diff --git a/collects/tests/mzscheme/quiet.ss b/collects/tests/mzscheme/quiet.ss
index a141b65c24..4115aec669 100644
--- a/collects/tests/mzscheme/quiet.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/mzscheme/quiet.ss
@@ -7,7 +7,13 @@
 
 (namespace-variable-value 'real-error-port #f
   (lambda ()
-    (namespace-set-variable-value! 'real-error-port (current-error-port))))
+    (let ([e (current-error-port)] [ex (exit-handler)] [c (current-custodian)])
+      (namespace-set-variable-value! 'real-error-port e)
+      ;; we're loading this for the first time -- set up a timeout
+      (thread (lambda ()
+                (sleep 600) (fprintf e "\n\nTIMEOUT -- ABORTING!\n") (ex 2)
+                ;; in case the above didn't work for some reason
+                (sleep 60) (custodian-shutdown-all c))))))
 
 (let ([p (make-output-port
           'quiet always-evt (lambda (str s e nonblock? breakable?) (- e s))