diff --git a/include/console.h b/include/console.h
index 437609fe3c..599036bdc7 100644
--- a/include/console.h
+++ b/include/console.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct tty_serial {
 	u8_t *rx_ringbuf;
 	u32_t rx_ringbuf_sz;
 	u16_t rx_get, rx_put;
+	s32_t rx_timeout;
 
 	u8_t *tx_ringbuf;
 	u32_t tx_ringbuf_sz;
@@ -47,13 +48,28 @@ void tty_init(struct tty_serial *tty, struct device *uart_dev,
 	      u8_t *rxbuf, u16_t rxbuf_sz,
 	      u8_t *txbuf, u16_t txbuf_sz);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Set receive timeout for tty device.
+ *
+ * Set timeout for getchar() operation. Default timeout after
+ * device initialization is K_FOREVER.
+ *
+ * @param tty tty device structure
+ * @param timeout timeout in milliseconds, or K_FOREVER, or K_NO_WAIT
+ */
+static inline void tty_set_rx_timeout(struct tty_serial *tty, s32_t timeout)
+{
+	tty->rx_timeout = timeout;
+}
 
 /**
  * @brief Input a character from a tty device.
  *
  * @param tty tty device structure
+ * @return >=0, an input character
+ *         <0, an error (e.g. -EAGAIN if timeout expired)
  */
-u8_t tty_getchar(struct tty_serial *tty);
+int tty_getchar(struct tty_serial *tty);
 
 /**
  * @brief Output a character from to tty device.
diff --git a/subsys/console/getchar.c b/subsys/console/getchar.c
index 6b36d12a35..6b313563be 100644
--- a/subsys/console/getchar.c
+++ b/subsys/console/getchar.c
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ int console_putchar(char c)
 
 u8_t console_getchar(void)
 {
-	return tty_getchar(&console_serial);
+	/* Console works in blocking mode, so we don't expect an error here */
+	return (u8_t)tty_getchar(&console_serial);
 }
 
 void console_init(void)
diff --git a/subsys/console/tty.c b/subsys/console/tty.c
index 5f004f542b..0d916c7d92 100644
--- a/subsys/console/tty.c
+++ b/subsys/console/tty.c
@@ -91,12 +91,16 @@ int tty_putchar(struct tty_serial *tty, u8_t c)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-u8_t tty_getchar(struct tty_serial *tty)
+int tty_getchar(struct tty_serial *tty)
 {
 	unsigned int key;
 	u8_t c;
+	int res;
 
-	k_sem_take(&tty->rx_sem, K_FOREVER);
+	res = k_sem_take(&tty->rx_sem, tty->rx_timeout);
+	if (res < 0) {
+		return res;
+	}
 
 	key = irq_lock();
 	c = tty->rx_ringbuf[tty->rx_get++];
@@ -120,6 +124,8 @@ void tty_init(struct tty_serial *tty, struct device *uart_dev,
 	tty->rx_get = tty->rx_put = tty->tx_get = tty->tx_put = 0;
 	k_sem_init(&tty->rx_sem, 0, UINT_MAX);
 
+	tty->rx_timeout = K_FOREVER;
+
 	uart_irq_callback_user_data_set(uart_dev, tty_uart_isr, tty);
 	uart_irq_rx_enable(uart_dev);
 }