diff --git a/cluster/common.sh b/cluster/common.sh
index 669e520483d..8c02c5946ec 100755
--- a/cluster/common.sh
+++ b/cluster/common.sh
@@ -795,6 +795,13 @@ ETCD_CA_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${ETCD_CA_CERT_BASE64:-})
 ETCD_PEER_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${ETCD_PEER_KEY_BASE64:-})
 ETCD_PEER_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${ETCD_PEER_CERT_BASE64:-})
 EOF
+    # KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC (if set) controls the --request-timeout
+    # flag
+    if [ -n "${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC:-}" ]; then
+      cat >>$file <<EOF
+KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC})
+EOF
+    fi
     # ETCD_IMAGE (if set) allows to use a custom etcd image.
     if [ -n "${ETCD_IMAGE:-}" ]; then
       cat >>$file <<EOF
diff --git a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
index 0999eb11aae..8c476fdc9f2 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
@@ -458,6 +458,11 @@ EOF
     if [ -n "${STORAGE_MEDIA_TYPE:-}" ]; then
       cat <<EOF >>/srv/salt-overlay/pillar/cluster-params.sls
 storage_media_type: '$(echo "$STORAGE_MEDIA_TYPE" | sed -e "s/'/''/g")'
+EOF
+    fi
+    if [ -n "${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC:-}" ]; then
+      cat <<EOF >>/srv/salt-overlay/pillar/cluster-params.sls
+kube_apiserver_request_timeout_sec: '$(echo "$KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC" | sed -e "s/'/''/g")'
 EOF
     fi
     if [ -n "${ADMISSION_CONTROL:-}" ] && [ ${ADMISSION_CONTROL} == *"ImagePolicyWebhook"* ]; then
diff --git a/cluster/gce/container-linux/configure-helper.sh b/cluster/gce/container-linux/configure-helper.sh
index f4779165f1d..5a5c60646b5 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/container-linux/configure-helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/container-linux/configure-helper.sh
@@ -937,6 +937,9 @@ function start-kube-apiserver {
   if [[ -n "${STORAGE_MEDIA_TYPE:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" --storage-media-type=${STORAGE_MEDIA_TYPE}"
   fi
+  if [[ -n "${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC:-}" ]]; then
+    params+=" --request-timeout=${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC}s"
+  fi
   if [[ -n "${ENABLE_GARBAGE_COLLECTOR:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" --enable-garbage-collector=${ENABLE_GARBAGE_COLLECTOR}"
   fi
diff --git a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
index 863a2d6bacd..dfbcf42b712 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
@@ -1292,6 +1292,9 @@ function start-kube-apiserver {
   if [[ -n "${STORAGE_MEDIA_TYPE:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" --storage-media-type=${STORAGE_MEDIA_TYPE}"
   fi
+  if [[ -n "${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC:-}" ]]; then
+    params+=" --request-timeout=${KUBE_APISERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SEC}s"
+  fi
   if [[ -n "${ENABLE_GARBAGE_COLLECTOR:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" --enable-garbage-collector=${ENABLE_GARBAGE_COLLECTOR}"
   fi
diff --git a/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-apiserver/kube-apiserver.manifest b/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-apiserver/kube-apiserver.manifest
index e3d8f4cac8b..2047a5ced1f 100644
--- a/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-apiserver/kube-apiserver.manifest
+++ b/cluster/saltbase/salt/kube-apiserver/kube-apiserver.manifest
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@
   {% set storage_media_type = "--storage-media-type=" + pillar['storage_media_type'] -%}
 {% endif -%}
 
+{% set request_timeout = "" -%}
+{% if pillar['kube_apiserver_request_timeout_sec'] is defined -%}
+  {% set request_timeout = "--request-timeout=" + pillar['kube_apiserver_request_timeout_sec'] + "s" -%}
+{% endif -%}
+
 {% set max_requests_inflight = "" -%}
 {% set target_ram_mb = "" -%}
 {% if pillar['num_nodes'] is defined -%}
@@ -196,7 +201,7 @@
   {% endif %}
 {% endif -%}
 
-{% set params = address + " " + storage_backend + " " + storage_media_type + " " + etcd_servers + " " + etcd_servers_overrides + " " + cloud_provider + " " + cloud_config + " " + runtime_config + " " + feature_gates + " " + admission_control + " " + max_requests_inflight + " " + target_ram_mb + " " + service_cluster_ip_range + " " + client_ca_file + basic_auth_file + " " + min_request_timeout + " " + enable_garbage_collector + " " + etcd_quorum_read + " " + audit_log -%}
+{% set params = address + " " + storage_backend + " " + storage_media_type + " " + etcd_servers + " " + etcd_servers_overrides + " " + cloud_provider + " " + cloud_config + " " + runtime_config + " " + feature_gates + " " + admission_control + " " + max_requests_inflight + " " + target_ram_mb + " " + service_cluster_ip_range + " " + client_ca_file + basic_auth_file + " " + min_request_timeout + " " + enable_garbage_collector + " " + etcd_quorum_read + " " + audit_log + " " + request-timeout -%}
 {% set params = params + " " + cert_file + " " + key_file + " " + kubelet_cert_file + " " + kubelet_key_file + " --secure-port=" + secure_port + token_auth_file + " " + bind_address + " " + log_level + " " + advertise_address  + " " + proxy_ssh_options + authz_mode + abac_policy_file + webhook_authentication_config + webhook_authorization_config + image_review_config -%}
 
 # test_args has to be kept at the end, so they'll overwrite any prior configuration