diff --git a/docs/Factory.md b/docs/Factory.md
index 6bd2eb4929..8b209ef18a 100644
--- a/docs/Factory.md
+++ b/docs/Factory.md
@@ -185,3 +185,12 @@ fastify.get('/', (request, reply) => {
   console.log(request.raw.hostname)
 })
 ```
+
+<a name="plugin-timeout"></a>
+### `pluginTimeout`
+
+The maximum amount of time in milliseconds in which a plugin can load.
+If not, [`ready`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify/blob/master/docs/Server-Methods.md#ready)
+will complete with an `Error` with code `'ERR_AVVIO_PLUGIN_TIMEOUT'`.
+
++ Default: `0` (disabled)
diff --git a/fastify.js b/fastify.js
index 6825adbd84..fcca48d501 100644
--- a/fastify.js
+++ b/fastify.js
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ function build (options) {
   const onResponseCallback = hasLogger ? loggerUtils.onResponseCallback : noop
 
   const app = avvio(fastify, {
-    autostart: false
+    autostart: false,
+    timeout: Number(options.pluginTimeout) || 0
   })
   // Override to allow the plugin incapsulation
   app.override = override
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 90fdbc1839..771d0868d3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
     "@types/pino": "^4.16.0",
     "abstract-logging": "^1.0.0",
     "ajv": "^6.5.2",
-    "avvio": "^5.6.0",
+    "avvio": "^5.8.0",
     "end-of-stream": "^1.4.1",
     "fast-json-stringify": "^1.5.4",
     "find-my-way": "^1.15.0",
diff --git a/test/plugin.test.js b/test/plugin.test.js
index 77f795c193..9b7939d88f 100644
--- a/test/plugin.test.js
+++ b/test/plugin.test.js
@@ -489,3 +489,17 @@ test('plugin metadata - dependencies (nested)', t => {
     next()
   }
 })
+
+test('pluginTimeout', t => {
+  t.plan(2)
+  const fastify = Fastify({
+    pluginTimeout: 10
+  })
+  fastify.register(function (app, opts, next) {
+    // to no call next on purpose
+  })
+  fastify.ready((err) => {
+    t.ok(err)
+    t.equal(err.code, 'ERR_AVVIO_PLUGIN_TIMEOUT')
+  })
+})