diff --git a/orte/mca/state/base/state_base_fns.c b/orte/mca/state/base/state_base_fns.c
index dc841d891d..c849de87e2 100644
--- a/orte/mca/state/base/state_base_fns.c
+++ b/orte/mca/state/base/state_base_fns.c
@@ -783,6 +783,13 @@ void orte_state_base_check_all_complete(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
     OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((2, orte_state_base_framework.framework_output,
                          "%s state:base:check_job_completed all jobs terminated",
                          ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME)));
+
+    /* stop the job timeout event, if set */
+    if (NULL != orte_mpiexec_timeout) {
+        OBJ_RELEASE(orte_mpiexec_timeout);
+        orte_mpiexec_timeout = NULL;
+    }
+
     /* set the exit status to 0 - this will only happen if it
      * wasn't already set by an error condition
      */
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c
index 131b5292e0..f3e3029b05 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c
@@ -123,9 +123,9 @@ bool orte_orteds_term_ordered = false;
 bool orte_allowed_exit_without_sync = false;
 
 int orte_startup_timeout;
-
 int orte_timeout_usec_per_proc;
 float orte_max_timeout;
+orte_timer_t *orte_mpiexec_timeout = NULL;
 
 opal_buffer_t *orte_tree_launch_cmd = NULL;
 
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h
index e3deb87e39..f284045bf7 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ ORTE_DECLSPEC extern int orte_startup_timeout;
 
 ORTE_DECLSPEC extern int orte_timeout_usec_per_proc;
 ORTE_DECLSPEC extern float orte_max_timeout;
-
+ORTE_DECLSPEC extern orte_timer_t *orte_mpiexec_timeout;
 ORTE_DECLSPEC extern opal_buffer_t *orte_tree_launch_cmd;
 
 /* global arrays for data storage */
diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index beae15cf27..c357298386 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ static void open_fifo (void);
 
 ORTE_DECLSPEC void* MPIR_Breakpoint(void);
 
+static void orte_timeout_wakeup(int sd, short args, void *cbdata);
+
 /*
  * Breakpoint function for parallel debuggers
  */
@@ -1022,6 +1024,23 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
     }
 
+    /* check for a job timeout specification, to be provided in seconds
+     * as that is what MPICH used
+     */
+    if (NULL != (param = getenv("MPIEXEC_TIMEOUT"))) {
+        if (NULL == (orte_mpiexec_timeout = OBJ_NEW(orte_timer_t))) {
+            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE);
+            ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE);
+            goto DONE;
+        }
+        orte_mpiexec_timeout->tv.tv_sec = strtol(param, NULL, 10);
+        orte_mpiexec_timeout->tv.tv_usec = 0;
+        opal_event_evtimer_set(orte_event_base, orte_mpiexec_timeout->ev,
+                               orte_timeout_wakeup, jdata);
+        opal_event_set_priority(orte_mpiexec_timeout->ev, ORTE_ERROR_PRI);
+        opal_event_evtimer_add(orte_mpiexec_timeout->ev, &orte_mpiexec_timeout->tv);
+    }
+
     /* spawn the job and its daemons */
     rc = orte_plm.spawn(jdata);
 
@@ -3037,3 +3056,17 @@ static void build_debugger_args(orte_app_context_t *debugger)
         }
     }
 }
+
+void orte_timeout_wakeup(int sd, short args, void *cbdata)
+{
+    orte_job_t *jdata = (orte_job_t*)cbdata;
+
+    /* this function gets called when the job execution time
+     * has hit a prescribed limit - so just abort
+     */
+    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+    /* abort the job */
+    ORTE_ACTIVATE_JOB_STATE(jdata, ORTE_JOB_STATE_FORCED_EXIT);
+    /* set the global abnormal exit flag  */
+    orte_abnormal_term_ordered = true;
+}