diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f76ed09..8790846 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -155,6 +155,19 @@ def test_env_is_set():
 
 A factory is a callable that accepts a `port: int` argument and returns a context manager yielding an already-started `DockerContainer`. The framework passes the communication port automatically — the factory just needs to expose it and run `sleep infinity`.
 
+### Timeouts
+
+Tests running inside containers default to a 30-second timeout. If [pytest-timeout](https://pypi.org/project/pytest-timeout/) is installed, its `timeout` ini setting and `@pytest.mark.timeout` marker are respected automatically:
+
+```python
+import pytest
+
+@pytest.mark.timeout(60)
+@pytest.mark.in_container("python:alpine")
+def test_slow_operation():
+    ...
+```
+
 ## How It Works
 
 When a decorated test runs:
diff --git a/pytest_in_docker/_container.py b/pytest_in_docker/_container.py
index 61e22c9..228d86c 100644
--- a/pytest_in_docker/_container.py
+++ b/pytest_in_docker/_container.py
@@ -120,12 +120,15 @@ def _install_deps(container: DockerContainer, python: pathlib.Path) -> pathlib.P
     return python
 
 
-def _connect_with_retries(host: str, port: int) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
+def _connect_with_retries(
+    host: str, port: int, *, sync_request_timeout: int = 30
+) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
     """Connect to the rpyc server, retrying until it's ready."""
     last_err: Exception | None = None
     for _ in range(_CONNECT_RETRIES):
         try:
             conn = rpyc.classic.connect(host, port)
+            conn._config["sync_request_timeout"] = sync_request_timeout  # noqa: SLF001
             lo = conn.teleport(_loopback)
             if lo("hello") != "hello":
                 msg = "Failed to communicate with rpyc server on the container."
@@ -143,7 +146,9 @@ def _connect_with_retries(host: str, port: int) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
     raise ContainerPrepareError(msg)
 
 
-def bootstrap_container(container: DockerContainer) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
+def bootstrap_container(
+    container: DockerContainer, *, sync_request_timeout: int = 30
+) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
     """Install dependencies, start rpyc server, and return a verified connection."""
     python = _find_one_of(container, ["python3", "python"])
     _check_python_version(container, python)
@@ -163,4 +168,5 @@ def bootstrap_container(container: DockerContainer) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
     return _connect_with_retries(
         container.get_container_host_ip(),
         container.get_exposed_port(RPYC_PORT),
+        sync_request_timeout=sync_request_timeout,
     )
diff --git a/pytest_in_docker/_plugin.py b/pytest_in_docker/_plugin.py
index 1de7b04..9386d71 100644
--- a/pytest_in_docker/_plugin.py
+++ b/pytest_in_docker/_plugin.py
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ def _run_test_in_container(
     func: Any,  # noqa: ANN401
     container_spec: ContainerSpec,
     test_kwargs: dict[str, Any],
+    *,
+    sync_request_timeout: int = 30,
 ) -> None:
     """Run a test function inside a Docker container."""
     clean = _get_clean_func(func)
@@ -68,7 +70,10 @@ def _run_test_in_container(
             .with_exposed_ports(RPYC_PORT) as container
         ):
             started = container.start()
-            remote_func = bootstrap_container(started).teleport(clean)
+            conn = bootstrap_container(
+                started, sync_request_timeout=sync_request_timeout
+            )
+            remote_func = conn.teleport(clean)
             remote_func(**test_kwargs)
     elif isinstance(container_spec, BuildSpec):
         with (
@@ -78,17 +83,37 @@ def _run_test_in_container(
             .with_exposed_ports(RPYC_PORT) as container,
         ):
             started = container.start()
-            remote_func = bootstrap_container(started).teleport(clean)
+            conn = bootstrap_container(
+                started, sync_request_timeout=sync_request_timeout
+            )
+            remote_func = conn.teleport(clean)
             remote_func(**test_kwargs)
     elif isinstance(container_spec, FactorySpec):
         with container_spec.factory(RPYC_PORT) as container:
-            remote_func = bootstrap_container(container).teleport(clean)
+            conn = bootstrap_container(
+                container, sync_request_timeout=sync_request_timeout
+            )
+            remote_func = conn.teleport(clean)
             remote_func(**test_kwargs)
     else:
         msg = "Invalid container specification."
         raise InvalidContainerSpecError(msg)
 
 
+def _get_timeout(pyfuncitem: Function) -> int:
+    """Read the pytest timeout marker, falling back to the ini default or 30s."""
+    timeout_marker = pyfuncitem.get_closest_marker("timeout")
+    if timeout_marker and timeout_marker.args:
+        return int(timeout_marker.args[0])
+    try:
+        ini_val = pyfuncitem.config.getini("timeout")
+    except ValueError:
+        return 30
+    if ini_val:
+        return int(ini_val)
+    return 30
+
+
 def pytest_pyfunc_call(pyfuncitem: Function) -> object | None:
     """Intercept test execution for in_container-marked tests."""
     marker = pyfuncitem.get_closest_marker("in_container")
@@ -100,5 +125,10 @@ def pytest_pyfunc_call(pyfuncitem: Function) -> object | None:
     argnames = pyfuncitem._fixtureinfo.argnames  # noqa: SLF001
     test_kwargs = {arg: funcargs[arg] for arg in argnames}
     container_spec = _resolve_container_spec(marker, funcargs)
-    _run_test_in_container(testfunction, container_spec, test_kwargs)
+    _run_test_in_container(
+        testfunction,
+        container_spec,
+        test_kwargs,
+        sync_request_timeout=_get_timeout(pyfuncitem),
+    )
     return True