diff --git a/include/hamlib/rig.h b/include/hamlib/rig.h
index bfa5f7e35..908f753c4 100644
--- a/include/hamlib/rig.h
+++ b/include/hamlib/rig.h
@@ -2084,6 +2084,7 @@ struct rig_caps {
     int (*password)(RIG *rig, const char *key1); /*< Send encrypted password if rigctld is secured with -A/--password */
     int (*set_lock_mode)(RIG *rig, int mode);
     int (*get_lock_mode)(RIG *rig, int *mode);
+    short timeout_retry;    /*!< number of retries to make in case of read timeout errors, some serial interfaces may require this, 0 to use default value, -1 to disable */
 };
 //! @endcond
 
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 7529c87c0..831fdc5d8 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ static const struct confparams frontend_cfg_params[] =
         TOK_RETRY, "retry", "Retry", "Max number of retry",
         "0", RIG_CONF_NUMERIC, { .n = { 0, 10, 1 } }
     },
+    {
+        TOK_TIMEOUT_RETRY, "timeout_retry", "Number of retries for read timeouts",
+        "Set the number of retries for data read timeouts that may occur especially with some serial interfaces",
+        "1", RIG_CONF_NUMERIC, { .n = { 0, 100, 1 } }
+    },
     {
         TOK_RANGE_SELECTED, "Selected range list", "Range list#",
         "The tx/rx range list in use",
@@ -738,6 +743,15 @@ static int frontend_set_conf(RIG *rig, token_t token, const char *val)
         rs->tuner_control_pathname = strdup(val); // yeah -- need to free it
         break;
 
+    case TOK_TIMEOUT_RETRY:
+        if (1 != sscanf(val, "%ld", &val_i))
+        {
+            return -RIG_EINVAL;
+        }
+
+        rs->rigport.timeout_retry = val_i;
+        break;
+
     case TOK_OFFSET_VFOA:
         if (1 != sscanf(val, "%ld", &val_i))
         {
@@ -1111,6 +1125,10 @@ static int frontend_get_conf2(RIG *rig, token_t token, char *val, int val_len)
         SNPRINTF(val, val_len, "%d", rs->async_data_enabled);
         break;
 
+    case TOK_TIMEOUT_RETRY:
+        SNPRINTF(val, val_len, "%d", rs->rigport.timeout_retry);
+        break;
+
     default:
         return -RIG_EINVAL;
     }
diff --git a/src/rig.c b/src/rig.c
index 1c5b8ae85..794a92471 100644
--- a/src/rig.c
+++ b/src/rig.c
@@ -623,13 +623,28 @@ RIG *HAMLIB_API rig_init(rig_model_t rig_model)
     rs->rigport.post_write_delay = caps->post_write_delay;
 
     // since we do two timeouts now we can cut the timeout in half for serial
-    if (caps->port_type == RIG_PORT_SERIAL)
+    if (caps->port_type == RIG_PORT_SERIAL && caps->timeout_retry >= 0)
     {
         rs->rigport.timeout = caps->timeout / 2;
     }
 
     rs->rigport.retry = caps->retry;
 
+    if (caps->timeout_retry < 0)
+    {
+        // Rigs may disable read timeout retries
+        rs->rigport.timeout_retry = 0;
+    }
+    else if (caps->timeout_retry == 0)
+    {
+        // Default to 1 retry for read timeouts
+        rs->rigport.timeout_retry = 1;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        rs->rigport.timeout_retry = caps->timeout_retry;
+    }
+
     rs->pttport.type.ptt = caps->ptt_type;
     rs->dcdport.type.dcd = caps->dcd_type;