diff --git a/test/RPCSession.cpp b/test/RPCSession.cpp
index c27e73d42..ff00d7833 100644
--- a/test/RPCSession.cpp
+++ b/test/RPCSession.cpp
@@ -243,27 +243,30 @@ void RPCSession::test_mineBlocks(int _number)
 	u256 startBlock = fromBigEndian<u256>(fromHex(rpcCall("eth_blockNumber").asString()));
 	BOOST_REQUIRE(rpcCall("test_mineBlocks", { to_string(_number) }, true) == true);
 
-	bool mined = false;
-
 	// We auto-calibrate the time it takes to mine the transaction.
 	// It would be better to go without polling, but that would probably need a change to the test client
 
+	auto startTime = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
 	unsigned sleepTime = m_sleepTime;
-	size_t polls = 0;
-	for (; polls < 14 && !mined; ++polls)
+	size_t tries = 0;
+	for (; ; ++tries)
 	{
 		std::this_thread::sleep_for(chrono::milliseconds(sleepTime));
+		auto endTime = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+		unsigned timeSpent = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(endTime - startTime).count();
+		if (timeSpent > m_maxMiningTime)
+			BOOST_FAIL("Error in test_mineBlocks: block mining timeout!");
 		if (fromBigEndian<u256>(fromHex(rpcCall("eth_blockNumber").asString())) >= startBlock + _number)
-			mined = true;
+			break;
 		else
 			sleepTime *= 2;
 	}
-	if (polls > 1)
+	if (tries > 1)
 	{
 		m_successfulMineRuns = 0;
 		m_sleepTime += 2;
 	}
-	else if (polls == 1)
+	else if (tries == 1)
 	{
 		m_successfulMineRuns++;
 		if (m_successfulMineRuns > 5)
@@ -273,9 +276,6 @@ void RPCSession::test_mineBlocks(int _number)
 				m_sleepTime--;
 		}
 	}
-
-	if (!mined)
-		BOOST_FAIL("Error in test_mineBlocks: block mining timeout!");
 }
 
 void RPCSession::test_modifyTimestamp(size_t _timestamp)
diff --git a/test/RPCSession.h b/test/RPCSession.h
index 105ba3788..414db3232 100644
--- a/test/RPCSession.h
+++ b/test/RPCSession.h
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ private:
 
 	IPCSocket m_ipcSocket;
 	size_t m_rpcSequence = 1;
-	unsigned m_sleepTime = 10;
+	unsigned m_maxMiningTime = 15000; // 15 seconds
+	unsigned m_sleepTime = 10; // 10 milliseconds
 	unsigned m_successfulMineRuns = 0;
 
 	std::vector<std::string> m_accounts;