diff --git a/agent/cache/cache.go b/agent/cache/cache.go
index a57ab83435..a1b4570b07 100644
--- a/agent/cache/cache.go
+++ b/agent/cache/cache.go
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ func (c *Cache) Get(t string, r Request) (interface{}, error) {
 	// First time through
 	first := true
 
+	// timeoutCh for watching our tmeout
+	var timeoutCh <-chan time.Time
+
 RETRY_GET:
 	// Get the current value
 	c.entriesLock.RLock()
@@ -164,16 +167,27 @@ RETRY_GET:
 	// No longer our first time through
 	first = false
 
+	// Set our timeout channel if we must
+	if info.Timeout > 0 && timeoutCh == nil {
+		timeoutCh = time.After(info.Timeout)
+	}
+
 	// At this point, we know we either don't have a value at all or the
 	// value we have is too old. We need to wait for new data.
-	waiter, err := c.fetch(t, key, r)
+	waiterCh, err := c.fetch(t, key, r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Wait on our waiter and then retry the cache load
-	<-waiter
-	goto RETRY_GET
+	select {
+	case <-waiterCh:
+		// Our fetch returned, retry the get from the cache
+		goto RETRY_GET
+
+	case <-timeoutCh:
+		// Timeout on the cache read, just return whatever we have.
+		return entry.Value, nil
+	}
 }
 
 // entryKey returns the key for the entry in the cache. See the note
@@ -216,16 +230,26 @@ func (c *Cache) fetch(t, key string, r Request) (<-chan struct{}, error) {
 	// The actual Fetch must be performed in a goroutine.
 	go func() {
 		// Start building the new entry by blocking on the fetch.
-		var newEntry cacheEntry
 		result, err := tEntry.Type.Fetch(FetchOptions{
 			MinIndex: entry.Index,
 		}, r)
-		newEntry.Value = result.Value
-		newEntry.Index = result.Index
-		newEntry.Error = err
 
-		// This is a valid entry with a result
-		newEntry.Valid = true
+		var newEntry cacheEntry
+		if result.Value == nil {
+			// If no value was set, then we do not change the prior entry.
+			// Instead, we just update the waiter to be new so that another
+			// Get will wait on the correct value.
+			newEntry = entry
+			newEntry.Fetching = false
+		} else {
+			// A new value was given, so we create a brand new entry.
+			newEntry.Value = result.Value
+			newEntry.Index = result.Index
+			newEntry.Error = err
+
+			// This is a valid entry with a result
+			newEntry.Valid = true
+		}
 
 		// Create a new waiter that will be used for the next fetch.
 		newEntry.Waiter = make(chan struct{})
diff --git a/agent/cache/cache_test.go b/agent/cache/cache_test.go
index 1e75490a03..b8ca66dc4e 100644
--- a/agent/cache/cache_test.go
+++ b/agent/cache/cache_test.go
@@ -194,6 +194,77 @@ func TestCacheGet_blockingIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	TestCacheGetChResult(t, resultCh, 42)
 }
 
+// Test a get with an index set will timeout if the fetch doesn't return
+// anything.
+func TestCacheGet_blockingIndexTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	typ := TestType(t)
+	defer typ.AssertExpectations(t)
+	c := TestCache(t)
+	c.RegisterType("t", typ, nil)
+
+	// Configure the type
+	triggerCh := make(chan time.Time)
+	typ.Static(FetchResult{Value: 1, Index: 4}, nil).Once()
+	typ.Static(FetchResult{Value: 12, Index: 5}, nil).Once()
+	typ.Static(FetchResult{Value: 42, Index: 6}, nil).WaitUntil(triggerCh)
+
+	// Fetch should block
+	resultCh := TestCacheGetCh(t, c, "t", TestRequest(t, RequestInfo{
+		Key: "hello", MinIndex: 5, Timeout: 200 * time.Millisecond}))
+
+	// Should block
+	select {
+	case <-resultCh:
+		t.Fatal("should block")
+	case <-time.After(50 * time.Millisecond):
+	}
+
+	// Should return after more of the timeout
+	select {
+	case result := <-resultCh:
+		require.Equal(t, 12, result)
+	case <-time.After(300 * time.Millisecond):
+		t.Fatal("should've returned")
+	}
+}
+
+// Test that if a Type returns an empty value on Fetch that the previous
+// value is preserved.
+func TestCacheGet_emptyFetchResult(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	require := require.New(t)
+
+	typ := TestType(t)
+	defer typ.AssertExpectations(t)
+	c := TestCache(t)
+	c.RegisterType("t", typ, nil)
+
+	// Configure the type
+	typ.Static(FetchResult{Value: 42, Index: 1}, nil).Times(1)
+	typ.Static(FetchResult{Value: nil}, nil)
+
+	// Get, should fetch
+	req := TestRequest(t, RequestInfo{Key: "hello"})
+	result, err := c.Get("t", req)
+	require.Nil(err)
+	require.Equal(42, result)
+
+	// Get, should not fetch since we already have a satisfying value
+	req = TestRequest(t, RequestInfo{
+		Key: "hello", MinIndex: 1, Timeout: 100 * time.Millisecond})
+	result, err = c.Get("t", req)
+	require.Nil(err)
+	require.Equal(42, result)
+
+	// Sleep a tiny bit just to let maybe some background calls happen
+	// then verify that we still only got the one call
+	time.Sleep(20 * time.Millisecond)
+	typ.AssertExpectations(t)
+}
+
 // Test that a type registered with a periodic refresh will perform
 // that refresh after the timer is up.
 func TestCacheGet_periodicRefresh(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/agent/cache/request.go b/agent/cache/request.go
index b4a1b75d0c..7beec58e86 100644
--- a/agent/cache/request.go
+++ b/agent/cache/request.go
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 package cache
 
+import (
+	"time"
+)
+
 // Request is a cache-able request.
 //
 // This interface is typically implemented by request structures in
@@ -36,4 +40,9 @@ type RequestInfo struct {
 	// to block until new data is available. If no index is available, the
 	// default value (zero) is acceptable.
 	MinIndex uint64
+
+	// Timeout is the timeout for waiting on a blocking query. When the
+	// timeout is reached, the last known value is returned (or maybe nil
+	// if there was no prior value).
+	Timeout time.Duration
 }
diff --git a/agent/cache/type.go b/agent/cache/type.go
index 6e8edeb5fa..cccb10b94f 100644
--- a/agent/cache/type.go
+++ b/agent/cache/type.go
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ type Type interface {
 	//
 	// The return value is a FetchResult which contains information about
 	// the fetch.
+	//
+	// On timeout, FetchResult can behave one of two ways. First, it can
+	// return the last known value. This is the default behavior of blocking
+	// RPC calls in Consul so this allows cache types to be implemented with
+	// no extra logic. Second, FetchResult can return an unset value and index.
+	// In this case, the cache will reuse the last value automatically.
 	Fetch(FetchOptions, Request) (FetchResult, error)
 }