diff --git a/exporter.go b/exporter.go
index dab1b24..5e7b761 100644
--- a/exporter.go
+++ b/exporter.go
@@ -824,7 +824,10 @@ func (e *Exporter) collectHotspotRewardsMetrics(wg *sync.WaitGroup, ch chan<- pr
 }
 
 func main() {
-	fApiUrl := flag.String("apiUrl", "https://api.helium.io", "The helium api url")
+	var err error
+
+	fApiUrl := flag.String("apiUrl", "https://helium-api.stakejoy.com", "The helium api url")
+	fApiTimeout := flag.String("apiTimeout", "10s", "The request timeout to the helium api.")
 	fHeliumAccounts := flag.String("accounts", "", "A comma-delimited list of helium accounts to scrape (optional)")
 	fMetricsPath := flag.String("metricpath", "/metrics", "The metrics path")
 	fListenAddress := flag.String("listenAddress", "0.0.0.0", "The http server listen address")
@@ -832,6 +835,11 @@ func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	heliumapi.ApiUrl = *fApiUrl
+	heliumapi.ApiTimeout, err = time.ParseDuration(*fApiTimeout)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("failed to parse apitTimeout: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+
 	heliumAccounts := strings.Split(*fHeliumAccounts, ",")
 	serverAddr := *fListenAddress + ":" + *fListenPort
 
diff --git a/heliumapi/query.go b/heliumapi/query.go
index fd26f92..addb6ee 100644
--- a/heliumapi/query.go
+++ b/heliumapi/query.go
@@ -1,20 +1,24 @@
 package heliumapi
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
-	ApiUrl = "https://api.helium.io"
-	client = &http.Client{}
+	ApiUrl     = "https://api.helium.io"
+	ApiTimeout = time.Duration(10 * time.Second)
+	client     = &http.Client{}
 )
 
 // createGetRequest create a GET request to the helium api
-func createGetRequest(path string, params map[string]string) (*http.Request, error) {
-	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", ApiUrl, path), nil)
+func createGetRequest(path string, params map[string]string) (*http.Request, *context.CancelFunc, error) {
+	ctx, ctxCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), ApiTimeout)
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, "GET", fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", ApiUrl, path), nil)
 
 	// setup headers
 	req.Header.Add("Accept", "application/json")
@@ -26,12 +30,13 @@ func createGetRequest(path string, params map[string]string) (*http.Request, err
 			query.Add(k, v)
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			defer ctxCancel()
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 		req.URL.RawQuery = query.Encode()
 	}
 
-	return req, err
+	return req, &ctxCancel, err
 }
 
 // getHeliumApi query a regular helium api endpoint
@@ -41,10 +46,11 @@ func getHeliumApi(path string, params *map[string]string) ([]byte, error) {
 		params = &map[string]string{}
 	}
 
-	req, err := createGetRequest(path, *params)
+	req, ctxCancel, err := createGetRequest(path, *params)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create query request %v: %v", path, err)
 	}
+	defer (*ctxCancel)()
 
 	// query the api
 	// log.Printf("querying %v", req.URL.String())
@@ -83,10 +89,11 @@ func getHeliumApiWithCursor(path string, params *map[string]string) ([][]byte, e
 
 	res := [][]byte{}
 	respCursor := ResponseWithCursor{}
-	req, err := createGetRequest(path, *params)
+	req, ctxCancel, err := createGetRequest(path, *params)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create query request %v: %v", path, err)
 	}
+	defer (*ctxCancel)()
 
 	for {
 		// query the api
@@ -119,10 +126,11 @@ func getHeliumApiWithCursor(path string, params *map[string]string) ([][]byte, e
 		// continue querying until there is no longer a cursor
 		if respCursor.Cursor != "" {
 			params = &map[string]string{"cursor": respCursor.Cursor}
-			req, err = createGetRequest(path, *params)
+			req, ctxCancel, err = createGetRequest(path, *params)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create query request %v: %v", req.URL.String(), err)
 			}
+			defer (*ctxCancel)()
 		} else {
 			break
 		}