diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index e40592dd7..a90608e8b 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -86,6 +87,10 @@ func (c *Client) Call(ctx context.Context, service, method string, req, resp int
 		cresp = &Response{}
 	)
 
+	if dl, ok := ctx.Deadline(); ok {
+		creq.TimeoutNano = dl.Sub(time.Now()).Nanoseconds()
+	}
+
 	if err := c.dispatch(ctx, creq, cresp); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -104,6 +109,7 @@ func (c *Client) Call(ctx context.Context, service, method string, req, resp int
 func (c *Client) dispatch(ctx context.Context, req *Request, resp *Response) error {
 	errs := make(chan error, 1)
 	call := &callRequest{
+		ctx:  ctx,
 		req:  req,
 		resp: resp,
 		errs: errs,
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 263cb4583..40804eac0 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -414,6 +414,9 @@ func (c *serverConn) run(sctx context.Context) {
 		case request := <-requests:
 			active++
 			go func(id uint32) {
+				ctx, cancel := getRequestContext(ctx, request.req)
+				defer cancel()
+
 				p, status := c.server.services.call(ctx, request.req.Service, request.req.Method, request.req.Payload)
 				resp := &Response{
 					Status:  status.Proto(),
@@ -454,3 +457,15 @@ func (c *serverConn) run(sctx context.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+var noopFunc = func() {}
+
+func getRequestContext(ctx context.Context, req *Request) (retCtx context.Context, cancel func()) {
+	cancel = noopFunc
+	if req.TimeoutNano == 0 {
+		return ctx, cancel
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Duration(req.TimeoutNano))
+	return ctx, cancel
+}
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index ec07f0ef2..4f31feba7 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -57,7 +58,8 @@ func (tc *testingClient) Test(ctx context.Context, req *testPayload) (*testPaylo
 }
 
 type testPayload struct {
-	Foo string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=foo,proto3"`
+	Foo      string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=foo,proto3"`
+	Deadline int64  `protobuf:"varint,2,opt,name=deadline,proto3"`
 }
 
 func (r *testPayload) Reset()         { *r = testPayload{} }
@@ -68,7 +70,11 @@ func (r *testPayload) ProtoMessage()  {}
 type testingServer struct{}
 
 func (s *testingServer) Test(ctx context.Context, req *testPayload) (*testPayload, error) {
-	return &testPayload{Foo: strings.Repeat(req.Foo, 2)}, nil
+	tp := &testPayload{Foo: strings.Repeat(req.Foo, 2)}
+	if dl, ok := ctx.Deadline(); ok {
+		tp.Deadline = dl.UnixNano()
+	}
+	return tp, nil
 }
 
 // registerTestingService mocks more of what is generated code. Unlike grpc, we
@@ -376,6 +382,34 @@ func TestUnixSocketHandshake(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestServerRequestTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		ctx, cancel     = context.WithDeadline(context.Background(), time.Now().Add(10*time.Minute))
+		server          = mustServer(t)(NewServer())
+		addr, listener  = newTestListener(t)
+		testImpl        = &testingServer{}
+		client, cleanup = newTestClient(t, addr)
+		result          testPayload
+	)
+	defer cancel()
+	defer cleanup()
+	defer listener.Close()
+
+	registerTestingService(server, testImpl)
+
+	go server.Serve(ctx, listener)
+	defer server.Shutdown(ctx)
+
+	if err := client.Call(ctx, serviceName, "Test", &testPayload{}, &result); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error making call: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	dl, _ := ctx.Deadline()
+	if result.Deadline != dl.UnixNano() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected deadline %v, actual: %v", dl, result.Deadline)
+	}
+}
+
 func BenchmarkRoundTrip(b *testing.B) {
 	var (
 		ctx             = context.Background()
diff --git a/types.go b/types.go
index 1f7969e5c..a6b3b818e 100644
--- a/types.go
+++ b/types.go
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Request struct {
-	Service string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=service,proto3"`
-	Method  string `protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=method,proto3"`
-	Payload []byte `protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=payload,proto3"`
+	Service     string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=service,proto3"`
+	Method      string `protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=method,proto3"`
+	Payload     []byte `protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=payload,proto3"`
+	TimeoutNano int64  `protobuf:"varint,4,opt,name=timeout_nano,proto3"`
 }
 
 func (r *Request) Reset()         { *r = Request{} }