Consider deprecating old helpers API

**Feature request**
It would be great to have timeout for handlers.

**Use case**
Many users need this functionality for production deployments.

**Implementation idea**
Add a new config option `enable_timeout` with default `false`.

Start by locating the handler configuration, the existing helpers API, and any tests covering handler behavior. Clarify whether the request is to deprecate the old helpers API, add handler timeouts, or both, including timeout semantics. Done should include the new enable_timeout option defaulting to false and tests for the requested behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.