diff --git a/roles/run-tempest/README.rst b/roles/run-tempest/README.rst
index e1787b64c9..d4b253aef4 100644
--- a/roles/run-tempest/README.rst
+++ b/roles/run-tempest/README.rst
@@ -67,3 +67,8 @@ Run Tempest
        ::
            vars:
              tox_extra_args: --sitepackages
+
+.. zuul:rolevar:: tempest_test_timeout
+   :default: ''
+
+   The timeout (in seconds) for each test.
diff --git a/roles/run-tempest/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-tempest/defaults/main.yaml
index 06918b5ad8..79df3e1bc1 100644
--- a/roles/run-tempest/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-tempest/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ tempest_test_regex: ''
 tox_envlist: smoke
 tempest_black_regex: ''
 tox_extra_args: ''
+tempest_test_timeout: ''
diff --git a/roles/run-tempest/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/run-tempest/tasks/main.yaml
index 16086aa8c7..24bd4dbddd 100644
--- a/roles/run-tempest/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-tempest/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -42,3 +42,4 @@
     chdir: "{{devstack_base_dir}}/tempest"
   become: true
   become_user: tempest
+  environment: '{{ {"OS_TEST_TIMEOUT": tempest_test_timeout} if tempest_test_timeout else {} }}'