diff --git a/src/ocrd_network/client.py b/src/ocrd_network/client.py
index 012d2ea2e5..1dc92ed991 100644
--- a/src/ocrd_network/client.py
+++ b/src/ocrd_network/client.py
@@ -9,13 +9,18 @@
 
 
 class Client:
-    def __init__(self, server_addr_processing: str = config.OCRD_NETWORK_SERVER_ADDR_PROCESSING):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        server_addr_processing: str = config.OCRD_NETWORK_SERVER_ADDR_PROCESSING,
+        timeout: int = config.OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_TIMEOUT,
+        wait: int = config.OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_SLEEP
+    ):
         self.log = getLogger(f"ocrd_network.client")
         self.server_addr_processing = server_addr_processing
         verify_server_protocol(self.server_addr_processing)
-        # TODO: Read these values from the environment config.
-        self.polling_tries = 900
-        self.polling_wait = 30
+        self.polling_timeout = timeout
+        self.polling_wait = wait
+        self.polling_tries = int(timeout/wait)
 
     def poll_job_status_till_timeout_fail_or_success(self, job_id: str) -> str:
         return poll_job_status_till_timeout_fail_or_success(
diff --git a/src/ocrd_utils/config.py b/src/ocrd_utils/config.py
index b3a3e9537d..dc7bee7a33 100644
--- a/src/ocrd_utils/config.py
+++ b/src/ocrd_utils/config.py
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ def _ocrd_download_timeout_parser(val):
         description="Default address of Processing Server to connect to (for `ocrd network client processing`).",
         default=(True, ''))
 
+config.add("OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_TIMEOUT",
+           description="Timeout for a blocking ocrd network client (seconds)",
+           parser=int,
+           default=(True, 3600))
+
+config.add("OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_SLEEP",
+           description="How many seconds to sleep before trying again (seconds)",
+           parser=int,
+           default=(True, 30))
+
 config.add("OCRD_NETWORK_SERVER_ADDR_WORKFLOW",
         description="Default address of Workflow Server to connect to (for `ocrd network client workflow`).",
         default=(True, ''))
diff --git a/tests/network/config.py b/tests/network/config.py
index 67c4ff24b7..9dc38bc0db 100644
--- a/tests/network/config.py
+++ b/tests/network/config.py
@@ -55,6 +55,20 @@
     parser=_ocrd_download_timeout_parser
 )
 
+test_config.add(
+    "OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_TIMEOUT",
+    description="Timeout for a blocking ocrd network client",
+    parser=int,
+    default=(True, 3600)
+)
+
+test_config.add(
+    "OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_SLEEP",
+    description="How many seconds to sleep before trying again (seconds)",
+    parser=int,
+    default=(True, 30)
+)
+
 test_config.add(
     name="OCRD_NETWORK_SERVER_ADDR_PROCESSING",
     description="Default address of Processing Server to connect to (for `ocrd network client processing`).",
diff --git a/tests/network/test_integration_6_client.py b/tests/network/test_integration_6_client.py
index fc44705b40..b0ed2bbc3a 100644
--- a/tests/network/test_integration_6_client.py
+++ b/tests/network/test_integration_6_client.py
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@
 from ocrd_network.client import Client
 
 PROCESSING_SERVER_URL = test_config.PROCESSING_SERVER_URL
+timeout = test_config.OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_TIMEOUT
+wait = test_config.OCRD_NETWORK_CLIENT_POLLING_SLEEP
 
 
 def test_client_processing_processor():
     workspace_root = "kant_aufklaerung_1784/data"
     path_to_mets = assets.path_to(f"{workspace_root}/mets.xml")
-    client = Client(server_addr_processing=PROCESSING_SERVER_URL)
+    client = Client(PROCESSING_SERVER_URL, timeout, wait)
     req_params = {
         "path_to_mets": path_to_mets,
         "description": "OCR-D Network client request",
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ def test_client_processing_workflow():
     path_to_mets = assets.path_to(f"{workspace_root}/mets.xml")
     # TODO: Improve the path resolution
     path_to_dummy_wf = f"{Path(__file__).parent.resolve()}/dummy-workflow.txt"
-    client = Client(server_addr_processing=PROCESSING_SERVER_URL)
+    client = Client(PROCESSING_SERVER_URL, timeout, wait)
     wf_job_id = client.send_workflow_job_request(path_to_dummy_wf, path_to_mets)
     print(f"Workflow job id: {wf_job_id}")
     assert JobState.success == client.poll_wf_status_till_timeout_fail_or_success(wf_job_id)