diff --git a/client/app.cpp b/client/app.cpp
index c5dd8d0de6..a7ccbec5db 100644
--- a/client/app.cpp
+++ b/client/app.cpp
@@ -283,6 +283,13 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::init(RESULT* rp) {
     wup = rp->wup;
     app_version = rp->avp;
     max_elapsed_time = rp->wup->rsc_fpops_bound/rp->avp->flops;
+    if (max_elapsed_time < MIN_TIME_BOUND) {
+        msg_printf(wup->project, MSG_INFO,
+            "Elapsed time limit %f < %f; setting to %f",
+            max_elapsed_time, MIN_TIME_BOUND, DEFAULT_TIME_BOUND
+        );
+        max_elapsed_time = DEFAULT_TIME_BOUND;
+    }
     max_disk_usage = rp->wup->rsc_disk_bound;
     max_mem_usage = rp->wup->rsc_memory_bound;
     get_slot_dir(slot, slot_dir, sizeof(slot_dir));
diff --git a/client/client_state.h b/client/client_state.h
index 4e8294762f..b5c79bfcaf 100644
--- a/client/client_state.h
+++ b/client/client_state.h
@@ -624,6 +624,14 @@ extern THREAD throttle_thread;
 #define MAX_STARTUP_TIME    10
     // if app startup takes longer than this, quit loop
 
+#define MIN_TIME_BOUND  120.
+#define DEFAULT_TIME_BOUND  1800.
+    // if ACTIVE_TASK::max_elapsed_time is < MIN, set it to DEFAULT
+    // This is a sanity check, so that bad values for
+    // wup->rsc_fpops_bound or avp->flops won't cause jobs
+    // to get aborted after a few seconds
+    // The values are a bit arbitrary.
+
 //////// NETWORK
 
 #define CONNECT_ERROR_PERIOD    600.0