diff --git a/test/tinytest.c b/test/tinytest.c
index a27a906a..1588e89a 100644
--- a/test/tinytest.c
+++ b/test/tinytest.c
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@
 
 #define LONGEST_TEST_NAME 16384
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#define DEFAULT_TESTCASE_TIMEOUT 30U
+#else
+#define DEFAULT_TESTCASE_TIMEOUT 0U
+#endif
+
 static int in_tinytest_main = 0; /**< true if we're in tinytest_main().*/
 static int n_ok = 0; /**< Number of tests that have passed */
 static int n_bad = 0; /**< Number of tests that have failed. */
@@ -69,6 +75,7 @@ static int n_skipped = 0; /**< Number of tests that have been skipped. */
 static int opt_forked = 0; /**< True iff we're called from inside a win32 fork*/
 static int opt_nofork = 0; /**< Suppress calls to fork() for debugging. */
 static int opt_verbosity = 1; /**< -==quiet,0==terse,1==normal,2==verbose */
+static unsigned int opt_timeout = DEFAULT_TESTCASE_TIMEOUT; /**< Timeout for every test (using alarm()) */
 const char *verbosity_flag = "";
 
 const struct testlist_alias_t *cfg_aliases=NULL;
@@ -88,6 +95,25 @@ static void usage(struct testgroup_t *groups, int list_groups)
   __attribute__((noreturn));
 static int process_test_option(struct testgroup_t *groups, const char *test);
 
+static unsigned int testcase_set_timeout_(void)
+{
+	if (!opt_timeout)
+		return 0;
+#ifndef _WIN32
+	return alarm(opt_timeout);
+#else
+	/** TODO: win32 support */
+	fprintf(stderr, "You cannot set alarm on windows\n");
+	exit(1);
+#endif
+}
+static unsigned int testcase_reset_timeout_(void)
+{
+#ifndef _WIN32
+	return alarm(0);
+#endif
+}
+
 static enum outcome
 testcase_run_bare_(const struct testcase_t *testcase)
 {
@@ -102,7 +128,11 @@ testcase_run_bare_(const struct testcase_t *testcase)
 	}
 
 	cur_test_outcome = OK;
-	testcase->fn(env);
+	{
+		testcase_set_timeout_();
+		testcase->fn(env);
+		testcase_reset_timeout_();
+	}
 	outcome = cur_test_outcome;
 
 	if (testcase->setup) {
@@ -406,8 +436,14 @@ tinytest_main(int c, const char **v, struct testgroup_t *groups)
 				usage(groups, 0);
 			} else if (!strcmp(v[i], "--list-tests")) {
 				usage(groups, 1);
+			} else if (!strcmp(v[i], "--timeout")) {
+				if (i < c) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "--timeout requires argument\n");
+					return -1;
+				}
+				opt_timeout = (unsigned)atoi(v[i]);
 			} else {
-				printf("Unknown option %s.  Try --help\n",v[i]);
+				fprintf(stderr, "Unknown option %s. Try --help\n", v[i]);
 				return -1;
 			}
 		} else {