diff --git a/pytest_httpserver/__init__.py b/pytest_httpserver/__init__.py
index e81e58a..00d5cf1 100644
--- a/pytest_httpserver/__init__.py
+++ b/pytest_httpserver/__init__.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     "RequestHandler",
     "RequestMatcher",
     "RequestMatcherKwargs",
+    "ServerOptions",
     "URIPattern",
     "WaitingSettings",
 ]
@@ -34,5 +35,6 @@
 from .httpserver import RequestHandler
 from .httpserver import RequestMatcher
 from .httpserver import RequestMatcherKwargs
+from .httpserver import ServerOptions
 from .httpserver import URIPattern
 from .httpserver import WaitingSettings
diff --git a/pytest_httpserver/httpserver.py b/pytest_httpserver/httpserver.py
index 110c428..275ec69 100644
--- a/pytest_httpserver/httpserver.py
+++ b/pytest_httpserver/httpserver.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from contextlib import suppress
 from copy import copy
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from enum import Enum
 from http import HTTPStatus
 from re import Pattern
@@ -947,6 +948,13 @@ def format_host(host: str) -> str:
         return host
 
 
+@dataclass
+class ServerOptions:
+    default_waiting_settings: WaitingSettings | None = None
+    threaded: bool = False
+    startup_timeout: float | None = None
+
+
 class HTTPServer(HTTPServerBase):  # pylint: disable=too-many-instance-attributes
     """
     Server instance which manages handlers to serve pre-defined requests.
@@ -1001,6 +1009,17 @@ def __init__(
         self.startup_timeout = startup_timeout
         self._readiness_check_pending = False
 
+    @classmethod
+    def with_options(cls, host: str, port: int, ssl_context: SSLContext | None, options: ServerOptions) -> Self:
+        return cls(
+            host,
+            port,
+            ssl_context,
+            default_waiting_settings=options.default_waiting_settings,
+            threaded=options.threaded,
+            startup_timeout=options.startup_timeout,
+        )
+
     def start(self) -> None:
         super().start()
         self._readiness_check_pending = self.startup_timeout is not None
diff --git a/pytest_httpserver/pytest_plugin.py b/pytest_httpserver/pytest_plugin.py
index f19ec58..0db4cda 100644
--- a/pytest_httpserver/pytest_plugin.py
+++ b/pytest_httpserver/pytest_plugin.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from .httpserver import HTTPServer
+from .httpserver import ServerOptions
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Generator
@@ -44,10 +45,16 @@ def httpserver_ssl_context() -> None:
     return None
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def httpserver_options() -> ServerOptions:
+    return ServerOptions()
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def make_httpserver(
     httpserver_listen_address: tuple[str | None, int | None],
     httpserver_ssl_context: SSLContext | None,
+    httpserver_options: ServerOptions,
 ) -> Generator[HTTPServer, None, None]:
     host, port = httpserver_listen_address
     if not host:
@@ -55,7 +62,12 @@ def make_httpserver(
     if not port:
         port = HTTPServer.DEFAULT_LISTEN_PORT
 
-    server = HTTPServer(host=host, port=port, ssl_context=httpserver_ssl_context)
+    server = HTTPServer.with_options(
+        host=host,
+        port=port,
+        ssl_context=httpserver_ssl_context,
+        options=httpserver_options,
+    )
     server.start()
     yield server
     server.clear()
@@ -80,8 +92,14 @@ def httpserver(make_httpserver: HTTPServer) -> HTTPServer:
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def make_httpserver_ipv4(
     httpserver_ssl_context: SSLContext | None,
+    httpserver_options: ServerOptions,
 ) -> Generator[HTTPServer, None, None]:
-    server = HTTPServer(host="127.0.0.1", port=0, ssl_context=httpserver_ssl_context)
+    server = HTTPServer.with_options(
+        host="127.0.0.1",
+        port=0,
+        ssl_context=httpserver_ssl_context,
+        options=httpserver_options,
+    )
     server.start()
     yield server
     server.clear()
@@ -99,8 +117,14 @@ def httpserver_ipv4(make_httpserver_ipv4: HTTPServer) -> HTTPServer:
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def make_httpserver_ipv6(
     httpserver_ssl_context: SSLContext | None,
+    httpserver_options: ServerOptions,
 ) -> Generator[HTTPServer, None, None]:
-    server = HTTPServer(host="::1", port=0, ssl_context=httpserver_ssl_context)
+    server = HTTPServer.with_options(
+        host="::1",
+        port=0,
+        ssl_context=httpserver_ssl_context,
+        options=httpserver_options,
+    )
     server.start()
     yield server
     server.clear()
diff --git a/tests/test_options.py b/tests/test_options.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b6d9e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_options.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+from inspect import signature
+
+from pytest_httpserver import HTTPServer
+from pytest_httpserver import ServerOptions
+from pytest_httpserver import WaitingSettings
+
+
+def test_httpserver_options() -> None:
+    options = ServerOptions(
+        startup_timeout=60,
+        threaded=True,
+        default_waiting_settings=WaitingSettings(timeout=5),
+    )
+
+    server = HTTPServer.with_options(
+        host="localhost",
+        port=0,
+        ssl_context=None,
+        options=options,
+    )
+
+    assert server.startup_timeout == 60
+    assert server.threaded is True
+    assert server.default_waiting_settings.timeout == 5
+
+
+def test_constructor_signature_matches_with_server_options() -> None:
+    # compares that ServerOptions default values matches with HTTPServer
+    # constructor defaults
+
+    httpserver_sig = signature(HTTPServer.__init__)
+    options_sig = signature(ServerOptions.__init__)
+    for param_name, options_param in options_sig.parameters.items():
+        if param_name == "self":
+            continue
+        httpserver_param = httpserver_sig.parameters.get(param_name)
+        assert httpserver_param is not None, f"Parameter {param_name} missing in HTTPServer"
+        assert httpserver_param.default == options_param.default, (
+            f"Default value for parameter {param_name} does not match: "
+            f"{httpserver_param.default} != {options_param.default}"
+        )
diff --git a/tests/test_release.py b/tests/test_release.py
index 8643d11..2203aab 100644
--- a/tests/test_release.py
+++ b/tests/test_release.py
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ def test_sdist_contents(build: Build, version: str):
             "examples",
             "test_bake.py",
             "test_blocking_httpserver.py",
+            "test_options.py",
             "test_handler_errors.py",
             "test_headers.py",
             "test_hooks.py",