diff --git a/doc/api/test.md b/doc/api/test.md
index 52620899191142..91424b1c373b37 100644
--- a/doc/api/test.md
+++ b/doc/api/test.md
@@ -303,6 +303,9 @@ added: v18.0.0
   * `todo` {boolean|string} If truthy, the test marked as `TODO`. If a string
     is provided, that string is displayed in the test results as the reason why
     the test is `TODO`. **Default:** `false`.
+  * `timeout` {number} A number of milliseconds the test will fail after.
+    If unspecified, subtests inherit this value from their parent.
+    **Default:** `30_000`.
 * `fn` {Function|AsyncFunction} The function under test. This first argument
   to this function is a [`TestContext`][] object. If the test uses callbacks,
   the callback function is passed as the second argument. **Default:** A no-op
@@ -449,6 +452,9 @@ added: v18.0.0
   * `todo` {boolean|string} If truthy, the test marked as `TODO`. If a string
     is provided, that string is displayed in the test results as the reason why
     the test is `TODO`. **Default:** `false`.
+  * `timeout` {number} A number of milliseconds the test will fail after.
+    If unspecified, subtests inherit this value from their parent.
+    **Default:** `30_000`.
 * `fn` {Function|AsyncFunction} The function under test. This first argument
   to this function is a [`TestContext`][] object. If the test uses callbacks,
   the callback function is passed as the second argument. **Default:** A no-op
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
index 2876b3d66640cd..ed3eca13ffe38c 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const {
   FunctionPrototype,
   Number,
   SafeMap,
+  PromiseRace,
 } = primordials;
 const { AsyncResource } = require('async_hooks');
 const {
@@ -29,12 +30,27 @@ const kMultipleCallbackInvocations = 'multipleCallbackInvocations';
 const kParentAlreadyFinished = 'parentAlreadyFinished';
 const kSubtestsFailed = 'subtestsFailed';
 const kTestCodeFailure = 'testCodeFailure';
+const kTestTimeoutFailure = 'testTimeoutFailure';
 const kDefaultIndent = '    ';
 const noop = FunctionPrototype;
 const isTestRunner = getOptionValue('--test');
 const testOnlyFlag = !isTestRunner && getOptionValue('--test-only');
 // TODO(cjihrig): Use uv_available_parallelism() once it lands.
 const rootConcurrency = isTestRunner ? cpus().length : 1;
+const rootTimeout = 30_0000;
+
+
+function PromiseTimeout(promise, timeout) {
+  const deferred = createDeferredPromise();
+  setTimeout(() => deferred.reject(new ERR_TEST_FAILURE(
+    `test timed out after ${timeout}ms`,
+    kTestTimeoutFailure
+  )), timeout).unref();
+  return PromiseRace([
+    promise, 
+    deferred.promise,
+  ]);
+}
 
 class TestContext {
   #test;
@@ -71,7 +87,7 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
     super('Test');
 
     let { fn, name, parent, skip } = options;
-    const { concurrency, only, todo } = options;
+    const { concurrency, only, todo, timeout } = options;
 
     if (typeof fn !== 'function') {
       fn = noop;
@@ -93,6 +109,7 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
       this.reporter = new TapStream();
       this.runOnlySubtests = this.only;
       this.testNumber = 0;
+      this.timeout = rootTimeout;
     } else {
       const indent = parent.parent === null ? parent.indent :
         parent.indent + parent.indentString;
@@ -104,12 +121,17 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
       this.reporter = parent.reporter;
       this.runOnlySubtests = !this.only;
       this.testNumber = parent.subtests.length + 1;
+      this.timeout = parent.timeout;
     }
 
     if (isUint32(concurrency) && concurrency !== 0) {
       this.concurrency = concurrency;
     }
 
+    if (isUint32(timeout) && timeout !== 0) {
+      this.timeout = timeout;
+    }
+
     if (testOnlyFlag && !this.only) {
       skip = '\'only\' option not set';
     }
@@ -337,13 +359,13 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
             'passed a callback but also returned a Promise',
             kCallbackAndPromisePresent
           ));
-          await ret;
+          await PromiseTimeout(ret, this.timeout);
         } else {
-          await promise;
+          await PromiseTimeout(promise, this.timeout);
         }
       } else {
         // This test is synchronous or using Promises.
-        await this.runInAsyncScope(this.fn, ctx, ctx);
+        await PromiseTimeout(this.runInAsyncScope(this.fn, ctx, ctx), this.timeout);
       }
 
       this.pass();
diff --git a/test/message/test_runner_output.js b/test/message/test_runner_output.js
index c586199f0d9d31..341675ee383722 100644
--- a/test/message/test_runner_output.js
+++ b/test/message/test_runner_output.js
@@ -328,3 +328,13 @@ test('subtest sync throw fails', async (t) => {
     throw new Error('thrown from subtest sync throw fails at second');
   });
 });
+
+test('timed out test', { timeout: 500 }, async (t) => {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    setTimeout(resolve, 1000)
+  });
+});
+
+test('callback timed out test', { timeout: 500 }, (t, done) => {
+  setTimeout(done, 1000)
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/message/test_runner_output.out b/test/message/test_runner_output.out
index 2f6e2502749068..b901e76f20bff8 100644
--- a/test/message/test_runner_output.out
+++ b/test/message/test_runner_output.out
@@ -562,8 +562,24 @@ not ok 56 - subtest sync throw fails
   error: '2 subtests failed'
   code: 'ERR_TEST_FAILURE'
   ...
+# Subtest: timed out test
+not ok 57 - timed out test
+  ---
+  duration_ms: *
+  failureType: 'testTimeoutFailure'
+  error: 'test timed out after 500ms'
+  code: 'ERR_TEST_FAILURE'
+  ...
+# Subtest: callback timed out test
+not ok 58 - callback timed out test
+  ---
+  duration_ms: *
+  failureType: 'testTimeoutFailure'
+  error: 'test timed out after 500ms'
+  code: 'ERR_TEST_FAILURE'
+  ...
 # Subtest: invalid subtest fail
-not ok 57 - invalid subtest fail
+not ok 59 - invalid subtest fail
   ---
   duration_ms: *
   failureType: 'parentAlreadyFinished'
@@ -572,16 +588,16 @@ not ok 57 - invalid subtest fail
   stack: |-
     *
   ...
-1..57
+1..59
 # Warning: Test "unhandled rejection - passes but warns" generated asynchronous activity after the test ended. This activity created the error "Error: rejected from unhandled rejection fail" and would have caused the test to fail, but instead triggered an unhandledRejection event.
 # Warning: Test "async unhandled rejection - passes but warns" generated asynchronous activity after the test ended. This activity created the error "Error: rejected from async unhandled rejection fail" and would have caused the test to fail, but instead triggered an unhandledRejection event.
 # Warning: Test "immediate throw - passes but warns" generated asynchronous activity after the test ended. This activity created the error "Error: thrown from immediate throw fail" and would have caused the test to fail, but instead triggered an uncaughtException event.
 # Warning: Test "immediate reject - passes but warns" generated asynchronous activity after the test ended. This activity created the error "Error: rejected from immediate reject fail" and would have caused the test to fail, but instead triggered an unhandledRejection event.
 # Warning: Test "callback called twice in different ticks" generated asynchronous activity after the test ended. This activity created the error "Error [ERR_TEST_FAILURE]: callback invoked multiple times" and would have caused the test to fail, but instead triggered an uncaughtException event.
 # Warning: Test "callback async throw after done" generated asynchronous activity after the test ended. This activity created the error "Error: thrown from callback async throw after done" and would have caused the test to fail, but instead triggered an uncaughtException event.
-# tests 57
+# tests 59
 # pass 24
-# fail 18
+# fail 20
 # skipped 10
 # todo 5
 # duration_ms *