diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteDirectory.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteDirectory.java
index 8622f5c9..d89dfa2d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteDirectory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteDirectory.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class RemoteDirectory
         loop:
         for (; ; ) {
             final Response res = requester.request(newRequest(PacketType.READDIR))
-                    .retrieve(requester.getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+                    .retrieve(requester.getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
             switch (res.getType()) {
 
                 case NAME:
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteFile.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteFile.java
index 3d5df132..d7582bb0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteFile.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteFile.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public class RemoteFile
     public FileAttributes fetchAttributes()
             throws IOException {
         return requester.request(newRequest(PacketType.FSTAT))
-                .retrieve(requester.getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+                .retrieve(requester.getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
                 .ensurePacketTypeIs(PacketType.ATTRS)
                 .readFileAttributes();
     }
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class RemoteFile
             throws IOException {
         final Response res = requester.request(
                 newRequest(PacketType.READ).putUInt64(fileOffset).putUInt32(len)
-        ).retrieve(requester.getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        ).retrieve(requester.getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
         switch (res.getType()) {
             case DATA:
                 int recvLen = res.readUInt32AsInt();
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ public class RemoteFile
                                     .putUInt64(fileOffset)
                                     .putUInt32(len - off)
                                     .putRawBytes(data, off, len)
-        ).retrieve(requester.getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS).ensureStatusPacketIsOK();
+        ).retrieve(requester.getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS).ensureStatusPacketIsOK();
     }
 
     public void setAttributes(FileAttributes attrs)
             throws IOException {
         requester.request(newRequest(PacketType.FSETSTAT).putFileAttributes(attrs))
-                .retrieve(requester.getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS).ensureStatusPacketIsOK();
+                .retrieve(requester.getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS).ensureStatusPacketIsOK();
     }
 
     public int getOutgoingPacketOverhead() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteResource.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteResource.java
index 09aea9da..a1bf014a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/RemoteResource.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public abstract class RemoteResource
             throws IOException {
         log.debug("Closing `{}`", this);
         requester.request(newRequest(PacketType.CLOSE))
-                .retrieve(requester.getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+                .retrieve(requester.getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
                 .ensureStatusPacketIsOK();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/Requester.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/Requester.java
index 81c38bfa..ce9fccc7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/Requester.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/Requester.java
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ public interface Requester {
     Promise<Response, SFTPException> request(Request req)
             throws IOException;
 
-    int getTimeout();
+    int getTimeoutMs();
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/SFTPEngine.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/SFTPEngine.java
index d34b2e82..fdf22418 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/SFTPEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/sftp/SFTPEngine.java
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ public class SFTPEngine
         implements Requester, Closeable {
 
     public static final int MAX_SUPPORTED_VERSION = 3;
-    public static final int DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 30;
+    public static final int DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 30 * 1000; // way too long, but it was the original default
 
     /** Logger */
     protected final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
 
-    protected volatile int timeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
+    protected volatile int timeoutMs = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS;
 
     protected final PathHelper pathHelper;
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public class SFTPEngine
 
     private Response doRequest(Request req)
             throws IOException {
-        return request(req).retrieve(getTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        return request(req).retrieve(getTimeoutMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
     }
 
     public RemoteFile open(String path, Set<OpenMode> modes, FileAttributes fa)
@@ -233,12 +233,12 @@ public class SFTPEngine
                 ));
     }
 
-    public void setTimeout(int timeout) {
-        this.timeout = timeout;
+    public void setTimeoutMs(int timeoutMs) {
+        this.timeoutMs = timeoutMs;
     }
 
-    public int getTimeout() {
-        return timeout;
+    public int getTimeoutMs() {
+        return timeoutMs;
     }
 
     @Override