diff --git a/docs/tutorials/query-peers.md b/docs/tutorials/query-peers.md
index 967888a2e4..ec6625d089 100644
--- a/docs/tutorials/query-peers.md
+++ b/docs/tutorials/query-peers.md
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ by default. This will evaluate all transactions on the first peer from
 which is can obtain a response, and only switch to another peer if this
 peer fails.
 
+The default query timeout may be changed along with the query strategy.
+This value will be in seconds.
+
 ```javascript
 const { Gateway, DefaultQueryHandlerStrategies } = require('fabric-network');
 
 const connectOptions = {
     queryHandlerOptions: {
+        timeout: 60,
         strategy: DefaultQueryHandlerStrategies.MSPID_SCOPE_SINGLE
     }
 }
diff --git a/fabric-network/lib/contract.js b/fabric-network/lib/contract.js
index ab7952502d..0e6ddb9fbb 100644
--- a/fabric-network/lib/contract.js
+++ b/fabric-network/lib/contract.js
@@ -115,6 +115,15 @@ class Contract {
 		return this.gateway.getOptions().eventHandlerOptions;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get query handler options specified by the user when creating the gateway.
+	 * @private
+	 * @returns {Object} Query handler options.
+	 */
+	getQueryHandlerOptions() {
+		return this.gateway.getOptions().queryHandlerOptions;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Create an object representing a specific invocation of a transaction
 	 * function implemented by this contract, and provides more control over
diff --git a/fabric-network/lib/gateway.js b/fabric-network/lib/gateway.js
index c1ab46a10c..d9839528b1 100644
--- a/fabric-network/lib/gateway.js
+++ b/fabric-network/lib/gateway.js
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ const logger = require('./logger').getLogger('Gateway');
 
 /**
  * @typedef {Object} Gateway~DefaultQueryHandlerOptions
- * @memberof module:fabric-network
+ * @memberof module:fabric-
+ * @property {number} [timeout = 30] The timeout period in seconds to wait for the query operation to
+ * complete.
  * @property {module:fabric-network.Gateway~QueryHandlerFactory} [strategy=MSPID_SCOPE_SINGLE] Query handling strategy
  * used to evaluate queries. The default is [MSPID_SCOPE_SINGLE]{@link module:fabric-network.DefaultQueryHandlerStrategies}.
  */
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ class Gateway {
 		// default options
 		this.options = {
 			queryHandlerOptions: {
+				timeout: 30, // 30 seconds
 				strategy: QueryStrategies.MSPID_SCOPE_SINGLE
 			},
 			eventHandlerOptions: {
diff --git a/fabric-network/lib/transaction.js b/fabric-network/lib/transaction.js
index bc4705e331..b364c6da6d 100644
--- a/fabric-network/lib/transaction.js
+++ b/fabric-network/lib/transaction.js
@@ -312,11 +312,9 @@ class Transaction {
 		const channel = this._contract.getNetwork().getChannel();
 		const request = this._buildRequest(args);
 
-		const commitTimeout = this._contract.getEventHandlerOptions().commitTimeout * 1000; // in ms
-		const timeout = this._contract.gateway.getClient().getConfigSetting('request-timeout', commitTimeout);
-		if (timeout < commitTimeout) {
-			request.request_timeout = commitTimeout;
-		}
+		// queryHandlerOption.timeout default 30 seconds
+		let timeout = this._contract.getQueryHandlerOptions().timeout ? this._contract.getQueryHandlerOptions().timeout : 30;
+		request.request_timeout =  timeout * 1000; // in ms
 
 		const query = new Query(channel, request);
 
diff --git a/fabric-network/test/contract.js b/fabric-network/test/contract.js
index b53cfc36af..ea33a86971 100644
--- a/fabric-network/test/contract.js
+++ b/fabric-network/test/contract.js
@@ -152,6 +152,14 @@ describe('Contract', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('#getQuertHandlerOptions', () => {
+		it('returns query handler options from the gateway', () => {
+			const result = contract.getQueryHandlerOptions();
+			const expected = mockGateway.getOptions().queryHandlerOptions;
+			result.should.deep.equal(expected);
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('#createTransaction', () => {
 		it('returns a transaction with only a name', () => {
 			const name = 'name';
diff --git a/fabric-network/test/gateway.js b/fabric-network/test/gateway.js
index b90b4b572d..6ea2764b68 100644
--- a/fabric-network/test/gateway.js
+++ b/fabric-network/test/gateway.js
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ describe('Gateway', () => {
 					commitTimeout: 300, // 5 minutes
 					strategy: strategy
 				},
+				queryHandlerOptions: {
+					timeout: 70,
+					strategy: strategy
+				},
 				discovery: {
 					enabled: true,
 					asLocalhost: true
@@ -157,6 +161,10 @@ describe('Gateway', () => {
 					commitTimeout: 300, // 5 minutes
 					strategy: strategy
 				},
+				queryHandlerOptions: {
+					timeout: 70,
+					strategy: strategy
+				},
 				discovery: {
 					enabled: true,
 					asLocalhost: false
@@ -353,6 +361,7 @@ describe('Gateway', () => {
 					wallet: mockWallet,
 					identity: 'admin',
 					queryHandlerOptions: {
+						timeout: 30,
 						strategy: QueryStrategies.MSPID_SCOPE_SINGLE
 					}
 				};
diff --git a/fabric-network/test/network.js b/fabric-network/test/network.js
index 91f05fe4a7..7131f94ec1 100644
--- a/fabric-network/test/network.js
+++ b/fabric-network/test/network.js
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ describe('Network', () => {
 				strategy: EventStrategies.MSPID_SCOPE_ALLFORTX
 			},
 			queryHandlerOptions: {
+				timeout: 30,
 				strategy: (theNetwork) => {
 					stubQueryHandler.network = theNetwork;
 					return stubQueryHandler;
diff --git a/fabric-network/test/transaction.js b/fabric-network/test/transaction.js
index 154b0f549a..c3b0aaaa22 100644
--- a/fabric-network/test/transaction.js
+++ b/fabric-network/test/transaction.js
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ describe('Transaction', () => {
 
 		stubContract.getChaincodeId.returns(chaincodeId);
 		stubContract.getEventHandlerOptions.returns({commitTimeout: 418});
+		stubContract.getQueryHandlerOptions.returns({timeout: 30});
 
 		const mockClient = sinon.createStubInstance(Client);
 		const mockGateway = sinon.createStubInstance(Gateway);
@@ -433,8 +434,8 @@ describe('Transaction', () => {
 			return expect(promise).to.be.rejectedWith('Transaction has already been invoked');
 		});
 
-		it('builds correct request for invocation with long timeout', async () => {
-			stubContract.getEventHandlerOptions.returns({commitTimeout: 999});
+		it('builds correct request for invocation with non default timeout', async () => {
+			stubContract.getQueryHandlerOptions.returns({timeout: 999});
 
 			await transaction.evaluate();
 
@@ -444,13 +445,14 @@ describe('Transaction', () => {
 			});
 		});
 
-		it('builds correct request for invocation with short timeout', async () => {
-			stubContract.getEventHandlerOptions.returns({commitTimeout: 3});
-
+		it('builds correct request for invocation with default timeout', async () => {
+			stubContract.getQueryHandlerOptions.returns({});
 			await transaction.evaluate();
 
 			const query = stubQueryHandler.evaluate.lastArg;
-			expect(query._request.request_timeout).to.be.undefined;
+			expect(query._request).to.deep.include({
+				request_timeout: 30000
+			});
 		});
 
 	});
diff --git a/fabric-network/types/index.d.ts b/fabric-network/types/index.d.ts
index 53c8df1a10..be138b22fc 100644
--- a/fabric-network/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/fabric-network/types/index.d.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export interface TxEventHandler {
 }
 
 export interface DefaultQueryHandlerOptions {
+	timeout?: number;
 	strategy?: QueryHandlerFactory;
 }