diff --git a/birdhouse/README.rst b/birdhouse/README.rst
index 26a41dc80..10f61961c 100644
--- a/birdhouse/README.rst
+++ b/birdhouse/README.rst
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ Note
   Nginx proxy, see `nginx.conf`_ (:download:`download <birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf>`).
   Any WPS requests that will take longer should use the async mode.
 
+  Default value ``PROXY_READ_TIMEOUT_VALUE`` in `default.env`_ (:download:`download <birdhouse/default.env>`).
+
+  Overrideable in ``env.local`` file, as usual for all values in ``default.env`` file.
+
 
 Manual steps post deployment
 ----------------------------
@@ -241,3 +245,4 @@ Given a version number MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, increment the:
 
 
 .. _nginx.conf: ./config/proxy/nginx.conf
+.. _default.env: ./default.env
diff --git a/birdhouse/config/proxy/.gitignore b/birdhouse/config/proxy/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..75db72a52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/birdhouse/config/proxy/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nginx.conf
diff --git a/birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf b/birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf.template
similarity index 92%
rename from birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf
rename to birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf.template
index d44d4d8b0..95b98594e 100755
--- a/birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf
+++ b/birdhouse/config/proxy/nginx.conf.template
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ http {
     client_body_timeout 600s;
 
     # timeout for reading a response from the proxied server
-    proxy_read_timeout 240s;  # default 60s
+    proxy_read_timeout ${PROXY_READ_TIMEOUT_VALUE};  # default 60s
 
     include /etc/nginx/conf.d/*.conf;
 
diff --git a/birdhouse/default.env b/birdhouse/default.env
index 228a046d0..607cb8af2 100644
--- a/birdhouse/default.env
+++ b/birdhouse/default.env
@@ -46,3 +46,7 @@ export AUTODEPLOY_PLATFORM_FREQUENCY="7 5 * * *"
 
 # Hourly
 export AUTODEPLOY_NOTEBOOK_FREQUENCY="@hourly"
+
+# Timeout for reading a response from the proxied server.
+# Any WPS processes taking longer than this should use async mode.
+export PROXY_READ_TIMEOUT_VALUE="240s"
diff --git a/birdhouse/pavics-compose.sh b/birdhouse/pavics-compose.sh
index 439cc351c..c98379d3f 100755
--- a/birdhouse/pavics-compose.sh
+++ b/birdhouse/pavics-compose.sh
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ OPTIONAL_VARS='
   $AUTODEPLOY_PLATFORM_FREQUENCY
   $AUTODEPLOY_NOTEBOOK_FREQUENCY
   $AUTODEPLOY_EXTRA_SCHEDULER_JOBS
+  $PROXY_READ_TIMEOUT_VALUE
 '
 
 # we switch to the real directory of the script, so it still works when used from $PATH