diff --git a/lib/api.js b/lib/api.js
index d82d2937c..03707eaf8 100644
--- a/lib/api.js
+++ b/lib/api.js
@@ -73,10 +73,16 @@ export default class Api extends Emittery {
 		const pendingWorkers = new Set();
 		const timedOutWorkerFiles = new Set();
 		let restartTimer;
+		let ignoreTimeoutsUntil = 0;
 		if (apiOptions.timeout && !apiOptions.debug) {
 			const timeout = ms(apiOptions.timeout);
 
 			restartTimer = debounce(() => {
+				if (Date.now() < ignoreTimeoutsUntil) {
+					restartTimer();
+					return;
+				}
+
 				// If failFast is active, prevent new test files from running after
 				// the current ones are exited.
 				if (failFast) {
@@ -233,6 +239,11 @@ export default class Api extends Emittery {
 				}
 
 				const worker = fork(file, options, apiOptions.nodeArguments);
+				worker.onStateChange(data => {
+					if (data.type === 'test-timeout-configured' && !apiOptions.debug) {
+						ignoreTimeoutsUntil = Math.max(ignoreTimeoutsUntil, Date.now() + data.period);
+					}
+				});
 				runStatus.observeWorker(worker, file, {selectingLines: lineNumbers.length > 0});
 				deregisteredSharedWorkers.push(observeWorkerProcess(worker, runStatus));
 
diff --git a/lib/runner.js b/lib/runner.js
index 69af03f3a..ae375a277 100644
--- a/lib/runner.js
+++ b/lib/runner.js
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 			return true;
 		};
 
+		this.notifyTimeoutUpdate = timeoutMs => {
+			this.emit('stateChange', {
+				type: 'test-timeout-configured',
+				period: timeoutMs
+			});
+		};
+
 		let hasStarted = false;
 		let scheduledStart = false;
 		const meta = Object.freeze({
@@ -290,7 +297,8 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 			powerAssert: this.powerAssert,
 			title: `${task.title}${titleSuffix || ''}`,
 			isHook: true,
-			testPassed
+			testPassed,
+			notifyTimeoutUpdate: this.notifyTimeoutUpdate
 		}));
 		const outcome = await this.runMultiple(hooks, this.serial);
 		for (const result of outcome.storedResults) {
@@ -341,7 +349,8 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 				metadata: task.metadata,
 				powerAssert: this.powerAssert,
 				title: task.title,
-				registerUniqueTitle: this.registerUniqueTitle
+				registerUniqueTitle: this.registerUniqueTitle,
+				notifyTimeoutUpdate: this.notifyTimeoutUpdate
 			});
 
 			const result = await this.runSingle(test);
diff --git a/lib/test.js b/lib/test.js
index f7fae4536..14d96475f 100644
--- a/lib/test.js
+++ b/lib/test.js
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ export default class Test {
 		this.registerUniqueTitle = options.registerUniqueTitle;
 		this.logs = [];
 		this.teardowns = [];
+		this.notifyTimeoutUpdate = options.notifyTimeoutUpdate;
 
 		const {snapshotBelongsTo = this.title, nextSnapshotIndex = 0} = options;
 		this.snapshotBelongsTo = snapshotBelongsTo;
@@ -431,6 +432,8 @@ export default class Test {
 				this.finishDueToTimeout();
 			}
 		}, ms);
+
+		this.notifyTimeoutUpdate(this.timeoutMs);
 	}
 
 	refreshTimeout() {
diff --git a/test-tap/api.js b/test-tap/api.js
index 2d4137faa..afcf36b54 100644
--- a/test-tap/api.js
+++ b/test-tap/api.js
@@ -291,7 +291,8 @@ for (const opt of opts) {
 
 		return api.run({files: [
 			path.join(__dirname, 'fixture/fail-fast/timeout/fails.cjs'),
-			path.join(__dirname, 'fixture/fail-fast/timeout/passes.cjs')
+			path.join(__dirname, 'fixture/fail-fast/timeout/passes.cjs'),
+			path.join(__dirname, 'fixture/fail-fast/timeout/passes-slow.cjs')
 		]})
 			.then(runStatus => {
 				t.ok(api.options.failFast);
diff --git a/test-tap/fixture/fail-fast/timeout/passes-slow.cjs b/test-tap/fixture/fail-fast/timeout/passes-slow.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8eadb0c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-tap/fixture/fail-fast/timeout/passes-slow.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+const delay = require('delay');
+
+const test = require('../../../../entrypoints/main.cjs');
+
+test('slow pass with timeout', async t => {
+	t.timeout(120);
+	await delay(110);
+	t.pass();
+});
diff --git a/test-tap/helper/ava-test.js b/test-tap/helper/ava-test.js
index 3e3ef13c1..dc4ac17df 100644
--- a/test-tap/helper/ava-test.js
+++ b/test-tap/helper/ava-test.js
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ export function withExperiments(experiments = {}) {
 			fn,
 			registerUniqueTitle,
 			metadata: {type: 'test'},
-			title
+			title,
+			notifyTimeoutUpdate() {}
 		});
 	}
 
@@ -32,7 +33,8 @@ export function withExperiments(experiments = {}) {
 			fn,
 			registerUniqueTitle,
 			metadata: {type: 'test', failing: true},
-			title: 'test.failing'
+			title: 'test.failing',
+			notifyTimeoutUpdate() {}
 		});
 	};
 
diff --git a/test-tap/runner.js b/test-tap/runner.js
index 91a85f826..f249158be 100644
--- a/test-tap/runner.js
+++ b/test-tap/runner.js
@@ -63,6 +63,21 @@ test('runner emits "stateChange" events', t => {
 	});
 });
 
+test('notifyTimeoutUpdate emits "stateChange" event', t => {
+	const runner = new Runner();
+
+	runner.on('stateChange', evt => {
+		if (evt.type === 'test-timeout-configured') {
+			t.same(evt, {
+				type: 'test-timeout-configured',
+				period: 120
+			});
+			t.end();
+		}
+	});
+	runner.notifyTimeoutUpdate(120);
+});
+
 test('run serial tests before concurrent ones', t => {
 	const array = [];
 	return promiseEnd(new Runner(), runner => {