diff --git a/simple_ctrl.c b/simple_ctrl.c
index 2290785..83b6645 100644
--- a/simple_ctrl.c
+++ b/simple_ctrl.c
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@
 	return sch;
 }
 
+void simple_ctrl_set_timeout(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch, uint32_t tout_msec)
+{
+	sch->tout_msec = tout_msec;
+}
+
 void simple_ctrl_close(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch)
 {
 	close(sch->fd);
@@ -159,7 +164,7 @@
 	return resp;
 }
 
-static struct msgb *simple_ctrl_receive(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch)
+struct msgb *simple_ctrl_receive(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch)
 {
 	struct msgb *resp;
 	struct ipaccess_head *ih;
diff --git a/simple_ctrl.h b/simple_ctrl.h
index e1577a4..81a759d 100644
--- a/simple_ctrl.h
+++ b/simple_ctrl.h
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 					    uint32_t tout_msec);
 void simple_ctrl_close(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch);
 
+void simple_ctrl_set_timeout(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch, uint32_t tout_msec);
+struct msgb *simple_ctrl_receive(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch);
+
 char *simple_ctrl_get(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch, const char *var);
 int simple_ctrl_set(struct simple_ctrl_handle *sch, const char *var, const char *val);