diff --git a/caddy/caddy.go b/caddy/caddy.go
index 1e5cc8da27..ebcde3fcaf 100644
--- a/caddy/caddy.go
+++ b/caddy/caddy.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/dunglas/frankenphp/internal/fastabs"
 
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ type FrankenPHPApp struct {
 	Workers []workerConfig `json:"workers,omitempty"`
 	// Overwrites the default php ini configuration
 	PhpIni map[string]string `json:"php_ini,omitempty"`
+	// The maximum amount of time a request may be stalled waiting for a thread
+	MaxWaitTime time.Duration `json:"max_wait_time,omitempty"`
 
 	metrics frankenphp.Metrics
 	logger  *zap.Logger
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) Start() error {
 		frankenphp.WithLogger(f.logger),
 		frankenphp.WithMetrics(f.metrics),
 		frankenphp.WithPhpIni(f.PhpIni),
+		frankenphp.WithMaxWaitTime(f.MaxWaitTime),
 	}
 	for _, w := range f.Workers {
 		opts = append(opts, frankenphp.WithWorkers(repl.ReplaceKnown(w.FileName, ""), w.Num, w.Env, w.Watch))
@@ -119,6 +123,7 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) Stop() error {
 	// reset configuration so it doesn't bleed into later tests
 	f.Workers = nil
 	f.NumThreads = 0
+	f.MaxWaitTime = 0
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -156,6 +161,17 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) UnmarshalCaddyfile(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 				}
 
 				f.MaxThreads = int(v)
+			case "max_wait_time":
+				if !d.NextArg() {
+					return d.ArgErr()
+				}
+
+				v, err := time.ParseDuration(d.Val())
+				if err != nil {
+					return errors.New("max_wait_time must be a valid duration (example: 10s)")
+				}
+
+				f.MaxWaitTime = v
 			case "php_ini":
 				parseIniLine := func(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 					key := d.Val()
@@ -266,7 +282,7 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) UnmarshalCaddyfile(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 
 				f.Workers = append(f.Workers, wc)
 			default:
-				allowedDirectives := "num_threads, max_threads, php_ini, worker"
+				allowedDirectives := "num_threads, max_threads, php_ini, worker, max_wait_time"
 				return wrongSubDirectiveError("frankenphp", allowedDirectives, d.Val())
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/caddy/caddy_test.go b/caddy/caddy_test.go
index 2ff8bf207b..efc4241dcb 100644
--- a/caddy/caddy_test.go
+++ b/caddy/caddy_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/dunglas/frankenphp"
@@ -748,3 +749,53 @@ func TestOsEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		"ENV1=value1,ENV2=value2",
 	)
 }
+
+func TestMaxWaitTime(t *testing.T) {
+	tester := caddytest.NewTester(t)
+	tester.InitServer(`
+		{
+			skip_install_trust
+			admin localhost:2999
+			http_port `+testPort+`
+
+			frankenphp {
+				num_threads 1
+				max_wait_time 1ns
+			}
+		}
+
+		localhost:`+testPort+` {
+			route {
+				root ../testdata
+				php
+			}
+		}
+		`, "caddyfile")
+
+	// send 10 requests simultaneously, at least one request should be stalled longer than 1ns
+	// since we only have 1 thread, this will cause a 504 Gateway Timeout
+	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+	success := atomic.Bool{}
+	wg.Add(10)
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		go func() {
+			statusCode := getStatusCode("http://localhost:"+testPort+"/sleep.php?sleep=10", t)
+			if statusCode == http.StatusGatewayTimeout {
+				success.Store(true)
+			}
+			wg.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	require.True(t, success.Load(), "At least one request should have failed with a 504 Gateway Timeout status")
+}
+
+func getStatusCode(url string, t *testing.T) int {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	return resp.StatusCode
+}
diff --git a/frankenphp.go b/frankenphp.go
index 48f71be381..a2e7b18e8e 100644
--- a/frankenphp.go
+++ b/frankenphp.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ var (
 	logger   *zap.Logger
 
 	metrics Metrics = nullMetrics{}
+
+	maxWaitTime time.Duration
 )
 
 type syslogLevel int
@@ -221,6 +224,8 @@ func Init(options ...Option) error {
 		metrics = opt.metrics
 	}
 
+	maxWaitTime = opt.maxWaitTime
+
 	totalThreadCount, workerThreadCount, maxThreadCount, err := calculateMaxThreads(opt)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -623,3 +628,11 @@ func executePHPFunction(functionName string) bool {
 
 	return C.frankenphp_execute_php_function(cFunctionName) == 1
 }
+
+func timeoutChan(timeout time.Duration) <-chan time.Time {
+	if timeout == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return time.After(timeout)
+}
diff --git a/frankenphp_test.go b/frankenphp_test.go
index 731fa32e85..30fc8323d2 100644
--- a/frankenphp_test.go
+++ b/frankenphp_test.go
@@ -672,11 +672,12 @@ func TestFailingWorker(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestEnv(t *testing.T) {
-	testEnv(t, &testOptions{nbParallelRequests:1})
+	testEnv(t, &testOptions{nbParallelRequests: 1})
 }
 func TestEnvWorker(t *testing.T) {
-	testEnv(t, &testOptions{nbParallelRequests:1, workerScript: "env/test-env.php"})
+	testEnv(t, &testOptions{nbParallelRequests: 1, workerScript: "env/test-env.php"})
 }
+
 // testEnv cannot be run in parallel due to https://github.com/golang/go/issues/63567
 func testEnv(t *testing.T, opts *testOptions) {
 	assert.NoError(t, os.Setenv("EMPTY", ""))
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 6d1a5ebd21..c3821205f1 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package frankenphp
 
 import (
+	"time"
+
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
@@ -11,12 +13,13 @@ type Option func(h *opt) error
 //
 // If you change this, also update the Caddy module and the documentation.
 type opt struct {
-	numThreads int
-	maxThreads int
-	workers    []workerOpt
-	logger     *zap.Logger
-	metrics    Metrics
-	phpIni     map[string]string
+	numThreads  int
+	maxThreads  int
+	workers     []workerOpt
+	logger      *zap.Logger
+	metrics     Metrics
+	phpIni      map[string]string
+	maxWaitTime time.Duration
 }
 
 type workerOpt struct {
@@ -76,3 +79,12 @@ func WithPhpIni(overrides map[string]string) Option {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+// WithMaxWaitTime configures the max time a request may be stalled waiting for a thread.
+func WithMaxWaitTime(maxWaitTime time.Duration) Option {
+	return func(o *opt) error {
+		o.maxWaitTime = maxWaitTime
+
+		return nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/threadregular.go b/threadregular.go
index 19588d1a7c..ac119208a3 100644
--- a/threadregular.go
+++ b/threadregular.go
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ func handleRequestWithRegularPHPThreads(fc *frankenPHPContext) {
 			return
 		case scaleChan <- fc:
 			// the request has triggered scaling, continue to wait for a thread
+		case <-timeoutChan(maxWaitTime):
+			// the request has timed out stalling
+			fc.reject(504, "Gateway Timeout")
+			return
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/worker.go b/worker.go
index 598be8c630..aff577c34c 100644
--- a/worker.go
+++ b/worker.go
@@ -198,6 +198,10 @@ func (worker *worker) handleRequest(fc *frankenPHPContext) {
 			return
 		case scaleChan <- fc:
 			// the request has triggered scaling, continue to wait for a thread
+		case <-timeoutChan(maxWaitTime):
+			// the request has timed out stalling
+			fc.reject(504, "Gateway Timeout")
+			return
 		}
 	}
 }