diff --git a/test/system/252-quadlet.bats b/test/system/252-quadlet.bats
index 6b3b5c0640..96b8f7b08f 100644
--- a/test/system/252-quadlet.bats
+++ b/test/system/252-quadlet.bats
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ function run_quadlet() {
     cp $sourcefile $quadlet_tmpdir/
 
     echo "$_LOG_PROMPT $QUADLET $_DASHUSER $UNIT_DIR"
-    QUADLET_UNIT_DIRS="$quadlet_tmpdir" run $QUADLET $_DASHUSER $UNIT_DIR
+    QUADLET_UNIT_DIRS="$quadlet_tmpdir" run \
+                     timeout --foreground -v --kill=10 $PODMAN_TIMEOUT \
+                     $QUADLET $_DASHUSER $UNIT_DIR
     echo "$output"
     assert $status -eq 0 "Failed to convert quadlet file: $sourcefile"
     is "$output" "" "quadlet should report no errors"
diff --git a/test/system/helpers.systemd.bash b/test/system/helpers.systemd.bash
index c8a888bcc5..f4aebff910 100644
--- a/test/system/helpers.systemd.bash
+++ b/test/system/helpers.systemd.bash
@@ -22,15 +22,15 @@ fi
 mkdir -p $UNIT_DIR
 
 systemctl() {
-    command systemctl $_DASHUSER "$@"
+    timeout --foreground -v --kill=10 $PODMAN_TIMEOUT systemctl $_DASHUSER "$@"
 }
 
 journalctl() {
-    command journalctl $_DASHUSER "$@"
+    timeout --foreground -v --kill=10 $PODMAN_TIMEOUT journalctl $_DASHUSER "$@"
 }
 
 systemd-run() {
-    command systemd-run $_DASHUSER "$@";
+    timeout --foreground -v --kill=10 $PODMAN_TIMEOUT systemd-run $_DASHUSER "$@";
 }
 
 install_kube_template() {