diff --git a/backend/actions/Model/getDocuments.js b/backend/actions/Model/getDocuments.js
index 53873b60..886e5c27 100644
--- a/backend/actions/Model/getDocuments.js
+++ b/backend/actions/Model/getDocuments.js
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ const GetDocumentsParams = new Archetype({
   fields: {
     $type: 'string'
   },
+  maxTimeMS: {
+    $type: 'number'
+  },
   roles: {
     $type: ['string']
   }
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@ module.exports = ({ db }) => async function getDocuments(params) {
   const { roles } = params;
   await authorize('Model.getDocuments', roles);
 
-  const { model, limit, skip, sortKey, sortDirection, searchText, fields } = params;
+  const { model, limit, skip, sortKey, sortDirection, searchText, fields, maxTimeMS } = params;
 
   const Model = db.models[model];
   if (Model == null) {
@@ -72,6 +75,9 @@ module.exports = ({ db }) => async function getDocuments(params) {
   if (projection != null) {
     query = query.select(projection);
   }
+  if (typeof maxTimeMS === 'number' && maxTimeMS > 0) {
+    query = query.maxTimeMS(maxTimeMS);
+  }
   const cursor = await query.cursor();
   const docs = [];
   for (let doc = await cursor.next(); doc != null; doc = await cursor.next()) {
diff --git a/backend/actions/Model/getDocumentsStream.js b/backend/actions/Model/getDocumentsStream.js
index 6cc4d2fd..3fe228bb 100644
--- a/backend/actions/Model/getDocumentsStream.js
+++ b/backend/actions/Model/getDocumentsStream.js
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ const GetDocumentsParams = new Archetype({
   fields: {
     $type: 'string'
   },
+  maxTimeMS: {
+    $type: 'number'
+  },
   roles: {
     $type: ['string']
   }
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@ module.exports = ({ db }) => async function* getDocumentsStream(params) {
   const { roles } = params;
   await authorize('Model.getDocumentsStream', roles);
 
-  const { model, limit, skip, sortKey, sortDirection, searchText, fields } = params;
+  const { model, limit, skip, sortKey, sortDirection, searchText, fields, maxTimeMS } = params;
 
   const Model = db.models[model];
   if (Model == null) {
@@ -72,6 +75,9 @@ module.exports = ({ db }) => async function* getDocumentsStream(params) {
   if (projection != null) {
     query = query.select(projection);
   }
+  if (typeof maxTimeMS === 'number' && maxTimeMS > 0) {
+    query = query.maxTimeMS(maxTimeMS);
+  }
 
   const schemaPaths = {};
   for (const path of Object.keys(Model.schema.paths)) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/models/models.html b/frontend/src/models/models.html
index 866b808a..f27d0168 100644
--- a/frontend/src/models/models.html
+++ b/frontend/src/models/models.html
@@ -197,6 +197,13 @@
                 >
                   {{ showRowNumbers ? 'Hide row numbers' : 'Show row numbers' }}
                 </button>
+                <button
+                  @click="openQueryTimeoutModal"
+                  type="button"
+                  class="block w-full px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm text-content-secondary hover:bg-muted"
+                >
+                  Query Timeout: {{ queryTimeoutSeconds }} {{ queryTimeoutSeconds === 1 ? 'second' : 'seconds' }}
+                </button>
                 <button
                   @click="resetFilter()"
                   type="button"
@@ -609,6 +616,42 @@ <h2>Are you sure you want to delete {{selectedDocuments.length}} documents?</h2>
       </div>
     </template>
   </modal>
+  <modal v-if="shouldShowQueryTimeoutModal">
+    <template v-slot:body>
+      <div class="modal-exit" @click="shouldShowQueryTimeoutModal = false;">&times;</div>
+      <div class="text-xl font-bold mb-3">Query Timeout</div>
+      <p class="text-sm text-content-secondary mb-3">
+        Set the default timeout for document queries in this browser.
+      </p>
+      <label for="query-timeout-seconds" class="block text-sm font-medium text-content-secondary mb-1">
+        Timeout (seconds)
+      </label>
+      <input
+        id="query-timeout-seconds"
+        v-model="queryTimeoutDraftSeconds"
+        type="number"
+        min="1"
+        step="1"
+        class="w-full rounded border border-edge bg-surface px-2 py-1.5 text-sm focus:border-primary focus:outline-none focus:ring-1 focus:ring-primary"
+      />
+      <div class="mt-4 flex gap-2">
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          @click="shouldShowQueryTimeoutModal = false"
+          class="rounded bg-gray-400 px-2 py-2 text-sm font-semibold text-white shadow-sm hover:bg-page0 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:outline-gray-500"
+        >
+          Cancel
+        </button>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          @click="saveQueryTimeoutPreference"
+          class="rounded bg-primary px-2 py-2 text-sm font-semibold text-primary-text shadow-sm hover:bg-primary-hover focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:outline-primary"
+        >
+          Save
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </template>
+  </modal>
   <model-switcher
     :show="showModelSwitcher"
     :models="models"
diff --git a/frontend/src/models/models.js b/frontend/src/models/models.js
index 786049cf..c82a71dc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/models/models.js
+++ b/frontend/src/models/models.js
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ const DEFAULT_FIRST_N_FIELDS = 6;
 const OUTPUT_TYPE_STORAGE_KEY = 'studio:model-output-type';
 const SELECTED_GEO_FIELD_STORAGE_KEY = 'studio:model-selected-geo-field';
 const SHOW_ROW_NUMBERS_STORAGE_KEY = 'studio:model-show-row-numbers';
+const QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS_STORAGE_KEY = 'studio:model-query-timeout-seconds';
 const PROJECTION_MODE_QUERY_KEY = 'projectionMode';
 const RECENTLY_VIEWED_MODELS_KEY = 'studio:recently-viewed-models';
 const MAX_RECENT_MODELS = 4;
+const DEFAULT_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 10;
 
 /** Parse `fields` from the route (JSON array or inclusion projection object only). */
 function parseFieldsQueryParam(fields) {
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ module.exports = app => app.component('models', {
     shouldShowCollectionInfoModal: false,
     shouldShowUpdateMultipleModal: false,
     shouldShowDeleteMultipleModal: false,
+    shouldShowQueryTimeoutModal: false,
     shouldExport: {},
     sortBy: {},
     query: {},
@@ -121,6 +124,8 @@ module.exports = app => app.component('models', {
     recentlyViewedModels: [],
     showModelSwitcher: false,
     showRowNumbers: true,
+    queryTimeoutSeconds: DEFAULT_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+    queryTimeoutDraftSeconds: String(DEFAULT_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS),
     suppressScrollCheck: false,
     scrollTopToRestore: null
   }),
@@ -130,6 +135,7 @@ module.exports = app => app.component('models', {
     this.loadOutputPreference();
     this.loadSelectedGeoField();
     this.loadShowRowNumbersPreference();
+    this.loadQueryTimeoutPreference();
     this.loadRecentlyViewedModels();
     this.isProjectionMenuSelected = this.$route?.query?.[PROJECTION_MODE_QUERY_KEY] === '1';
   },
@@ -637,9 +643,47 @@ module.exports = app => app.component('models', {
       if (fieldsParam) {
         params.fields = fieldsParam;
       }
+      params.maxTimeMS = this.getQueryTimeoutMS();
 
       return params;
     },
+    getQueryTimeoutMS() {
+      const parsedSeconds = Number(this.queryTimeoutSeconds);
+      const normalizedSeconds = Number.isFinite(parsedSeconds) && parsedSeconds > 0 ?
+        parsedSeconds :
+        DEFAULT_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS;
+      return Math.floor(normalizedSeconds * 1000);
+    },
+    loadQueryTimeoutPreference() {
+      if (typeof window === 'undefined' || !window.localStorage) {
+        return;
+      }
+      const stored = window.localStorage.getItem(QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS_STORAGE_KEY);
+      const parsed = Number(stored);
+      if (Number.isFinite(parsed) && parsed > 0) {
+        this.queryTimeoutSeconds = parsed;
+        this.queryTimeoutDraftSeconds = String(parsed);
+      }
+    },
+    openQueryTimeoutModal() {
+      this.closeActionsMenu();
+      this.queryTimeoutDraftSeconds = String(this.queryTimeoutSeconds);
+      this.shouldShowQueryTimeoutModal = true;
+    },
+    saveQueryTimeoutPreference() {
+      const parsed = Number(this.queryTimeoutDraftSeconds);
+      if (!Number.isFinite(parsed) || parsed <= 0) {
+        this.$toast.error('Query timeout must be a positive number of seconds.');
+        return;
+      }
+      const normalized = Math.round(parsed);
+      this.queryTimeoutSeconds = normalized;
+      if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.localStorage) {
+        window.localStorage.setItem(QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS_STORAGE_KEY, String(normalized));
+      }
+      this.shouldShowQueryTimeoutModal = false;
+      this.$toast.success('Query timeout updated.');
+    },
     setSearchTextFromRoute() {
       if (this.$route.query?.search) {
         this.searchText = this.$route.query.search;
@@ -846,7 +890,8 @@ module.exports = app => app.component('models', {
         model: this.currentModel,
         limit: 1,
         sortKey: '_id',
-        sortDirection: 1
+        sortDirection: 1,
+        maxTimeMS: this.getQueryTimeoutMS()
       });
       if (!Array.isArray(docs) || docs.length === 0) {
         throw new Error('No documents found');