diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3129a9a..ca44206 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 *.pyc
+*.pyo
 build
 dist
+tags
diff --git a/asyncmongo/backends/tornado_backend.py b/asyncmongo/backends/tornado_backend.py
index 91af0df..0c7d1a3 100644
--- a/asyncmongo/backends/tornado_backend.py
+++ b/asyncmongo/backends/tornado_backend.py
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@ def __init__(self, socket, **kwargs):
         """
         self.__stream = tornado.iostream.IOStream(socket, **kwargs)
 
+    @property
+    def io_loop(self):
+        return self.__stream.io_loop
+
+    def connect(self, address, callback=None):
+        self.__stream.connect(address, callback)
+
     def write(self, data):
         self.__stream.write(data)
     
diff --git a/asyncmongo/connection.py b/asyncmongo/connection.py
index d1d8abe..b184379 100644
--- a/asyncmongo/connection.py
+++ b/asyncmongo/connection.py
@@ -26,12 +26,17 @@
 import socket
 import struct
 import logging
+import time
 
 from bson import SON
 from errors import ProgrammingError, IntegrityError, InterfaceError, AuthenticationError
 import message
 import helpers
 
+ASYNC_BACKEND_TORNADO = 'tornado'
+ASYNC_BACKEND_GLIB2   = 'glib2'
+ASYNC_BACKEND_GLIB3   = 'glib3'
+
 class Connection(object):
     """
     :Parameters:
@@ -43,8 +48,9 @@ class Connection(object):
       - `**kwargs`: passed to `backends.AsyncBackend.register_stream`
       
     """
-    def __init__(self, host, port, dbuser=None, dbpass=None, autoreconnect=True, pool=None,
-                 backend="tornado", **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, host, port, connect_timeout=20, request_timeout=20,
+                 dbuser=None, dbpass=None, autoreconnect=True, pool=None,
+                 backend=ASYNC_BACKEND_TORNADO, **kwargs):
         assert isinstance(host, (str, unicode))
         assert isinstance(port, int)
         assert isinstance(autoreconnect, bool)
@@ -66,7 +72,12 @@ def __init__(self, host, port, dbuser=None, dbpass=None, autoreconnect=True, poo
         self.__deferred_callback = None
         self.__kwargs = kwargs
         self.__backend = self.__load_backend(backend)
+        self.__backend_class = backend
         self.usage_count = 0
+        self.__request_timeout = request_timeout
+        self.__min_timeout = min(connect_timeout, request_timeout)
+        self.__timeout = None
+        self.__start_time = time.time()
         self.__connect()
 
     def __load_backend(self, name):
@@ -77,9 +88,21 @@ def __load_backend(self, name):
     def __connect(self):
         self.usage_count = 0
         try:
+            self.__start_time = time.time()
+
             s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM, 0)
-            s.connect((self.__host, self.__port))
-            self.__stream = self.__backend.register_stream(s, **self.__kwargs)
+
+            if ASYNC_BACKEND_TORNADO == self.__backend_class:
+                self.__stream = self.__backend.register_stream(s, **self.__kwargs)
+                if self.__min_timeout:
+                    self.__timeout = self.__stream.io_loop.add_timeout(
+                            self.__start_time + self.__min_timeout,
+                            self._on_timeout)
+                self.__stream.connect((self.__host, self.__port), self._on_connect)
+            else:
+                s.connect((self.__host, self.__port))
+                self.__stream = self.__backend.register_stream(s, **self.__kwargs)
+
             self.__stream.set_close_callback(self._socket_close)
             self.__alive = True
         except socket.error, error:
@@ -87,6 +110,21 @@ def __connect(self):
         
         if self.__dbuser and self.__dbpass:
             self.__authenticate = True
+
+    def _on_timeout(self):
+        self.__timeout = None
+        self.close()
+
+    def _on_connect(self):
+        if self.__timeout is not None:
+            #self.__timeout.callback = None
+            self.__stream.io_loop.remove_timeout(self.__timeout)
+            self.__timeout = None
+
+        if self.__request_timeout:
+            self.__timeout = self.__stream.io_loop.add_timeout(
+                    self.__start_time + self.__request_timeout,
+                    self._on_timeout)
     
     def _socket_close(self):
         """cleanup after the socket is closed by the other end"""
@@ -162,6 +200,9 @@ def _parse_header(self, header):
             raise
     
     def _parse_response(self, response):
+        if self.__callback is None:
+            return
+
         callback = self.__callback
         request_id = self.__request_id
         self.__request_id = None