diff --git a/docs/src/test-assertions-js.md b/docs/src/test-assertions-js.md
index 8a7742aa35..c28fd9d653 100644
--- a/docs/src/test-assertions-js.md
+++ b/docs/src/test-assertions-js.md
@@ -121,7 +121,17 @@ The same works with soft assertions:
 expect.soft(value, 'my soft assertion').toBe(56);
 ```
 
-## Polling
+## expect.configurte
+
+You can create your own pre-configured `expect` instance to have its own
+defaults such as `timeout`, `soft` and `poll`.
+
+```js
+const slowExpect = expect.configure({ timeout: 10000 });
+await slowExpect(locator).toHaveText('Submit);
+```
+
+## expect.poll
 
 You can convert any synchronous `expect` to an asynchronous polling one using `expect.poll`.
 
@@ -152,7 +162,7 @@ await expect.poll(async () => {
 }).toBe(200);
 ```
 
-## Retrying
+## expect.toPass
 
 You can retry blocks of code until they are passing successfully.
 
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/common/globals.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/common/globals.ts
index 16a4673b1d..9443db25d3 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/common/globals.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/common/globals.ts
@@ -34,10 +34,18 @@ export function currentlyLoadingFileSuite() {
   return currentFileSuite;
 }
 
+let currentExpectConfigureTimeout: number | undefined;
+
+export function setCurrentExpectConfigureTimeout(timeout: number | undefined) {
+  currentExpectConfigureTimeout = timeout;
+}
+
 export function currentExpectTimeout(options: { timeout?: number }) {
   const testInfo = currentTestInfo();
   if (options.timeout !== undefined)
     return options.timeout;
+  if (currentExpectConfigureTimeout !== undefined)
+    return currentExpectConfigureTimeout;
   let defaultExpectTimeout = testInfo?._projectInternal?.expect?.timeout;
   if (typeof defaultExpectTimeout === 'undefined')
     defaultExpectTimeout = 5000;
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/expect.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/expect.ts
index 22200ccd3e..16ad0c0279 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/expect.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/matchers/expect.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   captureRawStack,
   createAfterActionTraceEventForExpect,
   createBeforeActionTraceEventForExpect,
+  isString,
   pollAgainstTimeout } from 'playwright-core/lib/utils';
 import type { ExpectZone } from 'playwright-core/lib/utils';
 import {
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ import {
 } from './matchers';
 import { toMatchSnapshot, toHaveScreenshot, toHaveScreenshotStepTitle } from './toMatchSnapshot';
 import type { Expect } from '../../types/test';
-import { currentTestInfo, currentExpectTimeout } from '../common/globals';
+import { currentTestInfo, currentExpectTimeout, setCurrentExpectConfigureTimeout } from '../common/globals';
 import { filteredStackTrace, serializeError, stringifyStackFrames, trimLongString } from '../util';
 import {
   expect as expectLibrary,
@@ -106,28 +107,58 @@ export const printReceivedStringContainExpectedResult = (
 
 // #endregion
 
-type ExpectMessageOrOptions = undefined | string | { message?: string, timeout?: number, intervals?: number[] };
+type ExpectMessage = string | { message?: string };
 
-function createExpect(actual: unknown, messageOrOptions: ExpectMessageOrOptions, isSoft: boolean, isPoll: boolean, generator?: Generator): any {
-  return new Proxy(expectLibrary(actual), new ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler(messageOrOptions, isSoft, isPoll, generator));
+function createMatchers(actual: unknown, info: ExpectMetaInfo): any {
+  return new Proxy(expectLibrary(actual), new ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler(info));
 }
 
-export const expect: Expect = new Proxy(expectLibrary, {
-  apply: function(target: any, thisArg: any, argumentsList: [actual: unknown, messageOrOptions: ExpectMessageOrOptions]) {
-    const [actual, messageOrOptions] = argumentsList;
-    return createExpect(actual, messageOrOptions, false /* isSoft */, false /* isPoll */);
-  }
-});
+function createExpect(info: ExpectMetaInfo) {
+  const expect: Expect = new Proxy(expectLibrary, {
+    apply: function(target: any, thisArg: any, argumentsList: [unknown, ExpectMessage?]) {
+      const [actual, messageOrOptions] = argumentsList;
+      const message = isString(messageOrOptions) ? messageOrOptions : messageOrOptions?.message || info.message;
+      const newInfo = { ...info, message };
+      if (newInfo.isPoll) {
+        if (typeof actual !== 'function')
+          throw new Error('`expect.poll()` accepts only function as a first argument');
+        newInfo.generator = actual as any;
+      }
+      return createMatchers(actual, newInfo);
+    }
+  });
 
-expect.soft = (actual: unknown, messageOrOptions: ExpectMessageOrOptions) => {
-  return createExpect(actual, messageOrOptions, true /* isSoft */, false /* isPoll */);
-};
+  expect.soft = (actual: unknown, messageOrOptions?: ExpectMessage) => {
+    return expect.configure({ soft: true })(actual, messageOrOptions) as any;
+  };
 
-expect.poll = (actual: unknown, messageOrOptions: ExpectMessageOrOptions) => {
-  if (typeof actual !== 'function')
-    throw new Error('`expect.poll()` accepts only function as a first argument');
-  return createExpect(actual, messageOrOptions, false /* isSoft */, true /* isPoll */, actual as any);
-};
+  expect.poll = (actual: unknown, messageOrOptions?: ExpectMessage & { timeout?: number, intervals?: number[] }) => {
+    const poll = isString(messageOrOptions) ? {} : messageOrOptions || {};
+    return expect.configure({ poll })(actual, messageOrOptions) as any;
+  };
+
+  expect.configure = (configuration: { message?: string, timeout?: number, soft?: boolean, poll?: boolean | { timeout?: number, intervals?: number[] } }) => {
+    const newInfo = { ...info };
+    if ('message' in configuration)
+      newInfo.message = configuration.message;
+    if ('timeout' in configuration)
+      newInfo.timeout = configuration.timeout;
+    if ('soft' in configuration)
+      newInfo.isSoft = configuration.soft;
+    if ('poll' in configuration) {
+      newInfo.isPoll = !!configuration.poll;
+      if (typeof configuration.poll === 'object') {
+        newInfo.pollTimeout = configuration.poll.timeout;
+        newInfo.pollIntervals = configuration.poll.intervals;
+      }
+    }
+    return createExpect(newInfo);
+  };
+
+  return expect;
+}
+
+export const expect: Expect = createExpect({});
 
 expectLibrary.setState({ expand: false });
 
@@ -168,10 +199,10 @@ type Generator = () => any;
 
 type ExpectMetaInfo = {
   message?: string;
-  isNot: boolean;
-  isSoft: boolean;
-  isPoll: boolean;
-  nameTokens: string[];
+  isNot?: boolean;
+  isSoft?: boolean;
+  isPoll?: boolean;
+  timeout?: number;
   pollTimeout?: number;
   pollIntervals?: number[];
   generator?: Generator;
@@ -180,15 +211,8 @@ type ExpectMetaInfo = {
 class ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler implements ProxyHandler<any> {
   private _info: ExpectMetaInfo;
 
-  constructor(messageOrOptions: ExpectMessageOrOptions, isSoft: boolean, isPoll: boolean, generator?: Generator) {
-    this._info = { isSoft, isPoll, generator, isNot: false, nameTokens: [] };
-    if (typeof messageOrOptions === 'string') {
-      this._info.message = messageOrOptions;
-    } else {
-      this._info.message = messageOrOptions?.message;
-      this._info.pollTimeout = messageOrOptions?.timeout;
-      this._info.pollIntervals = messageOrOptions?.intervals;
-    }
+  constructor(info: ExpectMetaInfo) {
+    this._info = { ...info };
   }
 
   get(target: Object, matcherName: string | symbol, receiver: any): any {
@@ -205,7 +229,7 @@ class ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler implements ProxyHandler<any> {
     if (this._info.isPoll) {
       if ((customAsyncMatchers as any)[matcherName] || matcherName === 'resolves' || matcherName === 'rejects')
         throw new Error(`\`expect.poll()\` does not support "${matcherName}" matcher.`);
-      matcher = (...args: any[]) => pollMatcher(matcherName, this._info.isNot, this._info.pollIntervals, currentExpectTimeout({ timeout: this._info.pollTimeout }), this._info.generator!, ...args);
+      matcher = (...args: any[]) => pollMatcher(matcherName, !!this._info.isNot, this._info.pollIntervals, currentExpectTimeout({ timeout: this._info.pollTimeout }), this._info.generator!, ...args);
     }
     return (...args: any[]) => {
       const testInfo = currentTestInfo();
@@ -278,6 +302,8 @@ class ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler implements ProxyHandler<any> {
           try {
             const expectZone: ExpectZone = { title: defaultTitle, wallTime };
             await zones.run<ExpectZone, any>('expectZone', expectZone, async () => {
+              // We assume that the matcher will read the current expect timeout the first thing.
+              setCurrentExpectConfigureTimeout(this._info.timeout);
               await matcher.call(target, ...args);
             });
             finalizer();
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts b/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts
index 59fbe4604d..0e7a2ae06c 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts
@@ -4654,6 +4654,12 @@ export type Expect = {
      not: BaseMatchers<Promise<void>, T>;
   };
   extend(matchers: any): void;
+  configure: (configuration: {
+    message?: string,
+    timeout?: number,
+    soft?: boolean,
+    poll?: boolean | { timeout?: number, intervals?: number[] },
+  }) => Expect;
   getState(): {
     expand?: boolean;
     isNot: boolean;
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/expect-configure.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/expect-configure.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2463881da7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/expect-configure.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { test, expect } from './playwright-test-fixtures';
+
+test('should configure timeout', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'a.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const fastExpect = expect.configure({ timeout: 1 });
+      test('pass', async ({ page }) => {
+        const time = performance.now();
+        try {
+          await fastExpect(page.locator('li')).toBeVisible();
+        } catch (e) {
+          expect(performance.now() - time).toBeLessThan(5000);
+        }
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+  expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
+});
+
+test('should configure message', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'expect-test.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const namedExpect = expect.configure({ message: 'x-foo must be visible' });
+      test('custom expect message', async ({page}) => {
+        await namedExpect(page.locator('x-foo')).toBeVisible({timeout: 1});
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.passed).toBe(0);
+  expect(result.output).toContain([
+    `    Error: x-foo must be visible`,
+    ``,
+    `    Call log:`,
+  ].join('\n'));
+});
+
+test('should prefer local message', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'expect-test.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const namedExpect = expect.configure({ message: 'x-foo must be visible' });
+      test('custom expect message', async ({page}) => {
+        await namedExpect(page.locator('x-foo'), { message: 'overridden' }).toBeVisible({timeout: 1});
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.passed).toBe(0);
+  expect(result.output).toContain([
+    `    Error: overridden`,
+    ``,
+    `    Call log:`,
+  ].join('\n'));
+});
+
+test('should configure soft', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'a.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const softExpect = expect.configure({ soft: true });
+      test('should work', () => {
+        softExpect(1+1).toBe(3);
+        console.log('woof-woof');
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.output).toContain('woof-woof');
+});
+
+test('should configure poll', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'a.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const pollingExpect = expect.configure({ poll: { timeout: 1000, intervals: [0, 10000] } });
+      test('should fail', async () => {
+        let probes = 0;
+        const startTime = Date.now();
+        await pollingExpect(() => ++probes).toBe(3).catch(() => {});
+        // Probe at 0 and epsilon.
+        expect(probes).toBe(2);
+        expect(Date.now() - startTime).toBeLessThan(5000);
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+});
+
+test('should chain configure', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'expect-test.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const slowExpect = expect.configure({ timeout: 1 });
+      const slowAndSoftExpect = slowExpect.configure({ soft: true });
+      test('custom expect message', async ({page}) => {
+        await slowAndSoftExpect(page.locator('x-foo')).toBeVisible({timeout: 1});
+        console.log('%% woof-woof');
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.passed).toBe(0);
+  expect(result.outputLines).toEqual(['woof-woof']);
+});
+
+test('should cancel effect', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'a.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const softExpect = expect.configure({ soft: true });
+      const normalExpect = expect.configure({ soft: false });
+      test('should work', () => {
+        normalExpect(1+1).toBe(3);
+        console.log('%% woof-woof');
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.outputLines).toEqual([]);
+});
+
+test('should configure soft poll', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'a.spec.ts': `
+      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+      const pollingExpect = expect.configure({ soft: true, poll: { timeout: 1000, intervals: [0, 10000] } });
+      test('should fail', async () => {
+        let probes = 0;
+        const startTime = Date.now();
+        await pollingExpect(() => ++probes).toBe(3);
+        // Probe at 0 and epsilon.
+        expect(probes).toBe(2);
+        expect(Date.now() - startTime).toBeLessThan(5000);
+        console.log('%% woof-woof');
+      });
+    `
+  });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.outputLines).toEqual(['woof-woof']);
+});
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/expect-soft.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/expect-soft.spec.ts
index 9742b1b725..ffb0252dab 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/expect-soft.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/expect-soft.spec.ts
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ test('soft expects should work', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
       import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
       test('should work', () => {
         test.expect.soft(1+1).toBe(3);
-        console.log('woof-woof');
+        console.log('%% woof-woof');
       });
     `
   });
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
-  expect(result.output).toContain('woof-woof');
+  expect(result.outputLines).toEqual(['woof-woof']);
 });
 
 test('should report a mixture of soft and non-soft errors', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
diff --git a/utils/generate_types/overrides-test.d.ts b/utils/generate_types/overrides-test.d.ts
index eca53d1be2..860b48aab5 100644
--- a/utils/generate_types/overrides-test.d.ts
+++ b/utils/generate_types/overrides-test.d.ts
@@ -342,6 +342,12 @@ export type Expect = {
      not: BaseMatchers<Promise<void>, T>;
   };
   extend(matchers: any): void;
+  configure: (configuration: {
+    message?: string,
+    timeout?: number,
+    soft?: boolean,
+    poll?: boolean | { timeout?: number, intervals?: number[] },
+  }) => Expect;
   getState(): {
     expand?: boolean;
     isNot: boolean;