diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d9af2ba..346b3eb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 ### Option 1: Manual Setup
 
 ```sh
-docker run --net=host --rm -v ./redis:/usr/local/etc/redis --name test-redis redis redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf
+docker run --rm -p 6379:6379 -v ./redis:/usr/local/etc/redis --name test-redis redis redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf
 
 pixi run serve
 ```
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ for i in {1..20}; do curl -s -D - http://localhost:8000/stream/live 2>/dev/null
 Before running tests, start Redis:
 
 ```sh
-docker run --net=host --rm -v ./redis:/usr/local/etc/redis --name test-redis redis redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf
+docker run --rm -p 6379:6379 -v ./redis:/usr/local/etc/redis --name test-redis redis redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf
 ```
 
 ### Run the Test Suite
diff --git a/server.py b/server.py
index 6e592d8..bd93553 100644
--- a/server.py
+++ b/server.py
@@ -15,10 +15,17 @@
 class Settings(BaseSettings):
     redis_url: str = "redis://localhost:6379/0"
     ttl: int = 60 * 60  # 1 hour
+    socket_timeout: float = 10.0  # 5 seconds
+    socket_connect_timeout: float = 10.0  # 10 seconds
 
 
 def build_app(settings: Settings):
-    redis_client = redis.from_url(settings.redis_url)
+    # This doesn't connect to the redis, so it will work if redis is down.
+    redis_client = redis.from_url(
+        settings.redis_url,
+        socket_timeout=settings.socket_timeout,
+        socket_connect_timeout=settings.socket_connect_timeout,
+    )
 
     @asynccontextmanager
     async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
diff --git a/tests/test_redis_timeout.py b/tests/test_redis_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb5cd52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_redis_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import time
+import pytest
+import redis.asyncio as redis
+
+
+def test_redis_command_with_slow_operation():
+    """Test that Redis operations timeout when they take too long."""
+    import asyncio
+    from server import Settings
+    
+    # Create Redis client with timeout configuration
+    redis_client = redis.from_url(
+        "redis://localhost:6379/0",
+        # Operations will hang indefinitely without this timeout.
+        socket_timeout=1.0,  # 1 second timeout
+        retry_on_timeout=False
+    )
+    
+    async def run_slow_operation():
+        # Use a Lua script that busy-waits for 3 seconds (longer than timeout)
+        slow_script = """
+        local start_time = tonumber(redis.call('TIME')[1])
+        local end_time = start_time + 3
+        
+        while tonumber(redis.call('TIME')[1]) < end_time do
+            -- busy wait
+        end
+        
+        return "done"
+        """
+        
+        # This should timeout because the script takes 3 seconds but timeout is 1s
+        result = await redis_client.eval(slow_script, 0)
+        return result
+    
+    start_time = time.time()
+    
+    # This should timeout, not complete successfully
+    with pytest.raises((redis.TimeoutError)):
+        asyncio.run(run_slow_operation())
+    
+    elapsed_time = time.time() - start_time
+    
+    # Should timeout within a reasonable time (much less than 3 seconds)
+    assert elapsed_time < 2.0, f"Redis operation took too long: {elapsed_time} seconds"
+    
+    # Clean up
+    try:
+        asyncio.run(redis_client.aclose())
+    except Exception:
+        pass