diff --git a/rq/timeouts.py b/rq/timeouts.py
index 83be1e6..72b827e 100644
--- a/rq/timeouts.py
+++ b/rq/timeouts.py
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ class death_pentalty_after(object):
 
         # __exit__ may return True to supress further exception handling.  We
         # don't want to suppress any exceptions here, since all errors should
-        # just pass through, JobTimeoutException being handled as just one of
-        # them.
+        # just pass through, JobTimeoutException being handled normally to the
+        # invoking context.
         return False
 
     def handle_death_penalty(self, signum, frame):
diff --git a/run_tests b/run_tests
index 4ac4f7e..670b438 100755
--- a/run_tests
+++ b/run_tests
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ else
     safe_rg=cat
 fi
 
+export ONLY_RUN_FAST_TESTS=1
+if [ "$1" == '-f' ]; then  # Poor man's argparse
+    unset ONLY_RUN_FAST_TESTS
+fi
+
 if check_redis_running; then
     /usr/bin/env python -m unittest discover -v -s tests $@ 2>&1 | egrep -v '^test_' | $safe_rg
 else
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 76895a4..2d54f29 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -15,6 +15,18 @@ def find_empty_redis_database():
     assert False, 'No empty Redis database found to run tests in.'
 
 
+def slow(f):
+    import os
+    from functools import wraps
+
+    @wraps(f)
+    def _inner(*args, **kwargs):
+        if os.environ.get('ONLY_RUN_FAST_TESTS'):
+            f(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    return _inner
+
+
 class RQTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     """Base class to inherit test cases from for RQ.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_worker.py b/tests/test_worker.py
index b1aa68c..92f177c 100644
--- a/tests/test_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_worker.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import os
-from tests import RQTestCase
+from tests import RQTestCase, slow
 from tests.fixtures import say_hello, div_by_zero, do_nothing, create_file, \
         create_file_after_timeout
 from tests.helpers import strip_milliseconds
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         assert self.testconn.exists(job_without_rv.key) == False
 
 
-    def test_timeouts(self):  # noqa
+    @slow  # noqa
+    def test_timeouts(self):
         """Worker kills jobs after timeout."""
         sentinel_file = '/tmp/.rq_sentinel'