diff --git a/worker/job.go b/worker/job.go
index c77528c..1f89130 100644
--- a/worker/job.go
+++ b/worker/job.go
@@ -170,19 +170,29 @@ func (m *mirrorJob) Run(managerChan chan<- jobMessage, semaphore chan empty) err
 			}
 			// Now terminating the provider is feasible
 
+			var termErr error
+			timeout := provider.Timeout()
+			if timeout <= 0 {
+				timeout = 100000 * time.Hour // never time out
+			}
 			select {
 			case syncErr = <-syncDone:
 				logger.Debug("syncing done")
+			case <-time.After(timeout):
+				logger.Notice("provider timeout")
+				stopASAP = true
+				termErr = provider.Terminate()
+				syncErr = fmt.Errorf("%s timeout after %v", m.Name(), timeout)
 			case <-kill:
 				logger.Debug("received kill")
 				stopASAP = true
-				err := provider.Terminate()
-				if err != nil {
-					logger.Errorf("failed to terminate provider %s: %s", m.Name(), err.Error())
-					return err
-				}
+				termErr = provider.Terminate()
 				syncErr = errors.New("killed by manager")
 			}
+			if termErr != nil {
+				logger.Errorf("failed to terminate provider %s: %s", m.Name(), err.Error())
+				return termErr
+			}
 
 			// post-exec hooks
 			herr := runHooks(rHooks, func(h jobHook) error { return h.postExec() }, "post-exec")
diff --git a/worker/job_test.go b/worker/job_test.go
index 8bce93b..fded5fe 100644
--- a/worker/job_test.go
+++ b/worker/job_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func TestMirrorJob(t *testing.T) {
 			logDir:      tmpDir,
 			logFile:     tmpFile,
 			interval:    1 * time.Second,
+			timeout:     7 * time.Second,
 		}
 
 		provider, err := newCmdProvider(c)
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ func TestMirrorJob(t *testing.T) {
 		So(provider.LogDir(), ShouldEqual, c.logDir)
 		So(provider.LogFile(), ShouldEqual, c.logFile)
 		So(provider.Interval(), ShouldEqual, c.interval)
+		So(provider.Timeout(), ShouldEqual, c.timeout)
 
 		Convey("For a normal mirror job", func(ctx C) {
 			scriptContent := `#!/bin/bash
@@ -333,6 +335,43 @@ echo $TUNASYNC_WORKING_DIR
 			})
 		})
 
+
+		Convey("When a job timed out", func(ctx C) {
+			scriptContent := `#!/bin/bash
+echo $TUNASYNC_WORKING_DIR
+sleep 10
+echo $TUNASYNC_WORKING_DIR
+			`
+			err = ioutil.WriteFile(scriptFile, []byte(scriptContent), 0755)
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+
+			managerChan := make(chan jobMessage, 10)
+			semaphore := make(chan empty, 1)
+			job := newMirrorJob(provider)
+
+			Convey("It should be automatically terminated", func(ctx C) {
+				go job.Run(managerChan, semaphore)
+				job.ctrlChan <- jobStart
+
+				time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+				msg := <-managerChan
+				So(msg.status, ShouldEqual, PreSyncing)
+				msg = <-managerChan
+				So(msg.status, ShouldEqual, Syncing)
+
+				job.ctrlChan <- jobStart // should be ignored
+
+				msg = <-managerChan
+				So(msg.status, ShouldEqual, Failed)
+
+				expectedOutput := fmt.Sprintf("%s\n", provider.WorkingDir())
+				loggedContent, err := ioutil.ReadFile(provider.LogFile())
+				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+				So(string(loggedContent), ShouldEqual, expectedOutput)
+				job.ctrlChan <- jobDisable
+				<-job.disabled
+			})
+		})
 	})
 
 }