diff --git a/src/fastmcp/client/client.py b/src/fastmcp/client/client.py
index c5293fb4b..7e8c106e8 100644
--- a/src/fastmcp/client/client.py
+++ b/src/fastmcp/client/client.py
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ class Client:
         message_handler: Optional handler for protocol messages
         progress_handler: Optional handler for progress notifications
         timeout: Optional timeout for requests (seconds or timedelta)
+        init_timeout: Optional timeout for initial connection (seconds or
+            timedelta)
 
     Examples:
         ```python
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ class Client:
         message_handler: MessageHandler | None = None,
         progress_handler: ProgressHandler | None = None,
         timeout: datetime.timedelta | float | int | None = None,
+        init_timeout: datetime.timedelta | float | int = 1,
     ):
         self.transport = infer_transport(transport)
         self._session: ClientSession | None = None
@@ -111,6 +114,15 @@ class Client:
         if isinstance(timeout, int | float):
             timeout = datetime.timedelta(seconds=timeout)
 
+        if isinstance(init_timeout, int):
+            self._init_timeout = float(init_timeout)
+        elif isinstance(init_timeout, datetime.timedelta):
+            self._init_timeout = float(init_timeout.total_seconds())
+        elif isinstance(init_timeout, float):
+            self._init_timeout = init_timeout
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("init_timeout must be int, float or datetime.timedelta")
+
         self._session_kwargs: SessionKwargs = {
             "sampling_callback": None,
             "list_roots_callback": None,
@@ -168,7 +180,7 @@ class Client:
                 self._session = session
                 # Initialize the session
                 try:
-                    with anyio.fail_after(1):
+                    with anyio.fail_after(self._init_timeout):
                         self._initialize_result = await self._session.initialize()
                     yield
                 except TimeoutError: