diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5b2d0b3a2..6299ac4f5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ proxyServer.listen(8015);
      ```
 *  **headers**: object with extra headers to be added to target requests.
 *  **proxyTimeout**: timeout (in millis) for outgoing proxy requests
+*  **proxyTimeoutCustomError**: true/false, default: false - specify whether you want to throw a custom `ETIMEDOUT` error when the `proxyTimeout` is reached. If false then the default `ECONNRESET` error will be thrown.
 *  **timeout**: timeout (in millis) for incoming requests
 *  **followRedirects**: true/false, Default: false - specify whether you want to follow redirects
 *  **selfHandleResponse** true/false, if set to true, none of the webOutgoing passes are called and it's your responsibility to appropriately return the response by listening and acting on the `proxyRes` event
diff --git a/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js b/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
index 7ae735514..3784d12c1 100644
--- a/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
+++ b/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
@@ -138,7 +138,12 @@ module.exports = {
     // show an error page at the initial request
     if(options.proxyTimeout) {
       proxyReq.setTimeout(options.proxyTimeout, function() {
-         proxyReq.abort();
+        if (options.proxyTimeoutCustomError) {
+          var timeoutError = new Error('The proxy request timed out');
+          timeoutError.code = 'ETIMEDOUT';
+          return proxyReq.destroy(timeoutError);
+        }
+        proxyReq.destroy();
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js b/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js
index f6553d300..53077805a 100644
--- a/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js
+++ b/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js
@@ -287,6 +287,41 @@ describe('#createProxyServer.web() using own http server', function () {
     }, function() {}).end();
   });
 
+  it('should proxy the request with custom timeout errors (proxyTimeoutCustomError)', function(done) {
+    var proxy = httpProxy.createProxyServer({
+      target: 'http://127.0.0.1:45002',
+      proxyTimeout: 100,
+      proxyTimeoutCustomError: true
+    });
+
+    require('net').createServer().listen(45002);
+
+    var proxyServer = http.createServer(requestHandler);
+
+    var started = new Date().getTime();
+    function requestHandler(req, res) {
+      proxy.once('error', function (err, errReq, errRes) {
+        proxyServer.close();
+        expect(err).to.be.an(Error);
+        expect(errReq).to.be.equal(req);
+        expect(errRes).to.be.equal(res);
+        expect(new Date().getTime() - started).to.be.greaterThan(99);
+        expect(err.code).to.be('ETIMEDOUT');
+        done();
+      });
+
+      proxy.web(req, res);
+    }
+
+    proxyServer.listen('8087');
+
+    http.request({
+      hostname: '127.0.0.1',
+      port: '8087',
+      method: 'GET',
+    }, function() {}).end();
+  });
+
   it('should proxy the request and handle timeout error', function(done) {
     var proxy = httpProxy.createProxyServer({
       target: 'http://127.0.0.1:45001',