diff --git a/tests/t_server_null_server.sh b/tests/t_server_null_server.sh
index 10bb44b..bcbd002 100755
--- a/tests/t_server_null_server.sh
+++ b/tests/t_server_null_server.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
     status="${server_name}.status"
     pid="${server_name}.pid"
 
+    # limit CPU time of processes to "5 minutes"
+    # (so a stuck-and-looping process will auto-terminate)
+    ulimit -t 300
+
     if [ -z "${RUN_SUDO}" ]; then
         rm -f "${status}" "${log}" "${pid}"
         "${server_exec}" \