diff --git a/port/raspberrypi/rp2xxx/src/hal/uart.zig b/port/raspberrypi/rp2xxx/src/hal/uart.zig
index 359f55a69..6117eefa7 100644
--- a/port/raspberrypi/rp2xxx/src/hal/uart.zig
+++ b/port/raspberrypi/rp2xxx/src/hal/uart.zig
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ pub const instance = struct {
     }
 };
 
+pub const TimeFrontier = union(enum) { timeout_us: u64, deadline: mdf.time.Deadline };
+
 /// An API for interacting with the RP2040's UART driver.
 ///
 /// Note: Assumes proper GPIO configuration, does NOT configure GPIO pins.
@@ -148,20 +150,28 @@ pub const UART = enum(u1) {
 
     pub const Writer = struct {
         uart: UART,
-        deadline: mdf.time.Deadline,
+        timeFrontier: TimeFrontier,
         interface: std.Io.Writer,
+
+        pub fn set_deadline(self: *Writer, deadline: mdf.time.Deadline) void {
+            self.*.timeFrontier = TimeFrontier{.deadline = deadline};
+        }
     };
 
     pub const Reader = struct {
         uart: UART,
-        deadline: mdf.time.Deadline,
+        timeFrontier: TimeFrontier,
         interface: std.Io.Reader,
+
+        pub fn set_deadline(self: *Reader, deadline: mdf.time.Deadline) void {
+            self.*.timeFrontier = TimeFrontier{.deadline = deadline};
+        }
     };
 
-    pub fn writer(uart: UART, deadline: mdf.time.Deadline, buffer: []u8) Writer {
+    pub fn writer(uart: UART, timeFrontier: TimeFrontier, buffer: []u8) Writer {
         return .{
             .uart = uart,
-            .deadline = deadline,
+            .timeFrontier = timeFrontier,
             .interface = .{
                 .buffer = buffer,
                 .vtable = &.{
@@ -171,10 +181,10 @@ pub const UART = enum(u1) {
         };
     }
 
-    pub fn reader(uart: UART, deadline: mdf.time.Deadline, buffer: []u8) Reader {
+    pub fn reader(uart: UART, timeFrontier: TimeFrontier, buffer: []u8) Reader {
         return .{
             .uart = uart,
-            .deadline = deadline,
+            .timeFrontier = timeFrontier,
             .interface = .{
                 .buffer = buffer,
                 .seek = 0,
@@ -190,18 +200,24 @@ pub const UART = enum(u1) {
         const uart_writer: *Writer = @alignCast(@fieldParentPtr("interface", w));
         const uart = uart_writer.uart;
 
+        var deadline: mdf.time.Deadline = undefined;
+        switch (uart_writer.timeFrontier) {
+            .deadline => |d| deadline = d,
+            .timeout_us => |t| deadline = time.deadline_in_us(t)
+        }
+
         // bytes from buffer are not included in count.
-        w.end -= uart.write_blocking(w.buffer[0..w.end], uart_writer.deadline) catch |err| switch (err) {
+        w.end -= uart.write_blocking(w.buffer[0..w.end], deadline) catch |err| switch (err) {
             error.Timeout => unreachable,
         };
         assert(w.end == 0);
 
         var n: usize = 0;
-        n += uart.writev_blocking(data[0 .. data.len - 1], uart_writer.deadline) catch |err| switch (err) {
+        n += uart.writev_blocking(data[0 .. data.len - 1], deadline) catch |err| switch (err) {
             error.Timeout => unreachable,
         };
         for (0..splat) |_|
-            n += uart.write_blocking(data[data.len - 1], uart_writer.deadline) catch |err| switch (err) {
+            n += uart.write_blocking(data[data.len - 1], deadline) catch |err| switch (err) {
                 error.Timeout => unreachable,
             };
 
@@ -211,10 +227,17 @@ pub const UART = enum(u1) {
     fn stream(r: *std.Io.Reader, w: *std.Io.Writer, limit: std.Io.Limit) std.Io.Reader.StreamError!usize {
         const uart_reader: *Reader = @alignCast(@fieldParentPtr("interface", r));
         const uart = uart_reader.uart;
+
+        var deadline: mdf.time.Deadline = undefined;
+        switch (uart_reader.timeFrontier) {
+            .deadline => |d| deadline = d,
+            .timeout_us => |t| deadline = time.deadline_in_us(t)
+        }
+
         return switch (limit) {
             .nothing => 0,
             else => {
-                const b = uart.read_word_blocking(uart_reader.deadline) catch return error.ReadFailed;
+                const b = uart.read_word_blocking(deadline) catch return error.ReadFailed;
                 try w.writeByte(b);
                 return 1;
             },
@@ -559,7 +582,7 @@ var uart_logger: ?UART.Writer = null;
 ///     .logFn = hal.uart.log,
 /// };
 pub fn init_logger(uart: UART) void {
-    uart_logger = uart.writer(.no_deadline, &.{});
+    uart_logger = uart.writer(.{.deadline = .no_deadline}, &.{});
     uart_logger.?.interface.writeAll("\r\n================ STARTING NEW LOGGER ================\r\n") catch {};
 }