diff --git a/lib/workers/index.js b/lib/workers/index.js
index ddee0ddde..d0a9a66f5 100644
--- a/lib/workers/index.js
+++ b/lib/workers/index.js
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ Workers.initialize = function (Env, config, _cb) {
     };
 
     var drained = true;
-    var sendCommand = function (msg, _cb) {
+    var sendCommand = function (msg, _cb, opt) {
+        opt = opt || {};
         var index = getAvailableWorkerIndex();
 
         var state = workers[index];
@@ -119,7 +120,9 @@ Workers.initialize = function (Env, config, _cb) {
             delete state.tasks[txid];
         })));
 
-        response.expect(txid, cb, 180000);
+        // default to timing out affter 180s if no explicit timeout is passed
+        var timeout = typeof(opt.timeout) !== 'undefined'? opt.timeout: 180000;
+        response.expect(txid, cb, timeout);
         state.worker.send(msg);
     };
 
@@ -354,13 +357,17 @@ Workers.initialize = function (Env, config, _cb) {
         Env.evictInactive = function (cb) {
             sendCommand({
                 command: 'EVICT_INACTIVE',
-            }, cb);
+            }, cb, {
+                timeout: 1000 * 60 * 300, // time out after 300 minutes (5 hours)
+            });
         };
 
         Env.runTasks = function (cb) {
             sendCommand({
                 command: 'RUN_TASKS',
-            }, cb);
+            }, cb, {
+                timeout: 1000 * 60 * 10, // time out after 10 minutes
+            });
         };
 
         Env.writeTask = function (time, command, args, cb) {