diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 8c9a1051..53f368fc 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ type ovsdbClient struct {
 	metrics   metrics
 	connected bool
 	rpcClient *rpc2.Client
+	conn      net.Conn
 	rpcMutex  sync.RWMutex
 	// endpoints contains all possible endpoints; the first element is
 	// the active endpoint if connected=true
@@ -427,6 +428,7 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) createRPC2Client(conn net.Conn) {
 	if o.options.inactivityTimeout > 0 {
 		o.trafficSeen = make(chan struct{})
 	}
+	o.conn = conn
 	o.rpcClient = rpc2.NewClientWithCodec(jsonrpc.NewJSONCodec(conn))
 	o.rpcClient.SetBlocking(true)
 	o.rpcClient.Handle("echo", func(_ *rpc2.Client, args []interface{}, reply *[]interface{}) error {
@@ -748,7 +750,7 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) update3(params []json.RawMessage, reply *[]interface{}) er
 func (o *ovsdbClient) getSchema(ctx context.Context, dbName string) (ovsdb.DatabaseSchema, error) {
 	args := ovsdb.NewGetSchemaArgs(dbName)
 	var reply ovsdb.DatabaseSchema
-	err := o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, "get_schema", args, &reply)
+	err := o.CallWithContext(ctx, "get_schema", args, &reply)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == rpc2.ErrShutdown {
 			return ovsdb.DatabaseSchema{}, ErrNotConnected
@@ -763,7 +765,7 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) getSchema(ctx context.Context, dbName string) (ovsdb.Datab
 // Should only be called when mutex is held
 func (o *ovsdbClient) listDbs(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	var dbs []string
-	err := o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, "list_dbs", nil, &dbs)
+	err := o.CallWithContext(ctx, "list_dbs", nil, &dbs)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == rpc2.ErrShutdown {
 			return nil, ErrNotConnected
@@ -836,7 +838,7 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) transact(ctx context.Context, dbName string, skipChWrite b
 	if dbgLogger.Enabled() {
 		dbgLogger.Info("transacting operations", "operations", fmt.Sprintf("%+v", operation))
 	}
-	err := o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, "transact", args, &reply)
+	err := o.CallWithContext(ctx, "transact", args, &reply)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == rpc2.ErrShutdown {
 			return nil, ErrNotConnected
@@ -869,7 +871,7 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) MonitorCancel(ctx context.Context, cookie MonitorCookie) e
 	if o.rpcClient == nil {
 		return ErrNotConnected
 	}
-	err := o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, "monitor_cancel", args, &reply)
+	err := o.CallWithContext(ctx, "monitor_cancel", args, &reply)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == rpc2.ErrShutdown {
 			return ErrNotConnected
@@ -981,15 +983,15 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) monitor(ctx context.Context, cookie MonitorCookie, reconne
 	switch monitor.Method {
 	case ovsdb.MonitorRPC:
 		var reply ovsdb.TableUpdates
-		err = o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, monitor.Method, args, &reply)
+		err = o.CallWithContext(ctx, monitor.Method, args, &reply)
 		tableUpdates = reply
 	case ovsdb.ConditionalMonitorRPC:
 		var reply ovsdb.TableUpdates2
-		err = o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, monitor.Method, args, &reply)
+		err = o.CallWithContext(ctx, monitor.Method, args, &reply)
 		tableUpdates = reply
 	case ovsdb.ConditionalMonitorSinceRPC:
 		var reply ovsdb.MonitorCondSinceReply
-		err = o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, monitor.Method, args, &reply)
+		err = o.CallWithContext(ctx, monitor.Method, args, &reply)
 		if err == nil && reply.Found {
 			monitor.LastTransactionID = reply.LastTransactionID
 			lastTransactionFound = true
@@ -1080,7 +1082,7 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) Echo(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if o.rpcClient == nil {
 		return ErrNotConnected
 	}
-	err := o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, "echo", args, &reply)
+	err := o.CallWithContext(ctx, "echo", args, &reply)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == rpc2.ErrShutdown {
 			return ErrNotConnected
@@ -1439,3 +1441,19 @@ func (o *ovsdbClient) WhereAll(m model.Model, conditions ...model.Condition) Con
 func (o *ovsdbClient) WhereCache(predicate interface{}) ConditionalAPI {
 	return o.primaryDB().api.WhereCache(predicate)
 }
+
+// CallWithContext invokes the named function, waits for it to complete, and
+// returns its error status, or an error from Context timeout.
+func (o *ovsdbClient) CallWithContext(ctx context.Context, method string, args interface{}, reply interface{}) error {
+	// Set up read/write deadline for tcp connection before making
+	// a rpc request to the server.
+	if tcpConn, ok := o.conn.(*net.TCPConn); ok {
+		if o.options.timeout > 0 {
+			err := tcpConn.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(o.options.timeout * 3))
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return o.rpcClient.CallWithContext(ctx, method, args, reply)
+}