diff --git a/gazebo_ros/scripts/spawn_entity.py b/gazebo_ros/scripts/spawn_entity.py
index 5a7360b22..49c1fee03 100755
--- a/gazebo_ros/scripts/spawn_entity.py
+++ b/gazebo_ros/scripts/spawn_entity.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def __init__(self, args):
         parser.add_argument('-robot_namespace', type=str, default=self.get_namespace(),
                             help='change ROS namespace of gazebo-plugins')
         parser.add_argument('-timeout', type=float, default=30.0,
-                            help='Number of seconds to wait for the spawn entity service to \
+                            help='Number of seconds to wait for the spawn and delete services to \
                             become available')
         parser.add_argument('-unpause', action='store_true',
                             help='unpause physics after spawning entity')
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ def entity_xml_cb(msg):
     def _spawn_entity(self, entity_xml, initial_pose):
         self.get_logger().info('Waiting for service %s/spawn_entity' % self.args.gazebo_namespace)
         client = self.create_client(SpawnEntity, '%s/spawn_entity' % self.args.gazebo_namespace)
-        if client.wait_for_service(timeout_sec=5.0):
+        if client.wait_for_service(timeout_sec=self.args.timeout):
             req = SpawnEntity.Request()
             req.name = self.args.entity
             req.xml = str(entity_xml, 'utf-8')
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def _delete_entity(self):
         self.get_logger().info('Deleting entity [{}]'.format(self.args.entity))
         client = self.create_client(
             DeleteEntity, '%s/delete_entity' % self.args.gazebo_namespace)
-        if client.wait_for_service(timeout_sec=5.0):
+        if client.wait_for_service(timeout_sec=self.args.timeout):
             req = DeleteEntity.Request()
             req.name = self.args.entity
             self.get_logger().info(