diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index 88ec7d4..07eb829 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package hopp
 
 import "io"
 import "net"
-// import "time"
+import "time"
 
 const defaultSizeLimit int64 = 1024 * 1024 // 1 megabyte
 
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ type Conn interface {
 	// be called in a loop to avoid the connection locking up.
 	AcceptTrans() (Trans, error)
 
+	// SetDeadline operates is [net.Conn.SetDeadline] but for OpenTrans
+	// and AcceptTrans calls.
+	SetDeadline(t time.Time) error	
 	// SetSizeLimit sets a limit (in bytes) for how large messages can be.
 	// By default, this limit is 1 megabyte. Note that this is only
 	// enforced when sending and receiving byte slices, and it does not
@@ -41,8 +44,6 @@ type Trans interface {
 	// ID returns the transaction ID. This must not change, and it must be
 	// unique within the connection. This method is safe for concurrent use.
 	ID() int64
-
-	// TODO: add methods for setting send and receive deadlines
 		
 	// Send sends a message. This method is not safe for concurrent use.
 	Send(method uint16, data []byte) error
@@ -59,4 +60,12 @@ type Trans interface {
 	// previously opened through this function will be discarded. This
 	// method is not safe for concurrent use, and neither is its result.
 	ReceiveReader() (method uint16, data io.Reader, err error)
+
+	// See the documentation for [net.Conn.SetDeadline].
+	SetDeadline(time.Time) error
+	// TODO
+	// // See the documentation for [net.Conn.SetReadDeadline].
+	// SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error
+	// // See the documentation for [net.Conn.SetWriteDeadline].
+	// SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error
 }
diff --git a/metadapta.go b/metadapta.go
index 4cbe2ce..cae8b12 100644
--- a/metadapta.go
+++ b/metadapta.go
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 package hopp
 
 import "io"
+import "os"
 import "fmt"
 import "net"
 import "sync"
+import "time"
 import "sync/atomic"
 import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/go-util/sync"
 
@@ -108,6 +110,10 @@ func (this *a) AcceptTrans() (Trans, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (this *a) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return this.underlying.SetDeadline(t)
+}
+
 func (this *a) SetSizeLimit(limit int64) {
 	this.sizeLimit = limit
 }
@@ -212,6 +218,10 @@ type transA struct {
 	currentWriter io.Closer
 	writeBuffer   []byte
 	closed        atomic.Bool
+	closeErr      error
+	
+	deadline      *time.Timer
+	deadlineLock  sync.Mutex
 }
 
 func (this *transA) Close() error {
@@ -221,6 +231,11 @@ func (this *transA) Close() error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func (this *transA) closeWithError(err error) error {
+	this.closeErr = err
+	return this.Close()
+}
+
 func (this *transA) closeDontUnlist() (err error) {
 	// MUST be goroutine safe
 	this.incoming.Close()
@@ -269,9 +284,9 @@ func (this *transA) Receive() (method uint16, data []byte, err error) {
 }
 
 func (this *transA) ReceiveReader() (uint16, io.Reader, error) {
-	// if the transaction has been closed, return an io.EOF
-	if this.closed.Load() {
-		return 0, nil, io.EOF
+	// if the transaction has been closed, return an appropriate error.
+	if err := this.errIfClosed(); err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, err
 	}
 
 	// drain previous reader if necessary
@@ -289,6 +304,54 @@ func (this *transA) ReceiveReader() (uint16, io.Reader, error) {
 	return method, reader, nil
 }
 
+func (this *transA) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	this.deadlineLock.Lock()
+	defer this.deadlineLock.Unlock()
+
+	if t == (time.Time { }) {
+		if this.deadline != nil {
+			this.deadline.Stop()
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	
+	until := time.Until(t)
+	if this.deadline == nil {
+		this.deadline.Reset(until)
+		return nil
+	}
+	this.deadline = time.AfterFunc(until, func () {
+		this.closeWithError(os.ErrDeadlineExceeded)
+	})
+	return nil
+}
+
+// TODO
+// func (this *transA) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+// 	// TODO
+// }
+// 
+// func (this *transA) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+// 	// TODO
+// }
+
+func (this *transA) errIfClosed() error {
+	if !this.closed.Load() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return this.bestErr()
+}
+
+func (this *transA) bestErr() error {
+	if this.parent.err != nil {
+		return this.parent.err
+	}
+	if this.closeErr != nil {
+		return this.closeErr
+	}
+	return io.EOF
+}
+
 type readerA struct {
 	parent   *transA
 	leftover []byte
@@ -319,11 +382,7 @@ func (this *readerA) pull() (uint16, error) {
 	// close and return error on failure
 	this.eof = true
 	this.parent.Close()
-	if this.parent.parent.err == nil {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("could not receive message: %w", io.EOF)
-	} else {
-		return 0, this.parent.parent.err
-	}
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("could not receive message: %w", this.parent.bestErr())
 }
 
 func (this *readerA) Read(buffer []byte) (int, error) {
diff --git a/metadaptb.go b/metadaptb.go
index b2f96e6..e1118fe 100644
--- a/metadaptb.go
+++ b/metadaptb.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package hopp
 
 import "io"
 import "net"
+import "time"
 import "bytes"
 import "errors"
 import "context"
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ func (this *b) SetSizeLimit(limit int64) {
 	this.sizeLimit = limit
 }
 
+func (this *b) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return this.underlying.SetDeadline(t)
+}
+
 func (this *b) newTrans(underlying Stream) *transB {
 	return &transB {
 		sizeLimit: this.sizeLimit,
@@ -124,6 +129,10 @@ func (this *transB) receiveReader() (uint16, int64, io.Reader, error) {
 	return method, size, data, nil
 }
 
+func (this *transB) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return this.underlying.SetDeadline(t)
+}
+
 type writerB struct {
 	parent *transB
 	buffer bytes.Buffer
@@ -149,12 +158,16 @@ type MultiConn interface {
 	AcceptStream(context.Context) (Stream, error)
 	// OpenStream opens a new stream.
 	OpenStream() (Stream, error)
+	// See the documentation for [net.Conn.SetDeadline].
+	SetDeadline(time.Time) error
 }
 
 // Stream represents a single stream returned by a [MultiConn].
 type Stream interface {
 	// See documentation for [net.Conn].
 	io.ReadWriteCloser
+	// See the documentation for [net.Conn.SetDeadline].
+	SetDeadline(time.Time) error
 	// ID returns the stream ID
 	ID() int64
 }