diff --git a/src/build/build.v b/src/build/build.v
index c69a6132..756e8f6f 100644
--- a/src/build/build.v
+++ b/src/build/build.v
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ pub:
 }
 
 // build_target builds the given target. Internally it calls `build_config`.
-pub fn build_target(address string, api_key string, base_image_id string, target &Target, force bool) !BuildResult {
-	config := target.as_build_config(base_image_id, force)
+pub fn build_target(address string, api_key string, base_image_id string, target &Target, force bool, timeout int) !BuildResult {
+	config := target.as_build_config(base_image_id, force, timeout)
 
 	return build_config(address, api_key, config)
 }
diff --git a/src/build/queue.v b/src/build/queue.v
index 73068ac4..bc4db9d7 100644
--- a/src/build/queue.v
+++ b/src/build/queue.v
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ pub struct BuildJobQueue {
 	default_schedule &cron.Expression
 	// Base image to use for targets without defined base image
 	default_base_image string
+	// After how many minutes a build should be forcefully cancelled
+	default_build_timeout int
 mut:
 	mutex shared util.Dummy
 	// For each architecture, a priority queue is tracked
@@ -44,10 +46,11 @@ mut:
 }
 
 // new_job_queue initializes a new job queue
-pub fn new_job_queue(default_schedule &cron.Expression, default_base_image string) BuildJobQueue {
+pub fn new_job_queue(default_schedule &cron.Expression, default_base_image string, default_build_timeout int) BuildJobQueue {
 	return BuildJobQueue{
 		default_schedule: unsafe { default_schedule }
 		default_base_image: default_base_image
+		default_build_timeout: default_build_timeout
 		invalidated: map[int]time.Time{}
 	}
 }
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ pub fn (mut q BuildJobQueue) insert(input InsertConfig) ! {
 		mut job := BuildJob{
 			created: time.now()
 			single: input.single
-			config: input.target.as_build_config(q.default_base_image, input.force)
+			config: input.target.as_build_config(q.default_base_image, input.force, q.default_build_timeout)
 		}
 
 		if !input.now {
diff --git a/src/console/targets/build.v b/src/console/targets/build.v
index a59e6a10..93464af2 100644
--- a/src/console/targets/build.v
+++ b/src/console/targets/build.v
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import os
 import build
 
 // build locally builds the target with the given id.
-fn build_target(conf Config, target_id int, force bool) ! {
+fn build_target(conf Config, target_id int, force bool, timeout int) ! {
 	c := client.new(conf.address, conf.api_key)
 	target := c.get_target(target_id)!
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ fn build_target(conf Config, target_id int, force bool) ! {
 	image_id := build.create_build_image(conf.base_image)!
 
 	println('Running build...')
-	res := build.build_target(conf.address, conf.api_key, image_id, target, force)!
+	res := build.build_target(conf.address, conf.api_key, image_id, target, force, timeout)!
 
 	println('Removing build image...')
 
diff --git a/src/console/targets/targets.v b/src/console/targets/targets.v
index 676fa0a3..80fc36b6 100644
--- a/src/console/targets/targets.v
+++ b/src/console/targets/targets.v
@@ -232,6 +232,12 @@ pub fn cmd() cli.Command {
 						description: 'Architecture to schedule build for. Required when using -remote.'
 						flag: cli.FlagType.string
 					},
+					cli.Flag{
+						name: 'timeout'
+						description: 'After how many minutes to cancel the build. Only applies to local builds.'
+						flag: cli.FlagType.int
+						default_value: ['60']
+					},
 				]
 				execute: fn (cmd cli.Command) ! {
 					config_file := cmd.flags.get_string('config-file')!
@@ -239,6 +245,7 @@ pub fn cmd() cli.Command {
 
 					remote := cmd.flags.get_bool('remote')!
 					force := cmd.flags.get_bool('force')!
+					timeout := cmd.flags.get_int('timeout')!
 					target_id := cmd.args[0].int()
 
 					if remote {
@@ -251,7 +258,7 @@ pub fn cmd() cli.Command {
 						c := client.new(conf_.address, conf_.api_key)
 						c.queue_job(target_id, arch, force)!
 					} else {
-						build_target(conf_, target_id, force)!
+						build_target(conf_, target_id, force, timeout)!
 					}
 				}
 			},
diff --git a/src/models/builds.v b/src/models/builds.v
index be2910ca..6923115b 100644
--- a/src/models/builds.v
+++ b/src/models/builds.v
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ pub:
 	repo       string
 	base_image string
 	force      bool
+	timeout    int
 }
 
 // str return a single-line string representation of a build log
 pub fn (c BuildConfig) str() string {
-	return '{ target: ${c.target_id}, kind: ${c.kind}, url: ${c.url}, branch: ${c.branch}, path: ${c.path}, repo: ${c.repo}, base_image: ${c.base_image}, force: ${c.force} }'
+	return '{ target: ${c.target_id}, kind: ${c.kind}, url: ${c.url}, branch: ${c.branch}, path: ${c.path}, repo: ${c.repo}, base_image: ${c.base_image}, force: ${c.force}, timeout: ${c.timeout} }'
 }
diff --git a/src/models/targets.v b/src/models/targets.v
index 3c0c9cf1..14cc8a62 100644
--- a/src/models/targets.v
+++ b/src/models/targets.v
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub fn (t &Target) str() string {
 
 // as_build_config converts a Target into a BuildConfig, given some extra
 // needed information.
-pub fn (t &Target) as_build_config(base_image string, force bool) BuildConfig {
+pub fn (t &Target) as_build_config(base_image string, force bool, timeout int) BuildConfig {
 	return BuildConfig{
 		target_id: t.id
 		kind: t.kind
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ pub fn (t &Target) as_build_config(base_image string, force bool) BuildConfig {
 		repo: t.repo
 		base_image: base_image
 		force: force
+		timeout: timeout
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server/cli.v b/src/server/cli.v
index 08ad5f82..c24812d3 100644
--- a/src/server/cli.v
+++ b/src/server/cli.v
@@ -5,17 +5,18 @@ import conf as vconf
 
 struct Config {
 pub:
-	port                 int    = 8000
-	log_level            string = 'WARN'
-	pkg_dir              string
-	data_dir             string
-	api_key              string
-	default_arch         string
-	global_schedule      string = '0 3'
-	base_image           string = 'archlinux:base-devel'
-	max_log_age          int    [empty_default]
-	log_removal_schedule string = '0 0'
-	collect_metrics      bool   [empty_default]
+	port                  int    = 8000
+	log_level             string = 'WARN'
+	pkg_dir               string
+	data_dir              string
+	api_key               string
+	default_arch          string
+	global_schedule       string = '0 3'
+	base_image            string = 'archlinux:base-devel'
+	max_log_age           int    [empty_default]
+	log_removal_schedule  string = '0 0'
+	collect_metrics       bool   [empty_default]
+	default_build_timeout int = 60
 }
 
 // cmd returns the cli submodule that handles starting the server
diff --git a/src/server/server.v b/src/server/server.v
index 4cccb270..e1516fa8 100644
--- a/src/server/server.v
+++ b/src/server/server.v
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ pub fn server(conf Config) ! {
 		repo: repo_
 		db: db
 		collector: collector
-		job_queue: build.new_job_queue(global_ce, conf.base_image)
+		job_queue: build.new_job_queue(global_ce, conf.base_image, conf.default_build_timeout)
 	}
 	app.init_job_queue() or {
 		util.exit_with_message(1, 'Failed to inialize job queue: ${err.msg()}')