diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/error.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/error.rs
index 0dbdff10e41..17f44f49e1e 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/error.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/error.rs
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ impl From<TantivyError> for SearchError {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<tokio::time::error::Elapsed> for SearchError {
+    fn from(_elapsed: tokio::time::error::Elapsed) -> Self {
+        SearchError::Timeout("timeout exceeded".to_string())
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<postcard::Error> for SearchError {
     fn from(error: postcard::Error) -> Self {
         SearchError::Internal(format!("Postcard error: {error}"))
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/leaf.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/leaf.rs
index 0b6040d542c..cbad5d87728 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/leaf.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/leaf.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ use std::ops::Bound;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, RwLock};
-use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use anyhow::Context;
 use futures::future::try_join_all;
@@ -1055,35 +1054,6 @@ impl CanSplitDoBetter {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
-pub struct TimeoutHandle {
-    start_time: Instant,
-    timeout_after: Duration,
-}
-impl TimeoutHandle {
-    /// For now we just take the defined timeout duration from the config.
-    /// Ideally we would observe the connection and abort if the connection is closed.
-    pub fn new(max_duration: Duration) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            start_time: Instant::now(),
-            timeout_after: max_duration,
-        }
-    }
-    pub fn err_on_timeout(&self) -> Result<(), SearchError> {
-        if self.is_timedout() {
-            warn!("timeout reached, cancel search");
-            return Err(SearchError::Timeout(format!(
-                "exceeded {:?}",
-                self.timeout_after
-            )));
-        }
-        Ok(())
-    }
-    fn is_timedout(&self) -> bool {
-        self.start_time.elapsed() > self.timeout_after
-    }
-}
-
 /// `multi_leaf_search` searches multiple indices and multiple splits.
 #[instrument(skip_all, fields(index = ?leaf_search_request.search_request.as_ref().unwrap().index_id_patterns))]
 pub async fn multi_leaf_search(
@@ -1091,7 +1061,6 @@ pub async fn multi_leaf_search(
     leaf_search_request: LeafSearchRequest,
     storage_resolver: &StorageResolver,
 ) -> Result<LeafSearchResponse, SearchError> {
-    let timeout = TimeoutHandle::new(searcher_context.searcher_config.request_timeout());
     let search_request: Arc<SearchRequest> = leaf_search_request
         .search_request
         .ok_or_else(|| SearchError::Internal("no search request".to_string()))?
@@ -1144,15 +1113,17 @@ pub async fn multi_leaf_search(
                 leaf_search_request_ref.split_offsets,
                 doc_mapper,
                 aggregation_limits.clone(),
-                timeout.clone(),
             )
             .in_current_span(),
         );
         leaf_request_tasks.push(leaf_request_future);
     }
 
-    let leaf_responses = try_join_all(leaf_request_tasks).await?;
-    timeout.err_on_timeout()?;
+    let leaf_responses: Vec<crate::Result<LeafSearchResponse>> = tokio::time::timeout(
+        searcher_context.searcher_config.request_timeout(),
+        try_join_all(leaf_request_tasks),
+    )
+    .await??;
     let merge_collector = make_merge_collector(&search_request, &aggregation_limits)?;
     let mut incremental_merge_collector = IncrementalCollector::new(merge_collector);
     for result in leaf_responses {
@@ -1187,7 +1158,6 @@ async fn resolve_storage_and_leaf_search(
     splits: Vec<SplitIdAndFooterOffsets>,
     doc_mapper: Arc<dyn DocMapper>,
     aggregations_limits: AggregationLimits,
-    timeout: TimeoutHandle,
 ) -> crate::Result<LeafSearchResponse> {
     let storage = storage_resolver.resolve(&index_uri).await?;
 
@@ -1198,7 +1168,6 @@ async fn resolve_storage_and_leaf_search(
         splits,
         doc_mapper,
         aggregations_limits,
-        timeout,
     )
     .await
 }
@@ -1240,7 +1209,6 @@ pub async fn leaf_search(
     splits: Vec<SplitIdAndFooterOffsets>,
     doc_mapper: Arc<dyn DocMapper>,
     aggregations_limits: AggregationLimits,
-    timeout: TimeoutHandle,
 ) -> Result<LeafSearchResponse, SearchError> {
     info!(splits_num = splits.len(), split_offsets = ?PrettySample::new(&splits, 5));
 
@@ -1263,7 +1231,6 @@ pub async fn leaf_search(
     let incremental_merge_collector = Arc::new(Mutex::new(incremental_merge_collector));
 
     for (split, mut request) in split_with_req {
-        timeout.err_on_timeout()?;
         let leaf_split_search_permit = searcher_context.leaf_search_split_semaphore
             .clone()
             .acquire_owned()
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/tests.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/tests.rs
index 4f7d02813c4..a13286b948d 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/tests.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-search/src/tests.rs
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@
 // along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet};
-use std::time::Duration;
 
 use assert_json_diff::{assert_json_eq, assert_json_include};
-use leaf::TimeoutHandle;
 use quickwit_config::SearcherConfig;
 use quickwit_doc_mapper::tag_pruning::extract_tags_from_query;
 use quickwit_doc_mapper::DefaultDocMapper;
@@ -1067,7 +1065,6 @@ async fn test_search_util(test_sandbox: &TestSandbox, query: &str) -> Vec<u32> {
         splits_offsets,
         test_sandbox.doc_mapper(),
         agg_limits,
-        TimeoutHandle::new(Duration::from_secs(30)),
     )
     .await
     .unwrap();