diff --git a/tests/guix-environment-container.sh b/tests/guix-environment-container.sh
index 220e6b8ec84..411f07754eb 100644
--- a/tests/guix-environment-container.sh
+++ b/tests/guix-environment-container.sh
@@ -230,7 +230,8 @@ storedir="`guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %storedir)'`"
 localstatedir="`guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %localstatedir)'`"
 NIX_STORE_DIR="$storedir"
 GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET="$localstatedir/guix/daemon-socket/socket"
-export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET
+GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS="--timeout=180" # set an upper limit
+export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS
 
 if ! guile -c '(use-modules (guix)) (exit (false-if-exception (open-connection)))'
 then
diff --git a/tests/guix-home.sh b/tests/guix-home.sh
index b8d90196f1e..76befed6135 100644
--- a/tests/guix-home.sh
+++ b/tests/guix-home.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ container_supported ()
 localstatedir="$(guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %localstatedir)')"
 NIX_STORE_DIR="$(guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %storedir)')"
 GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET="$localstatedir/guix/daemon-socket/socket"
-export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET
+GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS="--timeout=180" # set an upper limit
+export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS
 
 # Run tests only when a "real" daemon is available.
 if ! guile -c '(use-modules (guix)) (exit (false-if-exception (open-connection)))'
diff --git a/tests/guix-pack-localstatedir.sh b/tests/guix-pack-localstatedir.sh
index 042887ea9b3..c9e13bbc879 100644
--- a/tests/guix-pack-localstatedir.sh
+++ b/tests/guix-pack-localstatedir.sh
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ storedir="`guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %storedir)'`"
 localstatedir="`guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %localstatedir)'`"
 NIX_STORE_DIR="$storedir"
 GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET="$localstatedir/guix/daemon-socket/socket"
-export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET
+GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS="--timeout=180" # set an upper limit
+export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS
 
 if ! guile -c '(use-modules (guix)) (exit (false-if-exception (open-connection)))'
 then
diff --git a/tests/guix-pack-relocatable.sh b/tests/guix-pack-relocatable.sh
index aea02e16f69..228954bd9d7 100644
--- a/tests/guix-pack-relocatable.sh
+++ b/tests/guix-pack-relocatable.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-# Copyright © 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+# Copyright © 2018-2020, 2023, 2025 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2020 Eric Bavier <bavier@posteo.net>
 #
 # This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ storedir="`guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %storedir)'`"
 localstatedir="`guile -c '(use-modules (guix config))(display %localstatedir)'`"
 NIX_STORE_DIR="$storedir"
 GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET="$localstatedir/guix/daemon-socket/socket"
-export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET
+GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS="--timeout=180"
+export NIX_STORE_DIR GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS
 
 if ! guile -c '(use-modules (guix)) (exit (false-if-exception (open-connection)))'
 then