diff --git a/lean/components/docker/docker_manager.py b/lean/components/docker/docker_manager.py
index c3bc80a0..2f6366d9 100644
--- a/lean/components/docker/docker_manager.py
+++ b/lean/components/docker/docker_manager.py
@@ -572,9 +572,14 @@ def _get_docker_client(self):
         error = MoreInfoError("Please make sure Docker is installed and running",
                               "https://www.lean.io/docs/v2/lean-cli/key-concepts/troubleshooting#02-Common-Errors")
 
+        client_kwargs = {}
+        timeout = self._get_docker_client_timeout()
+        if timeout is not None:
+            client_kwargs["timeout"] = timeout
+
         try:
             from docker import from_env
-            docker_client = from_env()
+            docker_client = from_env(**client_kwargs)
         except Exception:
             raise error
 
@@ -586,6 +591,30 @@ def _get_docker_client(self):
 
         return docker_client
 
+    def _get_docker_client_timeout(self) -> Optional[int]:
+        """Returns the timeout for Docker API calls set through the DOCKER_CLIENT_TIMEOUT environment variable.
+
+        This is the variable Docker Compose reads for the same purpose. The Docker SDK's default of 60 seconds
+        is too short for some Docker hosts, like remote ones or ones under heavy load.
+
+        :return: the timeout in seconds, or None if the variable is not set, so the SDK default is used
+        """
+        from os import environ
+
+        value = environ.get("DOCKER_CLIENT_TIMEOUT")
+        if value is None or value.strip() == "":
+            return None
+
+        try:
+            timeout = int(value)
+        except ValueError:
+            timeout = 0
+
+        if timeout <= 0:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"DOCKER_CLIENT_TIMEOUT must be a positive number of seconds, got '{value}'")
+
+        return timeout
+
     def _format_source_path(self, path: str) -> str:
         """Formats a source path so Docker knows what it refers to.
 
diff --git a/tests/components/docker/test_docker_manager.py b/tests/components/docker/test_docker_manager.py
index c3a146d4..6624134e 100644
--- a/tests/components/docker/test_docker_manager.py
+++ b/tests/components/docker/test_docker_manager.py
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
 
+import docker
+import pytest
+
 from lean.components.docker.docker_manager import DockerManager
 
 
@@ -46,3 +49,43 @@ def test_write_to_file_does_not_let_the_host_shell_expand_the_payload() -> None:
     # $type must reach the container untouched (raw JSON: real double quotes, no backslash escaping)
     assert '"$type"' in echo_command
     assert "\\" not in echo_command
+
+
+def _get_docker_client_with_env(monkeypatch, value):
+    if value is None:
+        monkeypatch.delenv("DOCKER_CLIENT_TIMEOUT", raising=False)
+    else:
+        monkeypatch.setenv("DOCKER_CLIENT_TIMEOUT", value)
+
+    docker_manager = _create_docker_manager()
+    # docker is imported at the top of this file: the tests run on a fake filesystem, where importing it
+    # inside the test would fail
+    with mock.patch.object(docker, "from_env") as from_env_mock:
+        from_env_mock.return_value.ping.return_value = True
+        docker_manager._get_docker_client()
+
+    return from_env_mock
+
+
+def test_get_docker_client_uses_the_sdk_default_timeout_when_docker_client_timeout_is_not_set(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    from_env_mock = _get_docker_client_with_env(monkeypatch, None)
+
+    from_env_mock.assert_called_once_with()
+
+
+def test_get_docker_client_uses_the_sdk_default_timeout_when_docker_client_timeout_is_empty(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    from_env_mock = _get_docker_client_with_env(monkeypatch, " ")
+
+    from_env_mock.assert_called_once_with()
+
+
+def test_get_docker_client_passes_docker_client_timeout_to_the_docker_client(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    from_env_mock = _get_docker_client_with_env(monkeypatch, "300")
+
+    from_env_mock.assert_called_once_with(timeout=300)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["abc", "0", "-5", "1.5"])
+def test_get_docker_client_raises_when_docker_client_timeout_is_invalid(monkeypatch, value: str) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="DOCKER_CLIENT_TIMEOUT"):
+        _get_docker_client_with_env(monkeypatch, value)