diff --git a/doc/api/cli.md b/doc/api/cli.md
index 31c98cd1dcfbc1..3e982d39707c4d 100644
--- a/doc/api/cli.md
+++ b/doc/api/cli.md
@@ -1743,6 +1743,15 @@ node --test --test-shard=2/3
 node --test --test-shard=3/3
 ```
 
+### `--test-timeout`
+
+<!-- YAML
+added: REPLACEME
+-->
+
+A number of milliseconds the test execution will fail after. If unspecified,
+subtests inherit this value from their parent. The default value is `Infinity`.
+
 ### `--throw-deprecation`
 
 <!-- YAML
diff --git a/doc/node.1 b/doc/node.1
index 48ac6dc82130c2..fe862dece6c1e7 100644
--- a/doc/node.1
+++ b/doc/node.1
@@ -438,6 +438,9 @@ option set.
 .
 .It Fl -test-shard
 Test suite shard to execute in a format of <index>/<total>.
+
+.It Fl -test-timeout
+A number of milliseconds the test execution will fail after.
 .
 .It Fl -throw-deprecation
 Throw errors for deprecations.
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js b/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js
index 7e6f3079a509a9..4f3f067cc74242 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js
@@ -60,11 +60,14 @@ if (shardOption) {
   };
 }
 
+const timeout = getOptionValue('--test-timeout') || Infinity;
+
 const options = {
   concurrency,
   inspectPort,
   watch: getOptionValue('--watch'),
   setup: setupTestReporters,
+  timeout,
   shard,
 };
 debug('test runner configuration:', options);
diff --git a/src/node_options.cc b/src/node_options.cc
index 29cb7fc6b29b89..c67876221fd801 100644
--- a/src/node_options.cc
+++ b/src/node_options.cc
@@ -603,6 +603,9 @@ EnvironmentOptionsParser::EnvironmentOptionsParser() {
   AddOption("--test-concurrency",
             "specify test runner concurrency",
             &EnvironmentOptions::test_runner_concurrency);
+  AddOption("--test-timeout",
+            "specify test runner timeout",
+            &EnvironmentOptions::test_runner_timeout);
   AddOption("--experimental-test-coverage",
             "enable code coverage in the test runner",
             &EnvironmentOptions::test_runner_coverage);
diff --git a/src/node_options.h b/src/node_options.h
index 30955c779714ce..58fcb23070ac41 100644
--- a/src/node_options.h
+++ b/src/node_options.h
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ class EnvironmentOptions : public Options {
   bool has_env_file_string = false;
   bool test_runner = false;
   uint64_t test_runner_concurrency = 0;
+  uint64_t test_runner_timeout = 0;
   bool test_runner_coverage = false;
   std::vector<std::string> test_name_pattern;
   std::vector<std::string> test_reporter;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-runner-cli-timeout.js b/test/parallel/test-runner-cli-timeout.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..b8998d397fa12c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-runner-cli-timeout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+require('../common');
+const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
+const assert = require('node:assert');
+const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+const cwd = fixtures.path('test-runner', 'default-behavior');
+const env = { ...process.env, 'NODE_DEBUG': 'test_runner' };
+
+test('default timeout -- Infinity', async () => {
+  const args = ['--test'];
+  const cp = spawnSync(process.execPath, args, { cwd, env });
+  assert.match(cp.stderr.toString(), /timeout: Infinity,/);
+});
+
+test('timeout of 10ms', async () => {
+  const args = ['--test', '--test-timeout', 10];
+  const cp = spawnSync(process.execPath, args, { cwd, env });
+  assert.match(cp.stderr.toString(), /timeout: 10,/);
+});