diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c1308051..57d2cf45 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ Version 2.0.0
 - Added option to auto start instances on slave startup.
 - Added metric mapping of slave and instance ids to their names, allowing
   them to be displayed by name in queries that join with the mapping.
+- Added option to configure timeout for exported Prometheus metrics.
 
 ### Changes
 
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 4951fe5d..74409f5c 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -112,6 +112,15 @@ unavoidable.
 Defaults to 30.
 
 
+### master.metrics_timeout
+
+Timeout in seconds before a call to gather metrics from a slave times
+out.  This should be less than both the timeout and collection interval
+configured for the collection job in Prometheus.
+
+Defaults to 8.
+
+
 ### master.default_role_id
 
 Role to automatically grant to new users.  If null no role is granted.
diff --git a/packages/lib/config/definitions.js b/packages/lib/config/definitions.js
index 2d342b9b..223f53f1 100644
--- a/packages/lib/config/definitions.js
+++ b/packages/lib/config/definitions.js
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ MasterGroup.define({
 	type: "number",
 	initial_value: 30,
 });
+MasterGroup.define({
+	name: "metrics_timeout",
+	title: "Metrics Timeout",
+	description: "Timeout in seconds for metrics gathering from slaves",
+	type: "number",
+	initial_value: 8,
+});
 MasterGroup.define({
 	name: "default_role_id",
 	title: "Default role",
diff --git a/packages/master/master.js b/packages/master/master.js
index c2c2b0f7..14439ada 100755
--- a/packages/master/master.js
+++ b/packages/master/master.js
@@ -190,8 +190,9 @@ async function getMetrics(req, res, next) {
 	}
 
 	let requests = [];
+	let timeout = masterConfig.get("master.metrics_timeout") * 1000;
 	for (let slaveConnection of slaveConnections.values()) {
-		requests.push(libHelpers.timeout(libLink.messages.getMetrics.send(slaveConnection), 8e3, null));
+		requests.push(libHelpers.timeout(libLink.messages.getMetrics.send(slaveConnection), timeout, null));
 	}
 
 	for await (let result of await libPrometheus.defaultRegistry.collect()) {
diff --git a/plugins/statistics_exporter/README.md b/plugins/statistics_exporter/README.md
index b22a9892..7dc08021 100644
--- a/plugins/statistics_exporter/README.md
+++ b/plugins/statistics_exporter/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Clusterio.
 
 
 Installation
-============
+------------
 
 Run the following commands in the folder Clusterio is installed to:
 
@@ -16,3 +16,18 @@ Run the following commands in the folder Clusterio is installed to:
 
 Substitute clusteriomaster with clusterioslave or clusterioctl if this a
 dedicate slave or ctl installation respectively.
+
+
+Instance Configuration
+----------------------
+
+### statistics_exporter.command_timeout
+
+Timeout in seconds to wait for the statitics gathering command to the
+Factorio server return the result.  If the timeout is exceeded the
+previous collected results are returned instead.  Normally the command
+returns immediatly with the data, but if the RCON interface is
+overloaded then the command may take too long to timely answer the
+metrics collection request.
+
+Defaults to `1`.
diff --git a/plugins/statistics_exporter/info.js b/plugins/statistics_exporter/info.js
index e79bbd89..c89f5c1e 100644
--- a/plugins/statistics_exporter/info.js
+++ b/plugins/statistics_exporter/info.js
@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
 "use strict";
+const libConfig = require("@clusterio/lib/config");
+
+class InstanceConfigGroup extends libConfig.PluginConfigGroup {}
+InstanceConfigGroup.groupName = "statistics_exporter";
+InstanceConfigGroup.define({
+	name: "command_timeout",
+	title: "Command Timeout",
+	description: "Timeout in seconds of the metrics command before returning results from the previous invocation.",
+	type: "number",
+	initial_value: 1,
+});
+InstanceConfigGroup.finalize();
 
 module.exports = {
 	name: "statistics_exporter",
 	title: "Prometheus Statistics Export",
 	description: "Exports statistics to Prometheus",
 	instanceEntrypoint: "instance",
+	InstanceConfigGroup,
 };
diff --git a/plugins/statistics_exporter/instance.js b/plugins/statistics_exporter/instance.js
index 001d96b6..0784f816 100644
--- a/plugins/statistics_exporter/instance.js
+++ b/plugins/statistics_exporter/instance.js
@@ -73,11 +73,12 @@ class InstancePlugin extends libPlugin.BaseInstancePlugin {
 	}
 
 	async onMetrics() {
-		// Wait up to 5 seconds for the metrics to be collected.  It may
+		// Wait configured timeout for the metrics to be collected.  It may
 		// take a long time for the command to go through if the command
-		// stream is overloaded.  Should this take more than 5 seconds the
+		// stream is overloaded.  Should the timeout be exceeded the
 		// previous values for the metrics will end up being sent to master.
-		await libHelpers.timeout(this.gatherMetrics(), 5e3);
+		let timeout = this.instance.config.get("statistics_exporter.command_timeout") * 1000;
+		await libHelpers.timeout(this.gatherMetrics(), timeout);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/statistics_exporter/test/plugin.js b/plugins/statistics_exporter/test/plugin.js
index 52d18595..50a28c88 100644
--- a/plugins/statistics_exporter/test/plugin.js
+++ b/plugins/statistics_exporter/test/plugin.js
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ const info = require("../info");
 describe("statistics_exporter plugin", function() {
 	describe("class InstancePlugin", function() {
 		let instancePlugin;
+		let mockInstance = new mock.MockInstance();
+		mockInstance.mockConfigEntries.set("statistics_exporter.command_timeout", 1);
 		before(async function() {
-			instancePlugin = new instance.InstancePlugin(info, new mock.MockInstance());
+			instancePlugin = new instance.InstancePlugin(info, mockInstance);
 			await instancePlugin.init();
 		});
 
diff --git a/test/mock.js b/test/mock.js
index acdf3c96..89ada241 100644
--- a/test/mock.js
+++ b/test/mock.js
@@ -103,11 +103,16 @@ class MockInstance extends libLink.Link {
 		this.logger = new MockLogger();
 		this.server = new MockServer();
 		this.name = "test";
+		this.mockConfigEntries = new Map([
+			["instance.id", 7357],
+			["factorio.enable_save_patching", true],
+		]);
 		this.config = {
 			get: (name) => {
-				if (name === "instance.id") { return 7357; }
-				if (name === "factorio.enable_save_patching") { return true; }
-				throw Error("Not implemented");
+				if (this.mockConfigEntries.has(name)) {
+					return this.mockConfigEntries.get(name);
+				}
+				throw Error(`mock for field ${name} is not implemented`);
 			},
 		};
 	}