diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt
index e736aab1..a64ecaef 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import com.beust.kobalt.HostConfig
 import com.beust.kobalt.Plugins
 import com.google.inject.Injector
 import java.io.InputStream
+import java.time.Duration
 import java.util.*
 
 public class Kobalt {
@@ -34,8 +35,9 @@ public class Kobalt {
                 if (repo.url.endsWith("/")) repo
                 else repo.copy(url = (repo.url + "/")))
 
-        private val PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION = "kobalt.version"
         private val KOBALT_PROPERTIES = "kobalt.properties"
+        private val PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION = "kobalt.version"
+        private val PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT = "kobalt.version.check_timeout"  // ISO-8601
 
         /** kobalt.properties */
         private val kobaltProperties: Properties by lazy { readProperties() }
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@ public class Kobalt {
         }
 
         val version = kobaltProperties.getProperty(PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION)
+        val versionCheckTimeout = Duration.parse(kobaltProperties.getProperty(PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT))
 
         fun findPlugin(name: String) = Plugins.findPlugin(name)
     }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties b/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties
index 0f994c0b..182ef21c 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 kobalt.version=0.401
+kobalt.version.check_timeout=P1DT2H