diff --git a/internal/slurm/client.go b/internal/slurm/client.go
index bc5c996..d68ded5 100644
--- a/internal/slurm/client.go
+++ b/internal/slurm/client.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@ const (
 	DefaultBaseURL = "http://localhost:6820/"
 	// DefaultUserAgent is the default User-Agent header value.
 	DefaultUserAgent = "slurm-go-sdk"
+	// DefaultTimeout is the default HTTP request timeout.
+	DefaultTimeout = 30 * time.Second
 )
 
 // Client manages communication with the Slurm REST API.
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ type Response struct {
 // http.DefaultClient is used.
 func NewClient(baseURL string, httpClient *http.Client) (*Client, error) {
 	if httpClient == nil {
-		httpClient = http.DefaultClient
+		httpClient = &http.Client{Timeout: DefaultTimeout}
 	}
 
 	parsedURL, err := url.Parse(baseURL)
diff --git a/internal/slurm/client_test.go b/internal/slurm/client_test.go
index 02efe33..18f0725 100644
--- a/internal/slurm/client_test.go
+++ b/internal/slurm/client_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func TestNewClient(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected UserAgent %q, got %q", DefaultUserAgent, client.UserAgent)
 	}
 	if client.client == nil {
-		t.Error("expected http.Client to be initialized (nil httpClient should default to http.DefaultClient)")
+		t.Error("expected http.Client to be initialized (nil httpClient should create a client with default timeout)")
 	}
 
 	_, err = NewClient("://invalid", nil)
diff --git a/internal/slurm/options.go b/internal/slurm/options.go
index e926d2c..e0b4b36 100644
--- a/internal/slurm/options.go
+++ b/internal/slurm/options.go
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ func defaultClientConfig() *clientConfig {
 	}
 }
 
+const defaultHTTPTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+
 // WithJWTKey specifies the path to the JWT key file.
 func WithJWTKey(path string) ClientOption {
 	return func(c *clientConfig) error {
@@ -89,11 +91,12 @@ func NewClientWithOpts(baseURL string, opts ...ClientOption) (*Client, error) {
 		}
 
 		tr := NewJWTAuthTransport(cfg.username, key, transportOpts...)
-		httpClient = tr.Client()
+		httpClient = &http.Client{
+			Transport: tr,
+			Timeout:   defaultHTTPTimeout,
+		}
 	} else if cfg.httpClient != nil {
 		httpClient = cfg.httpClient
-	} else {
-		httpClient = http.DefaultClient
 	}
 
 	return NewClient(baseURL, httpClient)
diff --git a/internal/slurm/options_test.go b/internal/slurm/options_test.go
index e9d5cc7..2229f54 100644
--- a/internal/slurm/options_test.go
+++ b/internal/slurm/options_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package slurm
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
-	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -61,8 +60,8 @@ func TestNewClientWithOpts_BackwardCompatible(t *testing.T) {
 	if client == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected non-nil client")
 	}
-	if client.client != http.DefaultClient {
-		t.Error("expected http.DefaultClient when no options provided")
+	if client.client.Timeout != DefaultTimeout {
+		t.Errorf("expected Timeout=%v, got %v", DefaultTimeout, client.client.Timeout)
 	}
 }