcb_conn.c b/src/xcb_conn.c
index 8dab658..62002cb 100644
--- a/src/xcb_conn.c
+++ b/src/xcb_conn.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <limits.h>
+#include <sys/time.h> /* I bet this does not work on Windows... */
 
 #include "xcb.h"
 #include "xcbint.h"
@@ -434,6 +435,11 @@ xcb_connection_t *_xcb_conn_ret_error(int err)
 }
 
 int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vector, int *count)
+{
+    return _xcb_conn_timedwait(c, cond, vector, count, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+int _xcb_conn_timedwait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vector, int *count, struct timeval *now, struct timeval *deadline)
 {
     int ret;
 #if USE_POLL
@@ -445,7 +451,13 @@ int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vec
     /* If the thing I should be doing is already being done, wait for it. */
     if(count ? c->out.writing : c->in.reading)
     {
-        pthread_cond_wait(cond, &c->iolock);
+        if(deadline) {
+            struct timespec spec;
+            spec.tv_sec = deadline->tv_sec;
+            spec.tv_nsec = deadline->tv_usec * 100;
+            pthread_cond_timedwait(cond, &c->iolock, &spec);
+        } else
+            pthread_cond_wait(cond, &c->iolock);
         return 1;
     }
 
@@ -477,7 +489,13 @@ int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vec
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&c->iolock);
     do {
 #if USE_POLL
-        ret = poll(&fd, 1, -1);
+        int timeout = -1;
+        if(deadline && now) {
+            struct timeval diff;
+            timersub(deadline, now, &diff);
+            timeout = now->tv_sec * 1000 + now->tv_usec / 1000;
+        }
+        ret = poll(&fd, 1, timeout);
         /* If poll() returns an event we didn't expect, such as POLLNVAL, treat
          * it as if it failed. */
         if(ret >= 0 && (fd.revents & ~fd.events))
@@ -486,7 +504,13 @@ int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vec
             break;
         }
 #else
-        ret = select(c->fd + 1, &rfds, &wfds, 0, 0);
+        struct timeval diff;
+        struct timeval *timeout = NULL;
+        if(deadline && now) {
+            timersub(deadline, now, &diff);
+            timeout = &diff;
+        }
+        ret = select(c->fd + 1, &rfds, &wfds, 0, timeout);
 #endif
     } while (ret == -1 && errno == EINTR);
     if(ret < 0)
diff --git a/src/xcb_in.c b/src/xcb_in.c
index 796b4e9..4018e0c 100644
--- a/src/xcb_in.c
+++ b/src/xcb_in.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <sys/time.h> /* I bet this does not work on Windows... */
 
 #if USE_POLL
 #include <poll.h>
@@ -778,6 +779,42 @@ xcb_generic_event_t *xcb_poll_for_special_event(xcb_connection_t *c,
     return event;
 }
 
+xcb_generic_event_t *xcb_wait_for_special_event_with_timeout(xcb_connection_t *c,
+                                                             xcb_special_event_t *se,
+                                                             unsigned int millisecs_timeout)
+{
+    struct timeval now, deadline, timeout;
+    special_list special;
+    xcb_generic_event_t *event;
+
+    if(c->has_error)
+        return 0;
+
+    timeout.tv_sec = millisecs_timeout / 1000;
+    timeout.tv_usec = (millisecs_timeout % 1000) * 1000;
+    gettimeofday(&now, NULL); // TODO: Check for errors?
+    timeradd(&now, &timeout, &deadline);
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&c->iolock);
+
+    insert_special(&c->in.special_waiters, &special, se);
+
+    /* get_special_event returns 0 on empty list. */
+    while(!(event = get_special_event(c, se))) {
+        if(timercmp(&deadline, &now, <))
+            break;
+        if(!_xcb_conn_timedwait(c, &se->special_event_cond, 0, 0, &now, &deadline))
+            break;
+        gettimeofday(&now, NULL); // TODO: Check for errors?
+    }
+
+    remove_special(&c->in.special_waiters, &special);
+
+    _xcb_in_wake_up_next_reader(c);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&c->iolock);
+    return event;
+}
+
 xcb_generic_event_t *xcb_wait_for_special_event(xcb_connection_t *c,
                                                 xcb_special_event_t *se)
 {
diff --git a/src/xcbint.h b/src/xcbint.h
index cef9821..0eda037 100644
--- a/src/xcbint.h
+++ b/src/xcbint.h
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ void _xcb_conn_shutdown(xcb_connection_t *c, int err);
 xcb_connection_t *_xcb_conn_ret_error(int err);
 
 int _xcb_conn_wait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vector, int *count);
+int _xcb_conn_timedwait(xcb_connection_t *c, pthread_cond_t *cond, struct iovec **vector, int *count, struct timeval *now, struct timeval *deadline);
 
 
 /* xcb_auth.c */