diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors.go
index 5f29097c59c..e7e0957489d 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const (
 	ErrCodeResourceVersionConflicts
 	ErrCodeInvalidObj
 	ErrCodeUnreachable
+	ErrCodeTimeout
 )
 
 var errCodeToMessage = map[int]string{
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ var errCodeToMessage = map[int]string{
 	ErrCodeResourceVersionConflicts: "resource version conflicts",
 	ErrCodeInvalidObj:               "invalid object",
 	ErrCodeUnreachable:              "server unreachable",
+	ErrCodeTimeout:                  "request timeout",
 }
 
 func NewKeyNotFoundError(key string, rv int64) *StorageError {
@@ -75,6 +77,14 @@ func NewUnreachableError(key string, rv int64) *StorageError {
 	}
 }
 
+func NewTimeoutError(key, msg string) *StorageError {
+	return &StorageError{
+		Code:               ErrCodeTimeout,
+		Key:                key,
+		AdditionalErrorMsg: msg,
+	}
+}
+
 func NewInvalidObjError(key, msg string) *StorageError {
 	return &StorageError{
 		Code:               ErrCodeInvalidObj,
@@ -115,6 +125,11 @@ func IsConflict(err error) bool {
 	return isErrCode(err, ErrCodeResourceVersionConflicts)
 }
 
+// IsRequestTimeout returns true if and only if err indicates that the request has timed out.
+func IsRequestTimeout(err error) bool {
+	return isErrCode(err, ErrCodeTimeout)
+}
+
 // IsInvalidObj returns true if and only if err is invalid error
 func IsInvalidObj(err error) bool {
 	return isErrCode(err, ErrCodeInvalidObj)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors/storage.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors/storage.go
index 89f34539801..60a6d5cd869 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors/storage.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors/storage.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func InterpretListError(err error, qualifiedResource schema.GroupResource) error
 	switch {
 	case storage.IsNotFound(err):
 		return errors.NewNotFound(qualifiedResource, "")
-	case storage.IsUnreachable(err):
+	case storage.IsUnreachable(err), storage.IsRequestTimeout(err):
 		return errors.NewServerTimeout(qualifiedResource, "list", 2) // TODO: make configurable or handled at a higher level
 	case storage.IsInternalError(err):
 		return errors.NewInternalError(err)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store.go
index 9c52ce17eb9..e96efccced3 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store.go
@@ -739,6 +739,14 @@ func (s *store) GetList(ctx context.Context, key string, opts storage.ListOption
 				return storage.NewInternalErrorf("unable to transform key %q: %v", kv.Key, err)
 			}
 
+			// Check if the request has already timed out before decode object
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				// parent context is canceled or timed out, no point in continuing
+				return storage.NewTimeoutError(string(kv.Key), "request did not complete within requested timeout")
+			default:
+			}
+
 			if err := appendListItem(v, data, uint64(kv.ModRevision), opts.Predicate, s.codec, s.versioner, newItemFunc); err != nil {
 				recordDecodeError(s.groupResourceString, string(kv.Key))
 				return err