diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest/runner.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest/runner.sh
index 00c9020bdda8b..84de7bc74f2cf 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest/runner.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest/runner.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,14 @@
 #
 # Runs a set of tests in a given subdirectory.
 export skip_rc=4
+export timeout_rc=124
 export logfile=/dev/stdout
 export per_test_logging=
 
+# Defaults for "settings" file fields:
+# "timeout" how many seconds to let each test run before failing.
+export kselftest_default_timeout=45
+
 # There isn't a shell-agnostic way to find the path of a sourced file,
 # so we must rely on BASE_DIR being set to find other tools.
 if [ -z "$BASE_DIR" ]; then
@@ -24,6 +29,16 @@ tap_prefix()
 	fi
 }
 
+tap_timeout()
+{
+	# Make sure tests will time out if utility is available.
+	if [ -x /usr/bin/timeout ] ; then
+		/usr/bin/timeout "$kselftest_timeout" "$1"
+	else
+		"$1"
+	fi
+}
+
 run_one()
 {
 	DIR="$1"
@@ -32,6 +47,18 @@ run_one()
 
 	BASENAME_TEST=$(basename $TEST)
 
+	# Reset any "settings"-file variables.
+	export kselftest_timeout="$kselftest_default_timeout"
+	# Load per-test-directory kselftest "settings" file.
+	settings="$BASE_DIR/$DIR/settings"
+	if [ -r "$settings" ] ; then
+		while read line ; do
+			field=$(echo "$line" | cut -d= -f1)
+			value=$(echo "$line" | cut -d= -f2-)
+			eval "kselftest_$field"="$value"
+		done < "$settings"
+	fi
+
 	TEST_HDR_MSG="selftests: $DIR: $BASENAME_TEST"
 	echo "# $TEST_HDR_MSG"
 	if [ ! -x "$TEST" ]; then
@@ -44,14 +71,17 @@ run_one()
 		echo "not ok $test_num $TEST_HDR_MSG"
 	else
 		cd `dirname $TEST` > /dev/null
-		(((((./$BASENAME_TEST 2>&1; echo $? >&3) |
+		((((( tap_timeout ./$BASENAME_TEST 2>&1; echo $? >&3) |
 			tap_prefix >&4) 3>&1) |
 			(read xs; exit $xs)) 4>>"$logfile" &&
 		echo "ok $test_num $TEST_HDR_MSG") ||
-		(if [ $? -eq $skip_rc ]; then	\
+		(rc=$?;	\
+		if [ $rc -eq $skip_rc ]; then	\
 			echo "not ok $test_num $TEST_HDR_MSG # SKIP"
+		elif [ $rc -eq $timeout_rc ]; then \
+			echo "not ok $test_num $TEST_HDR_MSG # TIMEOUT"
 		else
-			echo "not ok $test_num $TEST_HDR_MSG"
+			echo "not ok $test_num $TEST_HDR_MSG # exit=$rc"
 		fi)
 		cd - >/dev/null
 	fi
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rtc/settings b/tools/testing/selftests/rtc/settings
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ba4d85f74cd6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rtc/settings
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+timeout=90