diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py
index 3e43224a50fa..c6864f295df9 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import os
 
 import mock
 from oslo_concurrency import processutils
+import six
 
 from nova import exception
 from nova import test
@@ -54,6 +55,16 @@ class QemuTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                           'qcow2',
                           'raw')
 
+    @mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute')
+    @mock.patch.object(os.path, 'exists', return_value=True)
+    def test_convert_image_with_prlimit_fail(self, path, mocked_execute):
+        mocked_execute.side_effect = \
+            processutils.ProcessExecutionError(exit_code=-9)
+        exc = self.assertRaises(exception.InvalidDiskInfo,
+                                images.qemu_img_info,
+                                '/fake/path')
+        self.assertIn('qemu-img aborted by prlimits', six.text_type(exc))
+
     @mock.patch.object(images, 'convert_image',
                        side_effect=exception.ImageUnacceptable)
     @mock.patch.object(images, 'qemu_img_info')
diff --git a/nova/virt/images.py b/nova/virt/images.py
index 3a4fb93df945..1c837a68af41 100644
--- a/nova/virt/images.py
+++ b/nova/virt/images.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ CONF = nova.conf.CONF
 IMAGE_API = image.API()
 
 QEMU_IMG_LIMITS = processutils.ProcessLimits(
-    cpu_time=2,
+    cpu_time=8,
     address_space=1 * units.Gi)
 
 
@@ -62,8 +62,13 @@ def qemu_img_info(path, format=None):
             cmd = cmd + ('-f', format)
         out, err = utils.execute(*cmd, prlimit=QEMU_IMG_LIMITS)
     except processutils.ProcessExecutionError as exp:
-        msg = (_("qemu-img failed to execute on %(path)s : %(exp)s") %
-                {'path': path, 'exp': exp})
+        # this means we hit prlimits, make the exception more specific
+        if exp.exit_code == -9:
+            msg = (_("qemu-img aborted by prlimits when inspecting "
+                    "%(path)s : %(exp)s") % {'path': path, 'exp': exp})
+        else:
+            msg = (_("qemu-img failed to execute on %(path)s : %(exp)s") %
+                   {'path': path, 'exp': exp})
         raise exception.InvalidDiskInfo(reason=msg)
 
     if not out: