reverted:
--- b/feeds_ui/feeds_ui.install
+++ a/feeds_ui/feeds_ui.install
@@ -6,31 +6,8 @@
  */
 
 /**
-  * Implement hook_install()
-  */
-function feeds_ui_install() {
-  variable_set('http_request_timeout', 30);
-}
-
-/**
-  * Implement hook_uninstall()
-  */
-function feeds_ui_uninstall() {
-  variable_del('http_request_timeout');
-}
-
-/**
  * Empty update function to trigger a menu rebuild.
  */
 function feeds_ui_update_7000() {
   // Do nothing.
 }
-
-/**
- * Create http_request_timeout variable if it is not set yet.
- */
-function feeds_ui_update_7200() {
-  // If it was already set - use it.
-  // If not - set to default value.
-  variable_set('http_request_timeout', variable_get('http_request_timeout', 30));
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff -u b/plugins/FeedsHTTPFetcher.inc b/plugins/FeedsHTTPFetcher.inc
--- b/plugins/FeedsHTTPFetcher.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsHTTPFetcher.inc
@@ -18,9 +18,8 @@
   /**
    * Constructor.
    */
-  public function __construct($url = NULL, $timeout = NULL) {
+  public function __construct($url = NULL) {
     $this->url = $url;
-    $this->timeout = $timeout;
     parent::__construct('');
   }
 
@@ -35,6 +34,14 @@
     }
     return $this->sanitizeRaw($result->data);
   }
+
+  public function getTimeout() {
+    return $this->timeout;
+  }
+
+  public function setTimeout($timeout) {
+    $this->timeout = $timeout;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -50,8 +57,10 @@
     if ($this->config['use_pubsubhubbub'] && ($raw = $this->subscriber($source->feed_nid)->receive())) {
       return new FeedsFetcherResult($raw);
     }
-    // When request_timeout is empty, global value is used.
-    return new FeedsHTTPFetcherResult($source_config['source'], $this->config['request_timeout']);
+    $fetcher_result = new FeedsHTTPFetcherResult($source_config['source']);
+    // When request_timeout is empty, the global value is used.
+    $fetcher_result->setTimeout($this->config['request_timeout']);
+    return $fetcher_result;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -134,7 +143,7 @@
      '#title' => t('Request timeout'),
      '#description' => t('Timeout in seconds to wait for an HTTP get request to finish.</br>' .
                          '<b>Note:</b> this setting will override global setting.</br>' .
-                         'When left empty, global value is used.'),
+                         'When left empty, the global value is used.'),
      '#default_value' => $this->config['request_timeout'],
      '#element_validate' => array('element_validate_integer_positive'),
      '#maxlength' => 3,
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/feeds.install
+++ b/feeds.install
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
  */
 
 /**
+  * Implement hook_uninstall()
+  */
+function feeds_uninstall() {
+  variable_del('http_request_timeout');
+}
+
+/**
  * Implements hook_schema().
  */
 function feeds_schema() {