--- a/libtac/include/libtac.h
+++ b/libtac/include/libtac.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@
 extern int tac_timeout;
 
 void tac_set_dscp(uint8_t val);
+void tac_enable_readtimeout(int enable);
 int tac_connect(struct addrinfo **, char **, int);
 int tac_connect_single(struct addrinfo *, const char *, struct addrinfo *, int);
 char *tac_ntop(const struct sockaddr *);
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@
 int tac_authen_send(int, const char *, char *, char *,
     char *);
 int tac_authen_read(int);
+int tac_authen_read_timeout(int, int);
 int tac_cont_send(int, char *);
 HDR *_tac_req_header(u_char, int);
 void _tac_crypt(u_char *, HDR *, int);
@@ -148,6 +150,7 @@
 int tac_acct_send(int, int, const char *, char *, char *,
     struct tac_attrib *);
 int tac_acct_read(int, struct areply *);
+int tac_acct_read_timeout(int, struct areply *, int);
 void *xcalloc(size_t, size_t);
 void *xrealloc(void *, size_t);
 char *xstrcpy(char *, const char *, size_t);
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@
 int tac_author_send(int, const char *, char *, char *,
     struct tac_attrib *);
 int tac_author_read(int, struct areply *);
+int tac_author_read_timeout(int, struct areply *, int);
 int tac_add_attrib_pair(struct tac_attrib **, char *, char,
     char *);
 int tac_add_attrib_truncate(struct tac_attrib **attr, char *name, char *value);
--- a/libtac/lib/acct_r.c
+++ b/libtac/lib/acct_r.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
  *             LIBTAC_STATUS_PROTOCOL_ERR
  *   >= 0 : server response, see TAC_PLUS_AUTHEN_STATUS_...
  */
-int tac_acct_read(int fd, struct areply *re) {
+int tac_acct_read_timeout(int fd, struct areply *re, int timeout) {
     HDR th;
     struct acct_reply *tb = NULL;
     int len_from_header, r, len_from_body;
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@
     re->msg = NULL;
 
     if (tac_readtimeout_enable &&
-        tac_read_wait(fd,tac_timeout*1000, TAC_PLUS_HDR_SIZE,&timeleft) < 0 ) {
+        tac_read_wait(fd,timeout*1000, TAC_PLUS_HDR_SIZE,&timeleft) < 0 ) {
         TACSYSLOG((LOG_ERR,\
-            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, tac_timeout))
+            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, timeout))
         re->msg = xstrdup(acct_syserr_msg);
         re->status = LIBTAC_STATUS_READ_TIMEOUT;
         free(tb);
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     if (tac_readtimeout_enable &&
         tac_read_wait(fd,timeleft,len_from_header,NULL) < 0 ) {
         TACSYSLOG((LOG_ERR,\
-            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, tac_timeout))
+            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, timeout))
         re->msg = xstrdup(acct_syserr_msg);
         re->status = LIBTAC_STATUS_READ_TIMEOUT;
         free(tb);
@@ -156,3 +156,7 @@
     free(tb);
     return re->status;
 }
+
+int tac_acct_read(int fd, struct areply *re) {
+	return tac_acct_read_timeout(fd, re, tac_timeout);
+}
--- a/libtac/lib/authen_r.c
+++ b/libtac/lib/authen_r.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  *         LIBTAC_STATUS_PROTOCOL_ERR
  *   >= 0 : server response, see TAC_PLUS_AUTHEN_STATUS_...
  */
-int tac_authen_read(int fd) {
+int tac_authen_read_timeout(int fd, int timeout) {
     HDR th;
     struct authen_reply *tb = NULL;
     int len_from_header, r, len_from_body;
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@
 
     /* read the reply header */
     if (tac_readtimeout_enable &&
-        tac_read_wait(fd,tac_timeout*1000,TAC_PLUS_HDR_SIZE,&timeleft) < 0 ) {
+        tac_read_wait(fd,timeout*1000,TAC_PLUS_HDR_SIZE,&timeleft) < 0 ) {
         TACSYSLOG((LOG_ERR,\
-            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, tac_timeout))
+            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, timeout))
         status=LIBTAC_STATUS_READ_TIMEOUT;
         free(tb);
         return status;
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
     if (tac_readtimeout_enable &&
         tac_read_wait(fd,timeleft,len_from_header,NULL) < 0 ) {
         TACSYSLOG((LOG_ERR,\
-            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, tac_timeout))
+            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, timeout))
         status=LIBTAC_STATUS_READ_TIMEOUT;
     }
     r = read(fd, tb, len_from_header);
@@ -136,3 +136,7 @@
     free(tb);
     return status;
 }    /* tac_authen_read */
+
+int tac_authen_read(int fd) {
+	return tac_authen_read_timeout(fd, tac_timeout);
+}
--- a/libtac/lib/author_r.c
+++ b/libtac/lib/author_r.c
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
  *         LIBTAC_STATUS_PROTOCOL_ERR
  *   >= 0 : server response, see TAC_PLUS_AUTHOR_STATUS_...
  */
-int tac_author_read(int fd, struct areply *re) {
+
+int tac_author_read_timeout(int fd, struct areply *re, int timeout) {
     HDR th;
     struct author_reply *tb = NULL;
     int len_from_header, r, len_from_body;
@@ -49,10 +50,10 @@
 
     bzero(re, sizeof(struct areply));
     if (tac_readtimeout_enable &&
-        tac_read_wait(fd,tac_timeout*1000,TAC_PLUS_HDR_SIZE,&timeleft) < 0 ) {
+        tac_read_wait(fd,timeout*1000,TAC_PLUS_HDR_SIZE,&timeleft) < 0 ) {
 
         TACSYSLOG((LOG_ERR,\
-            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, tac_timeout))
+            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, timeout))
         re->msg = xstrdup(author_syserr_msg);
         re->status = LIBTAC_STATUS_READ_TIMEOUT;
         free(tb);
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@
         tac_read_wait(fd,timeleft,len_from_header,NULL) < 0 ) {
 
         TACSYSLOG((LOG_ERR,\
-            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, tac_timeout))
+            "%s: reply timeout after %d secs", __FUNCTION__, timeout))
         re->msg = xstrdup(author_syserr_msg);
         re->status = LIBTAC_STATUS_READ_TIMEOUT;
         free(tb);
@@ -240,3 +241,7 @@
     free(tb);
     return re->status;
 }
+
+int tac_author_read(int fd, struct areply *re) {
+	return tac_author_read_timeout(fd, re, tac_timeout);
+}
--- a/libtac/lib/connect.c
+++ b/libtac/lib/connect.c
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@
     tac_dscp = val;
 }
 
+
+void tac_enable_readtimeout(int enable) {
+        tac_readtimeout_enable = !!enable;
+}
+
 /* Returns file descriptor of open connection
    to the first available server from list passed
    in server table.