diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index e90e5d12..c134a0ca 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -38,6 +38,16 @@ var (
 	DefaultCmd = newCmd()
 
 	DefaultFlags = []cli.Flag{
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:   "client_request_timeout",
+			EnvVar: "MICRO_CLIENT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT",
+			Usage:  "Sets the client request timeout. e.g 500ms, 5s, 1m. Default: 5s",
+		},
+		cli.IntFlag{
+			Name:   "client_retries",
+			EnvVar: "MICRO_CLIENT_RETRIES",
+			Usage:  "Sets the client retries. Default: 1",
+		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:   "server_name",
 			EnvVar: "MICRO_SERVER_NAME",
@@ -297,6 +307,19 @@ func (c *cmd) Before(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		serverOpts = append(serverOpts, server.Advertise(ctx.String("server_advertise")))
 	}
 
+	// client opts
+	if r := ctx.Int("client_retries"); r > 0 {
+		clientOpts = append(clientOpts, client.Retries(r))
+	}
+
+	if t := ctx.String("client_request_timeout"); len(t) > 0 {
+		d, err := time.ParseDuration(t)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse client_request_timeout: %v", t)
+		}
+		clientOpts = append(clientOpts, client.RequestTimeout(d))
+	}
+
 	// We have some command line opts for the server.
 	// Lets set it up
 	if len(serverOpts) > 0 {