diff --git a/rq/job.py b/rq/job.py
index c91c7811..0939eed3 100644
--- a/rq/job.py
+++ b/rq/job.py
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ class Job(object):
         """
         key = self.key
         properties = ['data', 'created_at', 'origin', 'description',
-                'enqueued_at', 'ended_at', 'result', 'exc_info']
+                'enqueued_at', 'ended_at', 'result', 'exc_info', 'timeout']
         data, created_at, origin, description, \
                 enqueued_at, ended_at, result, \
-                exc_info = conn.hmget(key, properties)
+                exc_info, timeout = conn.hmget(key, properties)
         if data is None:
             raise NoSuchJobError('No such job: %s' % (key,))
 
@@ -164,6 +164,10 @@ class Job(object):
         self.ended_at = to_date(ended_at)
         self._result = result
         self.exc_info = exc_info
+        if timeout is None:
+            self.timeout = None
+        else:
+            self.timeout = int(timeout)
 
     def save(self):
         """Persists the current job instance to its corresponding Redis key."""
@@ -186,6 +190,8 @@ class Job(object):
             obj['result'] = self._result
         if self.exc_info is not None:
             obj['exc_info'] = self.exc_info
+        if self.timeout is not None:
+            obj['timeout'] = self.timeout
 
         conn.hmset(key, obj)
 
diff --git a/rq/queue.py b/rq/queue.py
index 7ec1efe9..f783be74 100644
--- a/rq/queue.py
+++ b/rq/queue.py
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ class Queue(object):
         name = queue_key[len(prefix):]
         return Queue(name)
 
-    def __init__(self, name='default'):
+    def __init__(self, name='default', default_timeout=None):
         prefix = self.redis_queue_namespace_prefix
         self.name = name
         self._key = '%s%s' % (prefix, name)
+        self._default_timeout = default_timeout
 
     @property
     def key(self):
@@ -99,24 +100,38 @@ class Queue(object):
 
         Expects the function to call, along with the arguments and keyword
         arguments.
+
+        The special keyword `timeout` is reserved for `enqueue()` itself and
+        it won't be passed to the actual job function.
         """
         if f.__module__ == '__main__':
             raise ValueError(
                     'Functions from the __main__ module cannot be processed '
                     'by workers.')
 
+        timeout = kwargs.pop('timeout', None)
         job = Job.create(f, *args, **kwargs)
-        return self.enqueue_job(job)
+        return self.enqueue_job(job, timeout=timeout)
 
-    def enqueue_job(self, job, set_meta_data=True):
+    def enqueue_job(self, job, timeout=None, set_meta_data=True):
         """Enqueues a job for delayed execution.
 
+        When the `timeout` argument is sent, it will overrides the default
+        timeout value of 180 seconds.  `timeout` may either be a string or
+        integer.
+
         If the `set_meta_data` argument is `True` (default), it will update
         the properties `origin` and `enqueued_at`.
         """
         if set_meta_data:
             job.origin = self.name
             job.enqueued_at = times.now()
+
+        if timeout:
+            job.timeout = timeout  # _timeout_in_seconds(timeout)
+        else:
+            job.timeout = 180  # default
+
         job.save()
         self.push_job_id(job.id)
         return job
diff --git a/rq/worker.py b/rq/worker.py
index 25830aa7..71b887d3 100644
--- a/rq/worker.py
+++ b/rq/worker.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import sys
 import os
 import errno
 import random
@@ -295,14 +294,14 @@ class Worker(object):
         return did_perform_work
 
     def fork_and_perform_job(self, job):
+        """Spawns a work horse to perform the actual work and passes it a job.
+        The worker will wait for the work horse and make sure it executes
+        within the given timeout bounds, or will end the work horse with
+        SIGALRM.
+        """
         child_pid = os.fork()
         if child_pid == 0:
-            self._is_horse = True
-            random.seed()
-            self.log = Logger('horse')
-
-            success = self.perform_job(job)
-            sys.exit(int(not success))
+            self.main_work_horse(job)
         else:
             self._horse_pid = child_pid
             self.procline('Forked %d at %d' % (child_pid, time.time()))
@@ -320,13 +319,62 @@ class Worker(object):
                     if e.errno != errno.EINTR:
                         raise
 
+    def main_work_horse(self, job):
+        """This is the entry point of the newly spawned work horse."""
+        # After fork()'ing, always assure we are generating random sequences
+        # that are different from the worker.
+        random.seed()
+        self._is_horse = True
+        self.log = Logger('horse')
+
+        success = self.perform_job(job)
+
+        # os._exit() is the way to exit from childs after a fork(), in
+        # constrast to the regular sys.exit()
+        os._exit(int(not success))
+
+    def raise_death_penalty_after(self, timeout):
+        """Sets up an alarm signal and a signal handler that raises
+        a JobTimeoutException after the given `timeout` amount (expressed
+        in seconds).
+        """
+
+        class JobTimeoutException(Exception):
+            """Raised when a job takes longer to complete than the allowed
+            maximum time.
+            """
+            pass
+
+        # Setup a timeout handler
+        def timeout_handler(signum, frame):
+            raise JobTimeoutException('Job exceeded maximum timeout '
+                    'value (%d seconds).' % timeout)
+
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, timeout_handler)
+        signal.alarm(timeout)
+
+    def cancel_death_penalty(self):
+        """Removes the death penalty alarm and puts back the system into
+        default signal handling.
+        """
+        signal.alarm(0)
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, signal.SIG_DFL)
+
     def perform_job(self, job):
+        """Performs the actual work of a job.  Will/should only be called
+        inside the work horse's process.
+        """
         self.procline('Processing %s from %s since %s' % (
             job.func.__name__,
             job.origin, time.time()))
+
+        # Set up death penalty
+        self.raise_death_penalty_after(job.timeout or 180)
         try:
             rv = job.perform()
+            self.cancel_death_penalty()
         except Exception as e:
+            self.cancel_death_penalty()
             fq = self.failed_queue
             self.log.exception(red(str(e)))
             self.log.warning('Moving job to %s queue.' % fq.name)