diff --git a/rq/job.py b/rq/job.py
index c91c781..50ab65e 100644
--- a/rq/job.py
+++ b/rq/job.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class Job(object):
         self.ended_at = None
         self._result = None
         self.exc_info = None
+        self.timeout = None
 
 
     # Data access
@@ -143,10 +144,10 @@ class Job(object):
         """
         key = self.key
         properties = ['data', 'created_at', 'origin', 'description',
-                'enqueued_at', 'ended_at', 'result', 'exc_info']
+                'enqueued_at', 'ended_at', 'result', 'exc_info', 'timeout']
         data, created_at, origin, description, \
                 enqueued_at, ended_at, result, \
-                exc_info = conn.hmget(key, properties)
+                exc_info, timeout = conn.hmget(key, properties)
         if data is None:
             raise NoSuchJobError('No such job: %s' % (key,))
 
@@ -164,6 +165,10 @@ class Job(object):
         self.ended_at = to_date(ended_at)
         self._result = result
         self.exc_info = exc_info
+        if timeout is None:
+            self.timeout = None
+        else:
+            self.timeout = int(timeout)
 
     def save(self):
         """Persists the current job instance to its corresponding Redis key."""
@@ -186,6 +191,8 @@ class Job(object):
             obj['result'] = self._result
         if self.exc_info is not None:
             obj['exc_info'] = self.exc_info
+        if self.timeout is not None:
+            obj['timeout'] = self.timeout
 
         conn.hmset(key, obj)
 
diff --git a/rq/queue.py b/rq/queue.py
index 7ec1efe..f783be7 100644
--- a/rq/queue.py
+++ b/rq/queue.py
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ class Queue(object):
         name = queue_key[len(prefix):]
         return Queue(name)
 
-    def __init__(self, name='default'):
+    def __init__(self, name='default', default_timeout=None):
         prefix = self.redis_queue_namespace_prefix
         self.name = name
         self._key = '%s%s' % (prefix, name)
+        self._default_timeout = default_timeout
 
     @property
     def key(self):
@@ -99,24 +100,38 @@ class Queue(object):
 
         Expects the function to call, along with the arguments and keyword
         arguments.
+
+        The special keyword `timeout` is reserved for `enqueue()` itself and
+        it won't be passed to the actual job function.
         """
         if f.__module__ == '__main__':
             raise ValueError(
                     'Functions from the __main__ module cannot be processed '
                     'by workers.')
 
+        timeout = kwargs.pop('timeout', None)
         job = Job.create(f, *args, **kwargs)
-        return self.enqueue_job(job)
+        return self.enqueue_job(job, timeout=timeout)
 
-    def enqueue_job(self, job, set_meta_data=True):
+    def enqueue_job(self, job, timeout=None, set_meta_data=True):
         """Enqueues a job for delayed execution.
 
+        When the `timeout` argument is sent, it will overrides the default
+        timeout value of 180 seconds.  `timeout` may either be a string or
+        integer.
+
         If the `set_meta_data` argument is `True` (default), it will update
         the properties `origin` and `enqueued_at`.
         """
         if set_meta_data:
             job.origin = self.name
             job.enqueued_at = times.now()
+
+        if timeout:
+            job.timeout = timeout  # _timeout_in_seconds(timeout)
+        else:
+            job.timeout = 180  # default
+
         job.save()
         self.push_job_id(job.id)
         return job
diff --git a/rq/timeouts.py b/rq/timeouts.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72b827e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rq/timeouts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import signal
+
+
+class JobTimeoutException(Exception):
+    """Raised when a job takes longer to complete than the allowed maximum
+    timeout value.
+    """
+    pass
+
+
+class death_pentalty_after(object):
+    def __init__(self, timeout):
+        self._timeout = timeout
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        self.setup_death_penalty()
+
+    def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
+        # Always cancel immediately, since we're done
+        try:
+            self.cancel_death_penalty()
+        except JobTimeoutException:
+            # Weird case: we're done with the with body, but now the alarm is
+            # fired.  We may safely ignore this situation and consider the
+            # body done.
+            pass
+
+        # __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 normally to the
+        # invoking context.
+        return False
+
+    def handle_death_penalty(self, signum, frame):
+        raise JobTimeoutException('Job exceeded maximum timeout '
+                'value (%d seconds).' % self._timeout)
+
+    def setup_death_penalty(self):
+        """Sets up an alarm signal and a signal handler that raises
+        a JobTimeoutException after the timeout amount (expressed in
+        seconds).
+        """
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, self.handle_death_penalty)
+        signal.alarm(self._timeout)
+
+    def cancel_death_penalty(self):
+        """Removes the death penalty alarm and puts back the system into
+        default signal handling.
+        """
+        signal.alarm(0)
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, signal.SIG_DFL)
diff --git a/rq/worker.py b/rq/worker.py
index 25830aa..142948a 100644
--- a/rq/worker.py
+++ b/rq/worker.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import sys
 import os
 import errno
 import random
@@ -17,6 +16,7 @@ from .queue import Queue, FailedQueue
 from .proxy import conn
 from .utils import make_colorizer
 from .exceptions import NoQueueError, UnpickleError
+from .timeouts import death_pentalty_after
 
 green = make_colorizer('darkgreen')
 yellow = make_colorizer('darkyellow')
@@ -295,14 +295,14 @@ class Worker(object):
         return did_perform_work
 
     def fork_and_perform_job(self, job):
+        """Spawns a work horse to perform the actual work and passes it a job.
+        The worker will wait for the work horse and make sure it executes
+        within the given timeout bounds, or will end the work horse with
+        SIGALRM.
+        """
         child_pid = os.fork()
         if child_pid == 0:
-            self._is_horse = True
-            random.seed()
-            self.log = Logger('horse')
-
-            success = self.perform_job(job)
-            sys.exit(int(not success))
+            self.main_work_horse(job)
         else:
             self._horse_pid = child_pid
             self.procline('Forked %d at %d' % (child_pid, time.time()))
@@ -320,12 +320,31 @@ class Worker(object):
                     if e.errno != errno.EINTR:
                         raise
 
+    def main_work_horse(self, job):
+        """This is the entry point of the newly spawned work horse."""
+        # After fork()'ing, always assure we are generating random sequences
+        # that are different from the worker.
+        random.seed()
+        self._is_horse = True
+        self.log = Logger('horse')
+
+        success = self.perform_job(job)
+
+        # os._exit() is the way to exit from childs after a fork(), in
+        # constrast to the regular sys.exit()
+        os._exit(int(not success))
+
     def perform_job(self, job):
+        """Performs the actual work of a job.  Will/should only be called
+        inside the work horse's process.
+        """
         self.procline('Processing %s from %s since %s' % (
             job.func.__name__,
             job.origin, time.time()))
+
         try:
-            rv = job.perform()
+            with death_pentalty_after(job.timeout or 180):
+                rv = job.perform()
         except Exception as e:
             fq = self.failed_queue
             self.log.exception(red(str(e)))
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..1c24bba 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from redis import Redis
 from logbook import NullHandler
 from rq import conn
 
+
 def find_empty_redis_database():
     """Tries to connect to a random Redis database (starting from 4), and
     will use/connect it when no keys are in there.
@@ -15,6 +16,18 @@ 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.
 
@@ -52,5 +65,5 @@ class RQTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # Pop the connection to Redis
         testconn = conn.pop()
-        assert testconn == cls.testconn, 'Wow, something really nasty happened to the Redis connection stack. Check your setup.'
-
+        assert testconn == cls.testconn, 'Wow, something really nasty ' \
+                'happened to the Redis connection stack. Check your setup.'
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index 917073a..36d0c8a 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 This file contains all jobs that are used in tests.  Each of these test
 fixtures has a slighty different characteristics.
 """
+import time
+
 
 def say_hello(name=None):
     """A job with a single argument and a return value."""
@@ -9,20 +11,24 @@ def say_hello(name=None):
         name = 'Stranger'
     return 'Hi there, %s!' % (name,)
 
+
 def do_nothing():
     """The best job in the world."""
     pass
 
+
 def div_by_zero(x):
     """Prepare for a division-by-zero exception."""
     return x / 0
 
+
 def some_calculation(x, y, z=1):
     """Some arbitrary calculation with three numbers.  Choose z smartly if you
     want a division by zero exception.
     """
     return x * y / z
 
+
 def create_file(path):
     """Creates a file at the given path.  Actually, leaves evidence that the
     job ran."""
@@ -30,3 +36,6 @@ def create_file(path):
         f.write('Just a sentinel.')
 
 
+def create_file_after_timeout(path, timeout):
+    time.sleep(timeout)
+    create_file(path)
diff --git a/tests/test_job.py b/tests/test_job.py
index 5669618..ff260d5 100644
--- a/tests/test_job.py
+++ b/tests/test_job.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ class TestJob(RQTestCase):
                 ['created_at', 'data', 'description'])
 
     def test_store_then_fetch(self):
+        """Store, then fetch."""
         job = Job.create(some_calculation, 3, 4, z=2)
         job.save()
 
@@ -149,4 +150,3 @@ class TestJob(RQTestCase):
         self.testconn.hset(job.key, 'data', unimportable_data)
         with self.assertRaises(UnpickleError):
             job.refresh()
-
diff --git a/tests/test_worker.py b/tests/test_worker.py
index 19086e2..92f177c 100644
--- a/tests/test_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_worker.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
-from tests import RQTestCase
-from tests.fixtures import say_hello, div_by_zero, do_nothing, create_file
+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
 from rq import Queue, Worker, Job
 
@@ -16,10 +17,12 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         """Worker processes work, then quits."""
         fooq, barq = Queue('foo'), Queue('bar')
         w = Worker([fooq, barq])
-        self.assertEquals(w.work(burst=True), False, 'Did not expect any work on the queue.')
+        self.assertEquals(w.work(burst=True), False,
+                'Did not expect any work on the queue.')
 
         fooq.enqueue(say_hello, name='Frank')
-        self.assertEquals(w.work(burst=True), True, 'Expected at least some work done.')
+        self.assertEquals(w.work(burst=True), True,
+                'Expected at least some work done.')
 
     def test_work_is_unreadable(self):
         """Unreadable jobs are put on the failed queue."""
@@ -78,13 +81,13 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         job = Job.fetch(job.id)
         self.assertEquals(job.origin, q.name)
 
-        # should be the original enqueued_at date, not the date of enqueueing to
-        # the failed queue
+        # Should be the original enqueued_at date, not the date of enqueueing
+        # to the failed queue
         self.assertEquals(job.enqueued_at, enqueued_at_date)
         self.assertIsNotNone(job.exc_info)  # should contain exc_info
 
 
-    def test_cancelled_jobs_arent_executed(self):
+    def test_cancelled_jobs_arent_executed(self):  # noqa
         """Cancelling jobs."""
 
         SENTINEL_FILE = '/tmp/rq-tests.txt'
@@ -129,3 +132,31 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         # results are immediately removed
         assert self.testconn.ttl(job_with_rv.key) > 0
         assert self.testconn.exists(job_without_rv.key) == False
+
+
+    @slow  # noqa
+    def test_timeouts(self):
+        """Worker kills jobs after timeout."""
+        sentinel_file = '/tmp/.rq_sentinel'
+
+        q = Queue()
+        w = Worker([q])
+
+        # Put it on the queue with a timeout value
+        res = q.enqueue(
+                create_file_after_timeout, sentinel_file, 4,
+                timeout=1)
+
+        try:
+            os.unlink(sentinel_file)
+        except OSError as e:
+            if e.errno == 2:
+                pass
+
+        self.assertEquals(os.path.exists(sentinel_file), False)
+        w.work(burst=True)
+        self.assertEquals(os.path.exists(sentinel_file), False)
+
+        # TODO: Having to do the manual refresh() here is really ugly!
+        res.refresh()
+        self.assertIn('JobTimeoutException', res.exc_info)