diff --git a/examples/smoke-test/main.rs b/examples/smoke-test/main.rs
index 4a81925..043791c 100644
--- a/examples/smoke-test/main.rs
+++ b/examples/smoke-test/main.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ type Result<T> = result::Result<T, Oops>;
 fn get(agent: &ureq::Agent, url: &String) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
     let response = agent
         .get(url)
-        .timeout_connect(5_000)
+        .timeout_connect(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
         .timeout(Duration::from_secs(20))
         .call();
     if let Some(err) = response.synthetic_error() {
diff --git a/src/request.rs b/src/request.rs
index daee345..541ee1c 100644
--- a/src/request.rs
+++ b/src/request.rs
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ pub struct Request {
     // from request itself
     pub(crate) headers: Vec<Header>,
     pub(crate) query: QString,
-    pub(crate) timeout_connect: u64,
-    pub(crate) timeout_read: u64,
-    pub(crate) timeout_write: u64,
+    pub(crate) timeout_connect: Option<time::Duration>,
+    pub(crate) timeout_read: Option<time::Duration>,
+    pub(crate) timeout_write: Option<time::Duration>,
     pub(crate) timeout: Option<time::Duration>,
     pub(crate) redirects: u32,
     pub(crate) proxy: Option<Proxy>,
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ impl Request {
     ///
     /// ```
     /// let r = ureq::get("/my_page")
-    ///     .timeout_connect(10_000) // max 10 seconds
+    ///     .timeout_connect(std::time::Duration::from_secs(10)) // max 10 seconds
     ///     .call();
     ///
     /// println!("{:?}", r);
@@ -346,12 +346,12 @@ impl Request {
     ///
     /// ```
     /// let r = ureq::get("/my_page")
-    ///     .timeout_connect(1_000) // wait max 1 second to connect
+    ///     .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1))
     ///     .call();
     /// println!("{:?}", r);
     /// ```
-    pub fn timeout_connect(&mut self, millis: u64) -> &mut Request {
-        self.timeout_connect = millis;
+    pub fn timeout_connect(&mut self, timeout: time::Duration) -> &mut Request {
+        self.timeout_connect = Some(timeout);
         self
     }
 
@@ -363,12 +363,12 @@ impl Request {
     ///
     /// ```
     /// let r = ureq::get("/my_page")
-    ///     .timeout_read(1_000) // wait max 1 second for the read
+    ///     .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1))
     ///     .call();
     /// println!("{:?}", r);
     /// ```
-    pub fn timeout_read(&mut self, millis: u64) -> &mut Request {
-        self.timeout_read = millis;
+    pub fn timeout_read(&mut self, timeout: time::Duration) -> &mut Request {
+        self.timeout_read = Some(timeout);
         self
     }
 
@@ -380,12 +380,12 @@ impl Request {
     ///
     /// ```
     /// let r = ureq::get("/my_page")
-    ///     .timeout_write(1_000)   // wait max 1 second for sending.
+    ///     .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1))
     ///     .call();
     /// println!("{:?}", r);
     /// ```
-    pub fn timeout_write(&mut self, millis: u64) -> &mut Request {
-        self.timeout_write = millis;
+    pub fn timeout_write(&mut self, timeout: time::Duration) -> &mut Request {
+        self.timeout_write = Some(timeout);
         self
     }
 
diff --git a/src/stream.rs b/src/stream.rs
index f14a3ae..7e22295 100644
--- a/src/stream.rs
+++ b/src/stream.rs
@@ -379,8 +379,8 @@ pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str) -> Result<Stream, Error
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn connect_host(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str, port: u16) -> Result<TcpStream, Error> {
-    let deadline: Option<Instant> = if unit.req.timeout_connect > 0 {
-        Instant::now().checked_add(Duration::from_millis(unit.req.timeout_connect))
+    let deadline: Option<Instant> = if let Some(timeout_connect) = unit.req.timeout_connect {
+        Instant::now().checked_add(timeout_connect)
     } else {
         unit.deadline
     };
@@ -447,30 +447,20 @@ pub(crate) fn connect_host(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str, port: u16) -> Result<Tcp
         return Err(err);
     };
 
-    // rust's absurd api returns Err if we set 0.
-    // Setting it to None will disable the native system timeout
     if let Some(deadline) = deadline {
-        stream
-            .set_read_timeout(Some(time_until_deadline(deadline)?))
-            .ok();
-    } else if unit.req.timeout_read > 0 {
-        stream
-            .set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_millis(unit.req.timeout_read as u64)))
-            .ok();
+        stream.set_read_timeout(Some(time_until_deadline(deadline)?))?;
+    } else if let Some(timeout_read) = unit.req.timeout_read {
+        stream.set_read_timeout(Some(timeout_read))?;
     } else {
-        stream.set_read_timeout(None).ok();
+        stream.set_read_timeout(None)?;
     }
 
     if let Some(deadline) = deadline {
-        stream
-            .set_write_timeout(Some(time_until_deadline(deadline)?))
-            .ok();
-    } else if unit.req.timeout_write > 0 {
-        stream
-            .set_write_timeout(Some(Duration::from_millis(unit.req.timeout_write as u64)))
-            .ok();
+        stream.set_write_timeout(Some(time_until_deadline(deadline)?))?;
+    } else if let Some(timeout_write) = unit.req.timeout_write {
+        stream.set_write_timeout(Some(timeout_write)).ok();
     } else {
-        stream.set_write_timeout(None).ok();
+        stream.set_write_timeout(None)?;
     }
 
     if proto == Some(Proto::HTTPConnect) {