diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 125dc1690..9d78f7f5d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ before_script:
   - if   [[ -n "$BUILD_BOOK" ]]; then (test -x $HOME/.cargo/bin/mdbook || ./ci/install-mdbook.sh); fi
 
 script:
-  - if ! [[ -n "$BUILD_BOOK" ]]; then cargo check --all --benches --bins --examples --tests && cargo test --all; fi
-  - if   [[ -n "$BUILD_BOOK" ]]; then cargo test  --all --benches --bins --examples --tests; fi
+  - if ! [[ -n "$BUILD_BOOK" ]]; then cargo check --features unstable --all --benches --bins --examples --tests && cargo test --features unstable --all; fi
+  - if   [[ -n "$BUILD_BOOK" ]]; then cargo test  --features unstable --all --benches --bins --examples --tests; fi
   - cargo fmt --all -- --check
   - if   [[ -n "$BUILD_DOCS" ]]; then cargo doc --features docs; fi
   - if   [[ -n "$BUILD_BOOK" ]]; then mdbook build docs && mdbook test -L ./target/debug/deps docs; fi
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index eba38cca2..230de6402 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ rustdoc-args = ["--cfg", "feature=\"docs\""]
 
 [features]
 docs = []
+unstable = []
 
 [dependencies]
 async-task = "1.0.0"
diff --git a/src/future/mod.rs b/src/future/mod.rs
index 29e2b047f..5d510a449 100644
--- a/src/future/mod.rs
+++ b/src/future/mod.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,17 @@
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use std::future::Future;
 
+use cfg_if::cfg_if;
+
 pub use pending::pending;
 pub use ready::ready;
 
 mod pending;
 mod ready;
+
+cfg_if! {
+    if #[cfg(any(feature = "unstable", feature = "docs"))] {
+        mod timeout;
+        pub use timeout::{timeout, TimeoutError};
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/future/timeout.rs b/src/future/timeout.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf146aeb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/future/timeout.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+use std::error::Error;
+use std::fmt;
+use std::pin::Pin;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use futures_timer::Delay;
+
+use crate::future::Future;
+use crate::task::{Context, Poll};
+
+/// Awaits a future or times out after a duration of time.
+///
+/// # Examples
+///
+/// ```
+/// # fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> { async_std::task::block_on(async {
+/// #
+/// use std::time::Duration;
+///
+/// use async_std::future;
+///
+/// let never = future::pending::<()>();
+/// let dur = Duration::from_millis(5);
+/// assert!(future::timeout(dur, never).await.is_err());
+/// #
+/// # Ok(()) }) }
+/// ```
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "docs", doc(cfg(unstable)))]
+pub async fn timeout<F, T>(dur: Duration, f: F) -> Result<T, TimeoutError>
+where
+    F: Future<Output = T>,
+{
+    let f = TimeoutFuture {
+        future: f,
+        delay: Delay::new(dur),
+    };
+    f.await
+}
+
+/// A future that times out after a duration of time.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+#[allow(missing_debug_implementations)]
+struct TimeoutFuture<F> {
+    future: F,
+    delay: Delay,
+}
+
+impl<F> TimeoutFuture<F> {
+    pin_utils::unsafe_pinned!(future: F);
+    pin_utils::unsafe_pinned!(delay: Delay);
+}
+
+impl<F: Future> Future for TimeoutFuture<F> {
+    type Output = Result<F::Output, TimeoutError>;
+
+    fn poll(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Self::Output> {
+        match self.as_mut().future().poll(cx) {
+            Poll::Ready(v) => Poll::Ready(Ok(v)),
+            Poll::Pending => match self.delay().poll(cx) {
+                Poll::Ready(_) => Poll::Ready(Err(TimeoutError { _priv: () })),
+                Poll::Pending => Poll::Pending,
+            },
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// An error returned when a future times out.
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "docs", doc(cfg(unstable)))]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct TimeoutError {
+    _priv: (),
+}
+
+impl Error for TimeoutError {}
+
+impl fmt::Display for TimeoutError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        "future has timed out".fmt(f)
+    }
+}