diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/config.go b/cmd/containerd/command/config.go
index 6eec996cb..f9d5f9efa 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/config.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/config.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/timeout"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
 	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
@@ -68,6 +69,12 @@ var configCommand = cli.Command{
 						config.Plugins[p.URI()] = p.Config
 					}
 				}
+				timeouts := timeout.All()
+				config.Timeouts = make(map[string]string)
+				for k, v := range timeouts {
+					config.Timeouts[k] = v.String()
+				}
+
 				_, err = config.WriteTo(os.Stdout)
 				return err
 			},
diff --git a/pkg/timeout/timeout.go b/pkg/timeout/timeout.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b9af8593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/timeout/timeout.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package timeout
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var (
+	mu       sync.Mutex
+	timeouts = make(map[string]time.Duration)
+
+	// DefaultTimeout of the timeout package
+	DefaultTimeout = 1 * time.Second
+)
+
+// Set the timeout for the key
+func Set(key string, t time.Duration) {
+	mu.Lock()
+	timeouts[key] = t
+	mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// Get returns the timeout for the provided key
+func Get(key string) time.Duration {
+	mu.Lock()
+	t, ok := timeouts[key]
+	mu.Unlock()
+	if !ok {
+		t = DefaultTimeout
+	}
+	return t
+}
+
+// WithContext returns a context with the specified timeout for the provided key
+func WithContext(ctx context.Context, key string) (context.Context, func()) {
+	t := Get(key)
+	return context.WithTimeout(ctx, t)
+}
+
+// All returns all keys and their timeouts
+func All() map[string]time.Duration {
+	out := make(map[string]time.Duration)
+	mu.Lock()
+	defer mu.Unlock()
+	for k, v := range timeouts {
+		out[k] = v
+	}
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim.go b/runtime/v2/shim.go
index 7014de9ff..6635008dc 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/identifiers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/timeout"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
 	client "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/shim"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/task"
@@ -41,6 +42,18 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+const (
+	loadTimeout     = "io.containerd.timeout.shim.load"
+	cleanupTimeout  = "io.containerd.timeout.shim.cleanup"
+	shutdownTimeout = "io.containerd.timeout.shim.shutdown"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	timeout.Set(loadTimeout, 5*time.Second)
+	timeout.Set(cleanupTimeout, 5*time.Second)
+	timeout.Set(shutdownTimeout, 3*time.Second)
+}
+
 func loadAddress(path string) (string, error) {
 	data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -100,7 +113,7 @@ func loadShim(ctx context.Context, bundle *Bundle, events *exchange.Exchange, rt
 		events:  events,
 		rtTasks: rt,
 	}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := timeout.WithContext(ctx, loadTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 	if err := s.Connect(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -110,7 +123,7 @@ func loadShim(ctx context.Context, bundle *Bundle, events *exchange.Exchange, rt
 
 func cleanupAfterDeadShim(ctx context.Context, id, ns string, events *exchange.Exchange, binaryCall *binary) {
 	ctx = namespaces.WithNamespace(ctx, ns)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := timeout.WithContext(ctx, cleanupTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	log.G(ctx).WithFields(logrus.Fields{
@@ -185,7 +198,7 @@ func (s *shim) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 func (s *shim) waitShutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 3*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := timeout.WithContext(ctx, shutdownTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 	return s.Shutdown(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/services/server/config/config.go b/services/server/config/config.go
index 365dfa0fd..9f8b1537c 100644
--- a/services/server/config/config.go
+++ b/services/server/config/config.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	Cgroup CgroupConfig `toml:"cgroup"`
 	// ProxyPlugins configures plugins which are communicated to over GRPC
 	ProxyPlugins map[string]ProxyPlugin `toml:"proxy_plugins"`
+	// Timeouts specified as a duration
+	Timeouts map[string]string `toml:"timeouts"`
 
 	StreamProcessors []StreamProcessor `toml:"stream_processors"`
 
diff --git a/services/server/server.go b/services/server/server.go
index 0e6923918..3f2bad22b 100644
--- a/services/server/server.go
+++ b/services/server/server.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/dialer"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/timeout"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshots"
@@ -77,6 +78,13 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, config *srvconfig.Config) (*Server, error) {
 	if err := apply(ctx, config); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	for key, sec := range config.Timeouts {
+		d, err := time.ParseDuration(sec)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Errorf("unable to parse %s into a time duration", sec)
+		}
+		timeout.Set(key, d)
+	}
 	plugins, err := LoadPlugins(ctx, config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/services/tasks/local.go b/services/tasks/local.go
index 2f17b158c..fc59936de 100644
--- a/services/tasks/local.go
+++ b/services/tasks/local.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/mount"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/timeout"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/linux/runctypes"
@@ -61,6 +62,10 @@ var (
 	empty = &ptypes.Empty{}
 )
 
+const (
+	stateTimeout = "io.containerd.timeout.task.state"
+)
+
 func init() {
 	plugin.Register(&plugin.Registration{
 		Type:     plugin.ServicePlugin,
@@ -68,6 +73,8 @@ func init() {
 		Requires: tasksServiceRequires,
 		InitFn:   initFunc,
 	})
+
+	timeout.Set(stateTimeout, 2*time.Second)
 }
 
 func initFunc(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -266,7 +273,7 @@ func (l *local) DeleteProcess(ctx context.Context, r *api.DeleteProcessRequest,
 }
 
 func getProcessState(ctx context.Context, p runtime.Process) (*task.Process, error) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 2*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := timeout.WithContext(ctx, stateTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	state, err := p.State(ctx)