diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c73437d10..d9d7d853d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ language: c
 compiler: gcc
 before_install:
         - sudo apt-get -qq update
-        - sudo apt-get install -y curl qemu-system-x86 nasm texinfo libmpfr-dev libmpc-dev libgmp-dev libisl-dev flex bison
+        - sudo apt-get install -y curl qemu-system-x86 nasm texinfo libmpfr-dev libmpc-dev libgmp-dev libisl-dev flex bison timeout
         - git submodule update --init hermit/lwip hermit/usr/gcc hermit/usr/pte hermit/usr/libomp
 script:
         - ./configure
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index 027564981..36f6b20df 100644
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 FILES="hermit/usr/tests/hello hermit/usr/tests/hellof hermit/usr/tests/hello++ hermit/usr/tests/thr_hello hermit/usr/tests/pi hermit/usr/benchmarks/stream hermit/usr/benchmarks/basic"
 PROXY=hermit/tools/proxy
 
-for f in $FILES; do echo "check $f..."; $PROXY $f || exit 1; done
+for f in $FILES; do echo "check $f..."; timeout 180 $PROXY $f || exit 1; done
 
 # test echo server at port 8000
 $PROXY hermit/usr/tests/server &