diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
index 86918f7004..1f6d627405 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/nxos.py
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ class Nxapi(NxapiConfigMixin):
         self.url_args.params['url_username'] = params['username']
         self.url_args.params['url_password'] = params['password']
         self.url_args.params['validate_certs'] = params['validate_certs']
+        self.url_args.params['timeout'] = params['timeout']
 
         if params['use_ssl']:
             proto = 'https'
@@ -170,13 +171,13 @@ class Nxapi(NxapiConfigMixin):
 
         headers = {'Content-Type': 'application/json'}
         result = list()
-
+        timeout = self.url_args.params['timeout']
         for req in requests:
             if self._nxapi_auth:
                 headers['Cookie'] = self._nxapi_auth
 
             response, headers = fetch_url(
-                self.url_args, self.url, data=data, headers=headers, method='POST'
+                self.url_args, self.url, data=data, headers=headers, timeout=timeout, method='POST'
             )
             self._nxapi_auth = headers.get('set-cookie')
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py b/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py
index 5cb9e695d8..c209f1d6c4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/module_docs_fragments/nxos.py
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ options:
     required: false
     default: no
     choices: ['yes', 'no']
+  timeout:
+    description:
+      - Specifies idle timeout in seconds.  NX-API can be slow to 
+        return on long-running commands (sh mac, sh bgp, etc).
+    required: false
+    default: 10
+    version_added: 2.3
   provider:
     description:
       - Convenience method that allows all I(nxos) arguments to be passed as