diff --git a/api_request.go b/api_request.go
index d3e97596..e565e7cf 100644
--- a/api_request.go
+++ b/api_request.go
@@ -24,20 +24,6 @@ func (c *deadlinedConn) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	return c.Conn.Write(b)
 }
 
-func newDeadlineTransport(timeout time.Duration) *http.Transport {
-	transport := &http.Transport{
-		DisableKeepAlives: true,
-		Dial: func(netw, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-			c, err := net.DialTimeout(netw, addr, timeout)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-			return &deadlinedConn{timeout, c}, nil
-		},
-	}
-	return transport
-}
-
 type wrappedResp struct {
 	Status     string      `json:"status_txt"`
 	StatusCode int         `json:"status_code"`
@@ -45,8 +31,7 @@ type wrappedResp struct {
 }
 
 // stores the result in the value pointed to by ret(must be a pointer)
-func apiRequestNegotiateV1(method string, endpoint string, headers http.Header, ret interface{}) error {
-	httpclient := &http.Client{Transport: newDeadlineTransport(2 * time.Second)}
+func apiRequestNegotiateV1(httpclient *http.Client, method string, endpoint string, headers http.Header, ret interface{}) error {
 	req, err := http.NewRequest(method, endpoint, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 644aaac8..1f7ea2cd 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	// reconnection attempts
 	LookupdPollInterval time.Duration `opt:"lookupd_poll_interval" min:"10ms" max:"5m" default:"60s"`
 	LookupdPollJitter   float64       `opt:"lookupd_poll_jitter" min:"0" max:"1" default:"0.3"`
+	LookupdPollTimeout  time.Duration `opt:"lookupd_poll_timeout" default:"1m"`
 
 	// Maximum duration when REQueueing (for doubling of deferred requeue)
 	MaxRequeueDelay     time.Duration `opt:"max_requeue_delay" min:"0" max:"60m" default:"15m"`
diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index 984c07c6..b4d7487b 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ type Consumer struct {
 	lookupdRecheckChan chan int
 	lookupdHTTPAddrs   []string
 	lookupdQueryIndex  int
+	lookupdHttpClient  *http.Client
 
 	wg              sync.WaitGroup
 	runningHandlers int32
@@ -326,6 +327,11 @@ func (r *Consumer) ChangeMaxInFlight(maxInFlight int) {
 	}
 }
 
+// set lookupd http client
+func (r *Consumer) SetLookupdHttpClient(httpclient *http.Client) {
+	r.lookupdHttpClient = httpclient
+}
+
 // ConnectToNSQLookupd adds an nsqlookupd address to the list for this Consumer instance.
 //
 // If it is the first to be added, it initiates an HTTP request to discover nsqd
@@ -355,6 +361,23 @@ func (r *Consumer) ConnectToNSQLookupd(addr string) error {
 		}
 	}
 	r.lookupdHTTPAddrs = append(r.lookupdHTTPAddrs, parsedAddr)
+	if r.lookupdHttpClient == nil {
+		transport := &http.Transport{
+			DialContext: (&net.Dialer{
+				Timeout:   r.config.LookupdPollTimeout,
+				KeepAlive: 30 * time.Second,
+			}).DialContext,
+			ResponseHeaderTimeout: r.config.LookupdPollTimeout,
+			MaxIdleConns:          100,
+			IdleConnTimeout:       90 * time.Second,
+			TLSHandshakeTimeout:   10 * time.Second,
+		}
+		r.lookupdHttpClient = &http.Client{
+			Transport: transport,
+			Timeout:   r.config.LookupdPollTimeout,
+		}
+	}
+
 	numLookupd := len(r.lookupdHTTPAddrs)
 	r.mtx.Unlock()
 
@@ -468,7 +491,7 @@ retry:
 	if r.config.AuthSecret != "" && r.config.LookupdAuthorization {
 		headers.Set("Authorization", fmt.Sprintf("Bearer %s", r.config.AuthSecret))
 	}
-	err := apiRequestNegotiateV1("GET", endpoint, headers, &data)
+	err := apiRequestNegotiateV1(r.lookupdHttpClient, "GET", endpoint, headers, &data)
 	if err != nil {
 		r.log(LogLevelError, "error querying nsqlookupd (%s) - %s", endpoint, err)
 		retries++