diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 957b76d..1b92911 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Library for configuring and listing serial ports.
   - Stop Bits (one, two)
   - Handshake (none, hardware, software)
   - Byte Size (5, 6, 7, 8)
+  - Receive timeout (optional)
 - Flush serial port send/receive buffers
 - List available serial ports
 - API: supports Windows, Linux and Mac
diff --git a/src/serial.zig b/src/serial.zig
index e020d78..6ab97cd 100644
--- a/src/serial.zig
+++ b/src/serial.zig
@@ -198,13 +198,14 @@ const WindowsInformationIterator = struct {
             self.device_info_set,
             &device_info_data,
             @ptrCast(&self.hw_id),
-            255,
+            self.hw_id.len - 1,
             null,
         ) == std.os.windows.TRUE) {
             length = @as(u32, @truncate(std.mem.indexOfSentinel(u8, 0, &self.hw_id)));
-            info.hw_id = self.hw_id[0..length];
+            const id = self.hw_id[0..length];
+            info.hw_id = id;
 
-            length = parseSerialNumber(&self.hw_id, &self.serial_buffer) catch 0;
+            length = parseSerialNumber(id, &self.serial_buffer) catch 0;
             if (length == 0) {
                 length = getParentSerialNumber(device_info_data.devInst, &self.hw_id, &self.serial_buffer) catch 0;
             }
@@ -294,12 +295,14 @@ const WindowsInformationIterator = struct {
                 var local_buffer: [256:0]u8 = std.mem.zeroes([256:0]u8);
 
                 if (CM_Get_Parent(&parent_id, child_inst, 0) != 0) return error.WindowsError;
-                if (CM_Get_Device_IDA(parent_id, @ptrCast(&local_buffer), 256, 0) != 0) return error.WindowsError;
+                if (CM_Get_Device_IDA(parent_id, @ptrCast(&local_buffer), local_buffer.len, 0) != 0) return error.WindowsError;
                 defer child_inst = parent_id;
 
-                if (!std.mem.containsAtLeast(u8, local_buffer[0..255], 1, vidpid_slice)) continue;
+                const hwidlen = std.mem.indexOfSentinel(u8, 0, &local_buffer);
+                const hwid = local_buffer[0..hwidlen];
+                if (!std.mem.containsAtLeast(u8, hwid, 1, vidpid_slice)) continue;
 
-                const length = try parseSerialNumber(local_buffer[0..255], serial_number);
+                const length = try parseSerialNumber(hwid, serial_number);
                 if (length > 0) return length;
             }
         }
@@ -749,6 +752,9 @@ pub const SerialConfig = struct {
     /// Defines the handshake protocol used.
     handshake: Handshake = .none,
 
+    /// Timeout in milliseconds for read operations.
+    timeout_ms: ?u32 = null,
+
     pub fn format(self: Self, writer: *Io.Writer) !void {
         return writer.print("{d}@{d}{c}{d}{s}", .{
             self.baud_rate,
@@ -768,11 +774,6 @@ const CBAUD = 0o000000010017; //Baud speed mask (not in POSIX).
 const CMSPAR = 0o010000000000;
 const CRTSCTS = 0o020000000000;
 
-const VTIME = 5;
-const VMIN = 6;
-const VSTART = 8;
-const VSTOP = 9;
-
 /// This function configures a serial port with the given config.
 /// `port` is an already opened serial port, on windows these
 /// are either called `\\.\COMxx\` or `COMx`, on unixes the serial
@@ -822,6 +823,13 @@ pub fn configureSerialPort(port: std.fs.File, config: SerialConfig) !void {
 
             if (SetCommState(port.handle, &dcb) == 0)
                 return error.WindowsError;
+
+            if (config.timeout_ms) |timeout| {
+            	var timeouts = COMMTIMEOUTS{};
+                timeouts.ReadTotalTimeoutConstant = timeout;
+	            if (SetCommTimeouts(port.handle, &timeouts) == 0)
+	                return error.WindowsError;
+            }
         },
         .linux, .macos => |tag| {
             var settings = try std.posix.tcgetattr(port.handle);
@@ -898,10 +906,19 @@ pub fn configureSerialPort(port: std.fs.File, config: SerialConfig) !void {
             settings.oflag = .{};
             settings.lflag = .{};
 
-            settings.cc[VMIN] = 1;
-            settings.cc[VSTOP] = 0x13; // XOFF
-            settings.cc[VSTART] = 0x11; // XON
-            settings.cc[VTIME] = 0;
+            settings.cc[c.VSTOP] = 0x13; // XOFF
+            settings.cc[c.VSTART] = 0x11; // XON
+            if (config.timeout_ms) |timeout| {
+	            const tenths = timeout / 100;
+	            if(tenths == 0) return error.UnsupportedTimeout;
+	            settings.cc[c.VTIME] = if(tenths < 256) @intCast(tenths) else return error.UnsupportedTimeout;
+				settings.cc[c.VMIN] = 0;
+            }
+            else {
+
+                settings.cc[c.VTIME] = 0;
+                settings.cc[c.VMIN] = 1;
+            }
 
             try std.posix.tcsetattr(port.handle, .NOW, settings);
 
@@ -1137,6 +1154,15 @@ const DCB = extern struct {
 extern "kernel32" fn GetCommState(hFile: std.os.windows.HANDLE, lpDCB: *DCB) callconv(.winapi) std.os.windows.BOOL;
 extern "kernel32" fn SetCommState(hFile: std.os.windows.HANDLE, lpDCB: *DCB) callconv(.winapi) std.os.windows.BOOL;
 
+const COMMTIMEOUTS = extern struct {
+    ReadIntervalTimeout: std.os.windows.DWORD = std.math.maxInt(std.os.windows.DWORD),
+    ReadTotalTimeoutMultiplier: std.os.windows.DWORD = 0,
+    ReadTotalTimeoutConstant: std.os.windows.DWORD = 0,
+    WriteTotalTimeoutMultiplier: std.os.windows.DWORD = 0,
+    WriteTotalTimeoutConstant: std.os.windows.DWORD = 0,
+};
+extern "kernel32" fn SetCommTimeouts(in_hFile: std.os.windows.HANDLE, in_lpCommTimeouts: *COMMTIMEOUTS) callconv(.winapi) std.os.windows.BOOL;
+
 test "iterate ports" {
     var it = try list();
     while (try it.next()) |port| {