diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index cd3d400dc3cf3e21c81da0c985168c22e0c22971..d1067b210c158257f8ab9edb4c5821eafefd1743 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -191,10 +191,12 @@ stages:
 
     ### run pytest
     - exit_code=0
+    # timeout of 15 min per individual testcase - hopefully too much, but better be safe for now
+    - testcase_timeout=900
     - if [ $USE_REF_ENC -eq 1 ]; then
-    -    python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --dut_encoder_path ./IVAS_cod_ref -n auto || exit_code=$?
+    -    python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --dut_encoder_path ./IVAS_cod_ref -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
     - else
-    -    python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld -n auto || exit_code=$?
+    -    python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
     - fi
     - zero_errors=$(cat report-junit.xml | grep -c 'errors="0"') || true