diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index bef783f..df5c1dc 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@
       "version": "2.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@pushrocks/smartdelay/-/smartdelay-2.0.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-4xf6tMKwZcxBynKgXrM4SQKgeASfRvx43LUmR5DkStp26ZHAsarCXUdKJS6y8QIPygEOTOCP8we97JAcCzBuMg==",
-      "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "@pushrocks/smartpromise": "^2.0.5"
       }
@@ -168,9 +167,9 @@
       }
     },
     "@pushrocks/smartshell": {
-      "version": "2.0.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@pushrocks/smartshell/-/smartshell-2.0.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-D48KB3DDqLfMjOXGEutqJi+v3Z4RcWacu5BJXxUwrecvd6oetbKobfmNGxeHSQPmNGb7U3ISfKwV6c5T5EZkJg==",
+      "version": "2.0.8",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@pushrocks/smartshell/-/smartshell-2.0.8.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-OeGrJez0vSHe/E0auHNUqf7r0B3yS+pkVe6BuxdJemJx5LBRtcHuZnJCxU5pSLL8igzlTfR+jVpjKJXUMzCsrA==",
       "requires": {
         "@pushrocks/smartpromise": "^2.0.5",
         "@types/which": "^1.3.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ff96087..c181549 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   "author": "Lossless GmbH",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "node ./cli.ts.js test",
+    "test": "node ./cli.ts.js test --timeout 10000",
     "test2": "(tstest test/)",
     "build": "(tsbuild)",
     "format": "(gitzone format)"
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@gitzone/tsrun": "^1.1.13",
     "@pushrocks/smartcli": "^3.0.6",
-    "@pushrocks/smartshell": "^2.0.6",
+    "@pushrocks/smartdelay": "^2.0.2",
+    "@pushrocks/smartshell": "^2.0.8",
     "filewatcher": "^3.0.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/test.ts b/test/test.ts
index de53171..77284fa 100644
--- a/test/test.ts
+++ b/test/test.ts
@@ -6,16 +6,18 @@ let testTsWatchInstance: tswatch.TsWatch;
 tap.test('should create a valid TsWatch instance', async () => {
   testTsWatchInstance = new tswatch.TsWatch({
     filePathToWatch: process.cwd(),
-    commandToExecute: 'npm -v'
+    commandToExecute: 'npm -v',
+    timeout: 1000
   });
 });
 
 tap.test('should start the tswatch instance', async () => {
+  testTsWatchInstance.start();
   console.log('test executed');
 });
 
 tap.test('should run abitrary commands', async () => {
-  
+
 });
 
 tap.start();
diff --git a/ts/tswatch.classes.tswatch.ts b/ts/tswatch.classes.tswatch.ts
index 66a495b..db4e1c4 100644
--- a/ts/tswatch.classes.tswatch.ts
+++ b/ts/tswatch.classes.tswatch.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import * as plugins from './tswatch.plugins';
 
+export interface ITsWatchConstructorOptions {
+  filePathToWatch: string;
+  commandToExecute: string;
+  timeout?: number;
+}
+
 /**
  * handles the management of watching for foes
  */
@@ -9,15 +15,10 @@ export class TsWatch {
   });
   private currentExecution: plugins.smartshell.IExecResultStreaming;
   private watcher = plugins.fileWatcher();
-  private filePathToWatch: string;
-  private commandToExecute: string;
+  private options: ITsWatchConstructorOptions;
 
-  constructor(optionsArg: {
-    filePathToWatch: string,
-    commandToExecute: string
-  }) {
-    this.filePathToWatch = optionsArg.filePathToWatch;
-    this.commandToExecute = optionsArg.commandToExecute;
+  constructor(optionsArg: ITsWatchConstructorOptions) {
+    this.options = optionsArg;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -25,8 +26,8 @@ export class TsWatch {
    */
   public async start() {
     this.setupCleanup();
-    console.log(`Looking at ${this.filePathToWatch} for changes`);
-    this.watcher.add(this.filePathToWatch); // __dirname refers to the directory of this very file
+    console.log(`Looking at ${this.options.filePathToWatch} for changes`);
+    this.watcher.add(this.options.filePathToWatch); // __dirname refers to the directory of this very file
     this.watcher.on('change', async (file, stat) => {
       console.log('Noticed change!');
       if (!stat) {
@@ -41,14 +42,14 @@ export class TsWatch {
     if (this.currentExecution) {
       process.kill(-this.currentExecution.childProcess.pid);
     }
-    this.currentExecution = await this.smartshellInstance.execStreaming(this.commandToExecute);
+    this.currentExecution = await this.smartshellInstance.execStreaming(this.options.commandToExecute);
     this.currentExecution = null;
   }
 
   /**
    * this method sets up a clean exit strategy
    */
-  private setupCleanup() {
+  private async setupCleanup() {
     const cleanup = () => {
       if (this.currentExecution) {
         process.kill(-this.currentExecution.childProcess.pid);
@@ -66,5 +67,14 @@ export class TsWatch {
       cleanup();
       process.exit(0);
     });
+
+    // handle timeout
+    if (this.options.timeout) {
+      plugins.smartdelay.delayFor(this.options.timeout).then(() => {
+        console.log(`timed out afer ${this.options.timeout} milliseconds! exiting!`);
+        cleanup();
+        process.exit(0);
+      });
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/ts/tswatch.cli.ts b/ts/tswatch.cli.ts
index 8b6626e..55d1479 100644
--- a/ts/tswatch.cli.ts
+++ b/ts/tswatch.cli.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,15 @@ const tswatchCli = new plugins.smartcli.Smartcli();
 tswatchCli.addCommand('test').subscribe(argvArg => {
   const tsWatch = new TsWatch({
     filePathToWatch: paths.cwd,
-    commandToExecute: 'npm run test2'
+    commandToExecute: 'npm run test2',
+    timeout: (() => {
+      if (argvArg.timeout) {
+        console.log(`timeing out after ${argvArg.timeout}`);
+        return argvArg.timeout;
+      } else {
+        return null;
+      }
+    })()
   });
   tsWatch.start();
 });
diff --git a/ts/tswatch.plugins.ts b/ts/tswatch.plugins.ts
index 0b46d7a..51cacee 100644
--- a/ts/tswatch.plugins.ts
+++ b/ts/tswatch.plugins.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ export { path };
 
 // @pushrocks scope
 import * as smartcli from '@pushrocks/smartcli';
+import * as smartdelay from '@pushrocks/smartdelay';
 import * as smartshell from '@pushrocks/smartshell';
 
-export { smartshell, smartcli };
+export { smartdelay, smartshell, smartcli };
 
 // Third Pary
 import * as fileWatcher from 'filewatcher';