diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index e9d5581..5c25a06 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with co
 
 Pommel is a local-first semantic code search system designed to reduce context window consumption for AI coding agents. It maintains an always-current vector database of code embeddings, enabling targeted semantic searches instead of reading numerous files into context.
 
-**Status:** v0.7.2 - Dynamic embedding dimensions and Windows path fixes
+**Status:** v0.7.3 - Configurable timeouts for cold starts and slow connections
 
 ## Code Search Priority
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e82d627..4442e34 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Local-first semantic code search for AI coding agents.
 [![Go Version](https://img.shields.io/github/go-mod/go-version/dbinky/Pommel)](https://go.dev/)
 [![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/dbinky/Pommel)](LICENSE)
 
-**v0.7.2** - Dynamic embedding dimensions and Windows path fixes!
+**v0.7.3** - Configurable timeouts for cold starts and slow connections!
 
 Pommel maintains a vector database of your code, enabling fast semantic search without loading files into context. Designed to complement AI coding assistants by providing targeted code discovery.
 
diff --git a/cmd/pm/main.go b/cmd/pm/main.go
index 4a50e20..a1dc4b1 100644
--- a/cmd/pm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/pm/main.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 // Set at build time via ldflags
 var (
-	version = "0.7.2"
+	version = "0.7.3"
 	commit  = "unknown"
 	date    = "unknown"
 )
diff --git a/cmd/pommeld/main.go b/cmd/pommeld/main.go
index 8ff5c06..d3b75f2 100644
--- a/cmd/pommeld/main.go
+++ b/cmd/pommeld/main.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	version = "0.7.2"
+	version = "0.7.3"
 	commit  = "unknown"
 	date    = "unknown"
 )
diff --git a/internal/api/router.go b/internal/api/router.go
index 2cbc3d3..f1e0cd1 100644
--- a/internal/api/router.go
+++ b/internal/api/router.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package api
 import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ func NewRouter(indexer *daemon.Indexer, cfg *config.Config, searcher Searcher) *
 	r := chi.NewRouter()
 
 	// Apply middleware
-	r.Use(middleware.Timeout(30 * time.Second))
+	r.Use(middleware.Timeout(cfg.Timeouts.APIRequestTimeout()))
 	r.Use(middleware.Recoverer)
 
 	// Register routes
diff --git a/internal/cli/client.go b/internal/cli/client.go
index 1da92b7..538b758 100644
--- a/internal/cli/client.go
+++ b/internal/cli/client.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pommel-dev/pommel/internal/api"
 	"github.com/pommel-dev/pommel/internal/config"
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ func NewClient(cfg *config.Config) *Client {
 	return &Client{
 		baseURL: fmt.Sprintf("http://%s", cfg.Daemon.Address()),
 		httpClient: &http.Client{
-			Timeout: 30 * time.Second,
+			Timeout: cfg.Timeouts.ClientRequestTimeout(),
 		},
 	}
 }
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ func NewClientFromProjectRoot(projectRoot string) (*Client, error) {
 	return &Client{
 		baseURL: fmt.Sprintf("http://%s", cfg.Daemon.AddressWithPort(port)),
 		httpClient: &http.Client{
-			Timeout: 30 * time.Second,
+			Timeout: cfg.Timeouts.ClientRequestTimeout(),
 		},
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/root.go b/internal/cli/root.go
index 92c2e90..5bdda17 100644
--- a/internal/cli/root.go
+++ b/internal/cli/root.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	Version     = "0.7.2"
+	Version     = "0.7.3"
 	BuildCommit = "unknown"
 	BuildDate   = "unknown"
 
diff --git a/internal/cli/start.go b/internal/cli/start.go
index 8c2b9f4..153b2ed 100644
--- a/internal/cli/start.go
+++ b/internal/cli/start.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	address := cfg.Daemon.AddressWithPort(port)
 	healthURL := fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/health", address)
 
-	timeout := time.After(10 * time.Second)
+	timeout := time.After(cfg.Timeouts.DaemonStartTimeout())
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(100 * time.Millisecond)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
diff --git a/internal/cli/stop.go b/internal/cli/stop.go
index daacde1..6354f04 100644
--- a/internal/cli/stop.go
+++ b/internal/cli/stop.go
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ func runStop(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return ErrNotInitialized()
 	}
 
+	// Load config for timeout settings
+	cfg, err := loader.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load config: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	// Check if running
 	stateManager := daemon.NewStateManager(projectRoot)
 	running, pid := stateManager.IsRunning()
@@ -50,7 +56,7 @@ func runStop(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	// Wait for process to exit with timeout
-	timeout := time.After(5 * time.Second)
+	timeout := time.After(cfg.Timeouts.DaemonStopTimeout())
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(100 * time.Millisecond)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index e966e84..e6533c2 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Embedding       EmbeddingConfig   `yaml:"embedding" json:"embedding" mapstructure:"embedding"`
 	Search          SearchConfig      `yaml:"search" json:"search" mapstructure:"search"`
 	Subprojects     SubprojectsConfig `yaml:"subprojects" json:"subprojects" mapstructure:"subprojects"`
+	Timeouts        TimeoutsConfig    `yaml:"timeouts" json:"timeouts" mapstructure:"timeouts"`
 }
 
 // WatcherConfig contains file watcher settings
@@ -164,6 +165,93 @@ type SubprojectsConfig struct {
 	Exclude    []string          `yaml:"exclude" json:"exclude,omitempty" mapstructure:"exclude"`
 }
 
+// TimeoutsConfig contains timeout settings for various operations.
+// All timeout values are in milliseconds.
+// Longer timeouts are useful when embedding models need to be loaded from disk
+// (cold start), which can take significantly longer than when the model is already in memory.
+type TimeoutsConfig struct {
+	// EmbeddingRequestMs is the timeout for embedding API requests (default: 120000 = 2 minutes).
+	// This should be long enough to allow for model loading on cold starts.
+	EmbeddingRequestMs int `yaml:"embedding_request_ms" json:"embedding_request_ms" mapstructure:"embedding_request_ms"`
+
+	// DaemonStartMs is the timeout for waiting for the daemon to start (default: 30000 = 30 seconds).
+	DaemonStartMs int `yaml:"daemon_start_ms" json:"daemon_start_ms" mapstructure:"daemon_start_ms"`
+
+	// DaemonStopMs is the timeout for waiting for the daemon to stop (default: 10000 = 10 seconds).
+	DaemonStopMs int `yaml:"daemon_stop_ms" json:"daemon_stop_ms" mapstructure:"daemon_stop_ms"`
+
+	// ClientRequestMs is the timeout for CLI client requests to the daemon (default: 120000 = 2 minutes).
+	// This should be long enough to handle search requests that trigger embedding generation.
+	ClientRequestMs int `yaml:"client_request_ms" json:"client_request_ms" mapstructure:"client_request_ms"`
+
+	// APIRequestMs is the timeout for API middleware (default: 120000 = 2 minutes).
+	APIRequestMs int `yaml:"api_request_ms" json:"api_request_ms" mapstructure:"api_request_ms"`
+
+	// ShutdownMs is the timeout for graceful daemon shutdown (default: 10000 = 10 seconds).
+	ShutdownMs int `yaml:"shutdown_ms" json:"shutdown_ms" mapstructure:"shutdown_ms"`
+}
+
+// DefaultTimeoutsConfig returns the default timeout configuration.
+// Defaults are set high enough to handle cold starts where models need to be loaded.
+func DefaultTimeoutsConfig() TimeoutsConfig {
+	return TimeoutsConfig{
+		EmbeddingRequestMs: 120000, // 2 minutes - allows for model loading
+		DaemonStartMs:      30000,  // 30 seconds
+		DaemonStopMs:       10000,  // 10 seconds
+		ClientRequestMs:    120000, // 2 minutes - allows for embedding generation
+		APIRequestMs:       120000, // 2 minutes
+		ShutdownMs:         10000,  // 10 seconds
+	}
+}
+
+// EmbeddingRequestTimeout returns the embedding request timeout as time.Duration.
+func (t TimeoutsConfig) EmbeddingRequestTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if t.EmbeddingRequestMs <= 0 {
+		return DefaultTimeoutsConfig().EmbeddingRequestTimeout()
+	}
+	return time.Duration(t.EmbeddingRequestMs) * time.Millisecond
+}
+
+// DaemonStartTimeout returns the daemon start timeout as time.Duration.
+func (t TimeoutsConfig) DaemonStartTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if t.DaemonStartMs <= 0 {
+		return DefaultTimeoutsConfig().DaemonStartTimeout()
+	}
+	return time.Duration(t.DaemonStartMs) * time.Millisecond
+}
+
+// DaemonStopTimeout returns the daemon stop timeout as time.Duration.
+func (t TimeoutsConfig) DaemonStopTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if t.DaemonStopMs <= 0 {
+		return DefaultTimeoutsConfig().DaemonStopTimeout()
+	}
+	return time.Duration(t.DaemonStopMs) * time.Millisecond
+}
+
+// ClientRequestTimeout returns the client request timeout as time.Duration.
+func (t TimeoutsConfig) ClientRequestTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if t.ClientRequestMs <= 0 {
+		return DefaultTimeoutsConfig().ClientRequestTimeout()
+	}
+	return time.Duration(t.ClientRequestMs) * time.Millisecond
+}
+
+// APIRequestTimeout returns the API request timeout as time.Duration.
+func (t TimeoutsConfig) APIRequestTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if t.APIRequestMs <= 0 {
+		return DefaultTimeoutsConfig().APIRequestTimeout()
+	}
+	return time.Duration(t.APIRequestMs) * time.Millisecond
+}
+
+// ShutdownTimeout returns the shutdown timeout as time.Duration.
+func (t TimeoutsConfig) ShutdownTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if t.ShutdownMs <= 0 {
+		return DefaultTimeoutsConfig().ShutdownTimeout()
+	}
+	return time.Duration(t.ShutdownMs) * time.Millisecond
+}
+
 // ProjectOverride defines a manual sub-project configuration
 type ProjectOverride struct {
 	ID   string `yaml:"id" json:"id,omitempty" mapstructure:"id"`
diff --git a/internal/config/defaults.go b/internal/config/defaults.go
index 913dca3..cbd17e8 100644
--- a/internal/config/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/config/defaults.go
@@ -81,5 +81,6 @@ func Default() *Config {
 			Projects: nil,
 			Exclude:  nil,
 		},
+		Timeouts: DefaultTimeoutsConfig(),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/daemon/daemon.go b/internal/daemon/daemon.go
index b1790cf..6d8715f 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ func New(projectRoot string, cfg *config.Config, logger *slog.Logger) (*Daemon,
 	// Build provider config from embedding settings (needed before db.Open for dimensions)
 	providerCfg := &embedder.ProviderConfig{
 		Provider: cfg.Embedding.Provider,
+		Timeout:  cfg.Timeouts.EmbeddingRequestTimeout(),
 		Ollama: embedder.OllamaProviderSettings{
 			URL:   cfg.Embedding.GetOllamaURL(),
 			Model: cfg.Embedding.Ollama.Model,
@@ -504,7 +505,7 @@ func (d *Daemon) shutdown() error {
 
 	// Shutdown API server
 	if d.server != nil {
-		shutdownCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+		shutdownCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), d.config.Timeouts.ShutdownTimeout())
 		defer cancel()
 		if err := d.server.Shutdown(shutdownCtx); err != nil {
 			d.logger.Warn("server shutdown error", "error", err)
diff --git a/internal/embedder/provider.go b/internal/embedder/provider.go
index 18cf60f..a1f792d 100644
--- a/internal/embedder/provider.go
+++ b/internal/embedder/provider.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package embedder
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
 
 // ProviderType represents the type of embedding provider
 type ProviderType string
@@ -100,6 +103,7 @@ func APIProviders() []ProviderType {
 // ProviderConfig holds the configuration for creating an embedder
 type ProviderConfig struct {
 	Provider string
+	Timeout  time.Duration // Timeout for embedding requests
 	Ollama   OllamaProviderSettings
 	OpenAI   OpenAIProviderSettings
 	Voyage   VoyageProviderSettings
@@ -135,6 +139,7 @@ func NewFromConfig(cfg *ProviderConfig) (Embedder, error) {
 		return NewOllamaClient(OllamaConfig{
 			BaseURL: cfg.Ollama.URL,
 			Model:   cfg.Ollama.Model,
+			Timeout: cfg.Timeout,
 		}), nil
 
 	case ProviderOpenAI:
@@ -146,8 +151,9 @@ func NewFromConfig(cfg *ProviderConfig) (Embedder, error) {
 			}
 		}
 		return NewOpenAIClient(OpenAIConfig{
-			APIKey: cfg.OpenAI.APIKey,
-			Model:  cfg.OpenAI.Model,
+			APIKey:  cfg.OpenAI.APIKey,
+			Model:   cfg.OpenAI.Model,
+			Timeout: cfg.Timeout,
 		}), nil
 
 	case ProviderVoyage:
@@ -159,8 +165,9 @@ func NewFromConfig(cfg *ProviderConfig) (Embedder, error) {
 			}
 		}
 		return NewVoyageClient(VoyageConfig{
-			APIKey: cfg.Voyage.APIKey,
-			Model:  cfg.Voyage.Model,
+			APIKey:  cfg.Voyage.APIKey,
+			Model:   cfg.Voyage.Model,
+			Timeout: cfg.Timeout,
 		}), nil
 
 	default: