diff --git a/examples/request_timeout.py b/examples/request_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..261f423a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/request_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from sanic import Sanic
+import asyncio
+from sanic.response import text
+from sanic.config import Config
+from sanic.exceptions import RequestTimeout
+
+Config.REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 1
+app = Sanic(__name__)
+
+
+@app.route('/')
+async def test(request):
+    await asyncio.sleep(3)
+    return text('Hello, world!')
+
+
+@app.exception(RequestTimeout)
+def timeout(request, exception):
+    return text('RequestTimeout from error_handler.', 408)
+
+app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=8000)
diff --git a/sanic/exceptions.py b/sanic/exceptions.py
index e21aca63..bc052fbd 100644
--- a/sanic/exceptions.py
+++ b/sanic/exceptions.py
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class FileNotFound(NotFound):
         self.relative_url = relative_url
 
 
+class RequestTimeout(SanicException):
+    status_code = 408
+
+
 class Handler:
     handlers = None
 
diff --git a/sanic/sanic.py b/sanic/sanic.py
index 33e16af7..98bb230d 100644
--- a/sanic/sanic.py
+++ b/sanic/sanic.py
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ class Sanic:
             'sock': sock,
             'debug': debug,
             'request_handler': self.handle_request,
+            'error_handler': self.error_handler,
             'request_timeout': self.config.REQUEST_TIMEOUT,
             'request_max_size': self.config.REQUEST_MAX_SIZE,
             'loop': loop
diff --git a/sanic/server.py b/sanic/server.py
index 6301d18f..a3074ecf 100644
--- a/sanic/server.py
+++ b/sanic/server.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from .log import log
 from .request import Request
+from .exceptions import RequestTimeout
 
 
 class Signal:
@@ -34,8 +35,8 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         # connection management
         '_total_request_size', '_timeout_handler', '_last_communication_time')
 
-    def __init__(self, *, loop, request_handler, signal=Signal(),
-                 connections={}, request_timeout=60,
+    def __init__(self, *, loop, request_handler, error_handler,
+                 signal=Signal(), connections={}, request_timeout=60,
                  request_max_size=None):
         self.loop = loop
         self.transport = None
@@ -46,11 +47,13 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         self.signal = signal
         self.connections = connections
         self.request_handler = request_handler
+        self.error_handler = error_handler
         self.request_timeout = request_timeout
         self.request_max_size = request_max_size
         self._total_request_size = 0
         self._timeout_handler = None
         self._last_request_time = None
+        self._request_handler_task = None
 
     # -------------------------------------------- #
     # Connection
@@ -76,7 +79,11 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
             self._timeout_handler = \
                 self.loop.call_later(time_left, self.connection_timeout)
         else:
-            self.bail_out("Request timed out, connection closed")
+            if self._request_handler_task:
+                self._request_handler_task.cancel()
+            response = self.error_handler.response(
+                self.request, RequestTimeout('Request Timeout'))
+            self.write_response(response)
 
     # -------------------------------------------- #
     # Parsing
@@ -133,7 +140,7 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
             self.request.body = body
 
     def on_message_complete(self):
-        self.loop.create_task(
+        self._request_handler_task = self.loop.create_task(
             self.request_handler(self.request, self.write_response))
 
     # -------------------------------------------- #
@@ -166,6 +173,7 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         self.request = None
         self.url = None
         self.headers = None
+        self._request_handler_task = None
         self._total_request_size = 0
 
     def close_if_idle(self):
@@ -205,8 +213,8 @@ def trigger_events(events, loop):
                 loop.run_until_complete(result)
 
 
-def serve(host, port, request_handler, before_start=None, after_start=None,
-          before_stop=None, after_stop=None,
+def serve(host, port, request_handler, error_handler, before_start=None,
+          after_start=None, before_stop=None, after_stop=None,
           debug=False, request_timeout=60, sock=None,
           request_max_size=None, reuse_port=False, loop=None):
     """
@@ -241,6 +249,7 @@ def serve(host, port, request_handler, before_start=None, after_start=None,
         connections=connections,
         signal=signal,
         request_handler=request_handler,
+        error_handler=error_handler,
         request_timeout=request_timeout,
         request_max_size=request_max_size,
     ), host, port, reuse_port=reuse_port, sock=sock)
diff --git a/tests/test_request_timeout.py b/tests/test_request_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7b8cfb21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_request_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+from sanic import Sanic
+import asyncio
+from sanic.response import text
+from sanic.exceptions import RequestTimeout
+from sanic.utils import sanic_endpoint_test
+from sanic.config import Config
+
+Config.REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 1
+request_timeout_app = Sanic('test_request_timeout')
+request_timeout_default_app = Sanic('test_request_timeout_default')
+
+
+@request_timeout_app.route('/1')
+async def handler_1(request):
+    await asyncio.sleep(1)
+    return text('OK')
+
+
+@request_timeout_app.exception(RequestTimeout)
+def handler_exception(request, exception):
+    return text('Request Timeout from error_handler.', 408)
+
+
+def test_server_error_request_timeout():
+    request, response = sanic_endpoint_test(request_timeout_app, uri='/1')
+    assert response.status == 408
+    assert response.text == 'Request Timeout from error_handler.'
+
+
+@request_timeout_default_app.route('/1')
+async def handler_2(request):
+    await asyncio.sleep(1)
+    return text('OK')
+
+
+def test_default_server_error_request_timeout():
+    request, response = sanic_endpoint_test(
+        request_timeout_default_app, uri='/1')
+    assert response.status == 408
+    assert response.text == 'Error: Request Timeout'