diff --git a/env.go b/env.go
index 22a6fa1..1029a7c 100644
--- a/env.go
+++ b/env.go
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ func (e *Environment) Init() error {
 		e.Settings.Transformation = "middle-out"
 	}
 
+	// default timeout
+	if env.Settings.Timeout <= 0 {
+		env.Settings.Timeout = 300
+	}
+
 	// create user lookup map
 	e.Authentication.lookup = make(map[string]*EnvUser)
 
diff --git a/openrouter.go b/openrouter.go
index cb14d71..f9dce2d 100644
--- a/openrouter.go
+++ b/openrouter.go
@@ -14,19 +14,13 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func OpenRouterClient() *openrouter.Client {
-	timeout := env.Settings.Timeout
-
-	if timeout <= 0 {
-		timeout = 1
-	}
-
 	cc := openrouter.DefaultConfig(env.Tokens.OpenRouter)
 
 	cc.XTitle = "Whiskr"
 	cc.HttpReferer = "https://github.com/coalaura/whiskr"
 
 	cc.HTTPClient = &http.Client{
-		Timeout: time.Duration(timeout) * time.Second,
+		Timeout: time.Duration(env.Settings.Timeout) * time.Second,
 	}
 
 	return openrouter.NewClientWithConfig(*cc)