diff --git a/.testr.conf b/.testr.conf
index 9a72d29..510f4c9 100644
--- a/.testr.conf
+++ b/.testr.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 [DEFAULT]
-test_command=${PYTHON:-python} -m subunit.run discover -t ./ ./tempest $LISTOPT $IDOPTION
+test_command=OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE=${OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE:-1} \
+             OS_STDERR_CAPTURE=${OS_STDERR_CAPTURE:-1} \
+             OS_TEST_TIMEOUT=${OS_TEST_TIMEOUT:-250} \
+             ${PYTHON:-python} -m subunit.run discover -t ./ ./tempest $LISTOPT $IDOPTION
 test_id_option=--load-list $IDFILE
 test_list_option=--list
 group_regex=([^\.]*\.)*
diff --git a/tempest/test.py b/tempest/test.py
index 4a1ee47..6c304c3 100644
--- a/tempest/test.py
+++ b/tempest/test.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import os
 import time
 
+import fixtures
 import nose.plugins.attrib
 import testresources
 import testtools
@@ -104,6 +105,25 @@
         if hasattr(super(BaseTestCase, cls), 'setUpClass'):
             super(BaseTestCase, cls).setUpClass()
 
+    def setUp(cls):
+        super(BaseTestCase, cls).setUp()
+        test_timeout = os.environ.get('OS_TEST_TIMEOUT', 0)
+        try:
+            test_timeout = int(test_timeout)
+        except ValueError:
+            test_timeout = 0
+        if test_timeout > 0:
+            cls.useFixture(fixtures.Timeout(test_timeout, gentle=True))
+
+        if (os.environ.get('OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE') == 'True' or
+                os.environ.get('OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE') == '1'):
+            stdout = cls.useFixture(fixtures.StringStream('stdout')).stream
+            cls.useFixture(fixtures.MonkeyPatch('sys.stdout', stdout))
+        if (os.environ.get('OS_STDERR_CAPTURE') == 'True' or
+                os.environ.get('OS_STDERR_CAPTURE') == '1'):
+            stderr = cls.useFixture(fixtures.StringStream('stderr')).stream
+            cls.useFixture(fixtures.MonkeyPatch('sys.stderr', stderr))
+
     @classmethod
     def _get_identity_admin_client(cls):
         """