diff --git a/config/confpar/confpar.go b/config/confpar/confpar.go
index 7019a967..5a1e085e 100644
--- a/config/confpar/confpar.go
+++ b/config/confpar/confpar.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 // Package confpar provide the core parameters of the config
 package confpar
 
-import "time"
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"time"
+)
 
 // Access provides rules around any access
 type Access struct {
@@ -19,7 +22,7 @@ type Access struct {
 type AccessesWebhook struct {
 	URL     string            `json:"url"`     // URL to call
 	Headers map[string]string `json:"headers"` // Token to use in the
-	Timeout time.Duration     `json:"timeout"` // Max time request can take
+	Timeout Duration          `json:"timeout"` // Max time request can take
 }
 
 // SyncAndDelete provides
@@ -65,7 +68,7 @@ type Content struct {
 	PublicHost               string           `json:"public_host"`                 // Public host to listen on
 	MaxClients               int              `json:"max_clients"`                 // Maximum clients who can connect
 	HashPlaintextPasswords   bool             `json:"hash_plaintext_passwords"`    // Overwrite plain-text passwords with hashed equivalents
-	IdleTimeout              time.Duration    `json:"idle_timeout"`                // Maximum idle time for client connections
+	IdleTimeout              Duration         `json:"idle_timeout"`                // Maximum idle time for client connections
 	Accesses                 []*Access        `json:"accesses"`                    // Accesses offered to users
 	PassiveTransferPortRange *PortRange       `json:"passive_transfer_port_range"` // Listen port range
 	Extensions               Extensions       `json:"extensions"`                  // Extended features
@@ -74,3 +77,21 @@ type Content struct {
 	TLSRequired              string           `json:"tls_required"`
 	AccessesWebhook          *AccessesWebhook `json:"accesses_webhook"` // Webhook to call when accesses are updated
 }
+
+// Duration wraps time.Duration to allow unmarshaling from JSON strings
+// in Go duration format (e.g., "5m", "30s", "1h")
+type Duration struct {
+	time.Duration
+}
+
+func (d *Duration) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal(d.String())
+}
+
+func (d *Duration) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
+	var s string
+	if err = json.Unmarshal(b, &s); err == nil {
+		d.Duration, err = time.ParseDuration(s)
+	}
+	return
+}
diff --git a/config/confpar/confpar_test.go b/config/confpar/confpar_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7170b2c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/confpar/confpar_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package confpar
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestDurationMarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, item := range []struct {
+		duration time.Duration
+		want     string
+	}{
+		{0, `0s`},
+		{31 * time.Second, `31s`},
+		{5 * time.Minute, `5m0s`},
+		{1 * time.Hour, `1h0m0s`},
+	} {
+		have, err := json.Marshal(&Duration{item.duration})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("json.Marshal(): %v", err)
+		}
+		if !bytes.Equal(have, []byte(`"`+item.want+`"`)) {
+			t.Fatalf("have:%s want:%q", string(have), item.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDurationUnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, item := range []struct {
+		input   string
+		want    time.Duration
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{`5m`, 5 * time.Minute, false},
+		{`30s`, 30 * time.Second, false},
+		{`1h`, time.Hour, false},
+		{`0s`, 0, false},
+		{`invalid`, 0, true},
+	} {
+		var have Duration
+		err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(`"`+item.input+`"`), &have)
+		if err == nil && item.wantErr {
+			t.Fatalf("expecting error for invalid input")
+		}
+		if err != nil && !item.wantErr {
+			t.Fatalf("json.Unmarshal(): %v", err)
+		}
+		if have.Duration != item.want {
+			t.Fatalf("have:%v want:%v", have.Duration, item.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 96d53a28..8fdcfac4 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func (s *Server) getAccessFromWebhook(user, pass string) (*confpar.Access, error
 	}
 
 	// Timeout is implemented with context termination
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.config.Content.AccessesWebhook.Timeout)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.config.Content.AccessesWebhook.Timeout.Duration)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	// Create a new HTTP request