diff --git a/MYMETA.json b/MYMETA.json
index d0e7d4e..5aa209e 100644
--- a/MYMETA.json
+++ b/MYMETA.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
       "unknown"
    ],
    "dynamic_config" : 0,
-   "generated_by" : "Module::Build version 0.4224",
+   "generated_by" : "Module::Build version 0.4231",
    "license" : [
       "perl_5"
    ],
@@ -50,5 +50,5 @@
       ]
    },
    "version" : "0.002",
-   "x_serialization_backend" : "JSON::PP version 2.97001"
+   "x_serialization_backend" : "JSON::PP version 4.02"
 }
diff --git a/MYMETA.yml b/MYMETA.yml
index d507fb5..535eaf3 100644
--- a/MYMETA.yml
+++ b/MYMETA.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ author:
   - unknown
 build_requires: {}
 dynamic_config: 0
-generated_by: 'Module::Build version 0.4224, CPAN::Meta::Converter version 2.150010'
+generated_by: 'Module::Build version 0.4231, CPAN::Meta::Converter version 2.150010'
 license: perl
 meta-spec:
   url: http://module-build.sourceforge.net/META-spec-v1.4.html
diff --git a/doc/schema.mysql b/doc/schema.mysql
index 09ab2a4..19f5559 100644
--- a/doc/schema.mysql
+++ b/doc/schema.mysql
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `filesets` (
   `dir` text,
   `options` text,
   active tinyint not null default 1,
+  timeout int,
   PRIMARY KEY  (`id`)
 ) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
 SET character_set_client = @saved_cs_client;
diff --git a/lib/Simba/CA.pm b/lib/Simba/CA.pm
index 9546367..5907630 100644
--- a/lib/Simba/CA.pm
+++ b/lib/Simba/CA.pm
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ This class represents one instance of a running collecting agent.
 The only user-callable methods are the constructor new and the instance 
 method run, which collects all the files from various disk agents.
 
-The Simba::CA package is a hashref with the following keys:
+The Simba::CA object is a hashref with the following keys:
 
 =over
 
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ The Simba::CA package is a hashref with the following keys:
 
 =item targets
 
+A list of entries (hashes) from table filesets.
+
 =item ssh_id_file
 
 =item target
@@ -50,6 +52,10 @@ The Simba::CA package is a hashref with the following keys:
 
 =item file_dfd
 
+=item start_time
+
+Timestamp when the backup of the current target started. Used to test when to abort due to timeout.
+
 =back
 
 =cut
@@ -208,6 +214,7 @@ sub backup2disk {
 
     $self->log(3, "starting backup for target host " . $target->{host} . " dir " . $target->{dir});
     $self->{target} = $target;
+    $self->{start_time} = time();
 
     # get previous generation
     $self->get_last_session();
@@ -226,6 +233,15 @@ sub backup2disk {
     close($list_cfd);
     my $count = 0;
     while (<$list_dfd>) {
+        if ($target->{timeout}) {
+            my $now = time();
+            my $elapsed = $now - $self->{start_time};
+            $self->log(10, "checking timeout " . $elapsed . " > " . $target->{timeout});
+            if ($elapsed > $target->{timeout}) {
+                $self->log(3, "Timeout exceeded. $elapsed > $target->{timeout}");
+                last;
+            }
+        }
         $count++;
         chomp;
         $self->log(10, "file: $_");