diff --git a/socketIO_client/__init__.py b/socketIO_client/__init__.py
index c27009b..899cc32 100644
--- a/socketIO_client/__init__.py
+++ b/socketIO_client/__init__.py
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class SocketIO(object):
                 break
             try:
                 try:
-                    self._process_events()
+                    self._process_events(timeout=seconds)
                 except TimeoutError:
                     pass
                 self.heartbeat_pacemaker.next()
@@ -259,8 +259,8 @@ class SocketIO(object):
                     self.log(logging.WARNING, warning)
                 self.disconnect()
 
-    def _process_events(self):
-        for packet in self._transport.recv_packet():
+    def _process_events(self, timeout=None):
+        for packet in self._transport.recv_packet(timeout):
             try:
                 self._process_packet(packet)
             except PacketError as e:
diff --git a/socketIO_client/transports.py b/socketIO_client/transports.py
index c816dcc..0cfe6c6 100644
--- a/socketIO_client/transports.py
+++ b/socketIO_client/transports.py
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ class _AbstractTransport(object):
         self.send(packet_text)
         self._log(logging.DEBUG, '[packet sent] %s', packet_text)
 
-    def recv_packet(self):
+    def recv_packet(self, timeout=None):
         try:
             while self._packets:
                 yield self._packets.pop(0)
         except IndexError:
             pass
-        for packet_text in self.recv():
-            self._log(logging.DEBUG, '[packet received] %s', packet_text)
+        for packet_text in self.recv(timeout=timeout):
+            _log.debug('[packet received] %s', packet_text)
             try:
                 packet_parts = packet_text.split(':', 3)
             except AttributeError:
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ class _WebsocketTransport(_AbstractTransport):
             self._log(logging.WARNING, message)
             raise ConnectionError(message)
 
-    def recv(self):
+    def recv(self, timeout=None):
+        if timeout:
+            self._connection.settimeout(timeout)
         try:
             yield self._connection.recv()
         except websocket.WebSocketTimeoutException as e:
@@ -202,12 +204,12 @@ class _XHR_PollingTransport(_AbstractTransport):
             data=packet_text,
             timeout=TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
 
-    def recv(self):
+    def recv(self, timeout=None):
         response = _get_response(
             self._http_session.get,
             self._url,
             params=self._params,
-            timeout=TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS,
+            timeout=timeout or TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS,
             stream=True)
         response_text = response.text
         if not response_text.startswith(BOUNDARY):
@@ -257,14 +259,14 @@ class _JSONP_PollingTransport(_AbstractTransport):
             headers={'content-type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'},
             timeout=TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
 
-    def recv(self):
+    def recv(self, timeout=None):
         'Decode the JavaScript response so that we can parse it as JSON'
         response = _get_response(
             self._http_session.get,
             self._url,
             params=self._params,
             headers={'content-type': 'text/javascript; charset=UTF-8'},
-            timeout=TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
+            timeout=timeout or TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
         response_text = response.text
         try:
             self._id, response_text = self.RESPONSE_PATTERN.match(