diff --git a/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/Kconfig b/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/Kconfig
index 6d3669c10a..a5ecd7b20a 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/Kconfig
@@ -728,6 +728,14 @@ config ESP32_I2C1_SDAPIN
 
 endif # ESP32_I2C1
 
+config ESP32_I2CTIMEOSEC
+	int "Timeout seconds"
+	default 0
+
+config ESP32_I2CTIMEOMS
+	int "Timeout milliseconds"
+	default 500
+
 endmenu # I2C configuration
 
 menu "SPI configuration"
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_i2c.c b/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_i2c.c
index 0353862b06..6d0d9dc2dd 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_i2c.c
+++ b/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_i2c.c
@@ -727,8 +727,18 @@ static int esp32_i2c_sem_waitdone(FAR struct esp32_i2c_priv_s *priv)
 
   clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &abstime);
 
-  abstime.tv_sec += 10;
-  abstime.tv_nsec += 0;
+#if CONFIG_ESP32_I2CTIMEOSEC > 0
+  abstime.tv_sec += CONFIG_ESP32_I2CTIMEOSEC;
+#endif
+
+#if CONFIG_ESP32_I2CTIMEOMS > 0
+  abstime.tv_nsec += CONFIG_ESP32_I2CTIMEOMS * NSEC_PER_MSEC;
+  if (abstime.tv_nsec >= 1000 * NSEC_PER_MSEC)
+    {
+      abstime.tv_sec++;
+      abstime.tv_nsec -= 1000 * NSEC_PER_MSEC;
+    }
+#endif
 
   /* Wait on ISR semaphore */