diff --git a/test/unit/electron/index.js b/test/unit/electron/index.js
index 39d14c3148e..7d85f302c7d 100644
--- a/test/unit/electron/index.js
+++ b/test/unit/electron/index.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const optimist = require('optimist')
 	.describe('reporter', 'the mocha reporter').string('reporter').default('reporter', 'spec')
 	.describe('reporter-options', 'the mocha reporter options').string('reporter-options').default('reporter-options', '')
 	.describe('wait-server', 'port to connect to and wait before running tests')
+	.describe('timeout', 'timeout for tests')
 	.describe('tfs').string('tfs')
 	.describe('help', 'show the help').alias('help', 'h');
 
diff --git a/test/unit/electron/renderer.js b/test/unit/electron/renderer.js
index a426deca4fe..afc02f20158 100644
--- a/test/unit/electron/renderer.js
+++ b/test/unit/electron/renderer.js
@@ -264,6 +264,10 @@ class IPCReporter {
 }
 
 function runTests(opts) {
+	// this *must* come before loadTests, or it doesn't work.
+	if (opts.timeout !== undefined) {
+		mocha.timeout(opts.timeout);
+	}
 
 	return loadTests(opts).then(() => {