diff --git a/agent/src/testflinger_agent/job.py b/agent/src/testflinger_agent/job.py
index 41b0e82ba..4f936247b 100644
--- a/agent/src/testflinger_agent/job.py
+++ b/agent/src/testflinger_agent/job.py
@@ -67,10 +67,15 @@ def __init__(self, job_data, client):
         )
 
     def get_runner(self, rundir: str, phase: TestPhase):
+        output_polling_interval = self.client.config["output_polling_interval"]
         try:
             secrets = self.job_data[f"{phase}_data"]["secrets"]
         except KeyError:
-            return CommandRunner(cwd=rundir, env=self.client.config)
+            return CommandRunner(
+                cwd=rundir,
+                env=self.client.config,
+                output_polling_interval=output_polling_interval,
+            )
 
         # inject phase secrets into the environment
         environment = {
@@ -83,6 +88,7 @@ def get_runner(self, rundir: str, phase: TestPhase):
         return MaskingCommandRunner(
             cwd=rundir,
             env=environment,
+            output_polling_interval=output_polling_interval,
             masker=Masker(
                 patterns=list(secrets.values()), hash_length=self._hash_length
             ),
diff --git a/agent/src/testflinger_agent/runner.py b/agent/src/testflinger_agent/runner.py
index 6f8ca5110..157c08287 100644
--- a/agent/src/testflinger_agent/runner.py
+++ b/agent/src/testflinger_agent/runner.py
@@ -48,13 +48,19 @@ class CommandRunner:
     known event types are defined in RunnerEvents.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, cwd: Optional[str], env: Optional[dict]):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        cwd: Optional[str],
+        env: Optional[dict],
+        output_polling_interval: float = 10.0,
+    ):
         self.output_handlers: List[OutputHandlerType] = []
         self.stop_condition_checkers: List[StopConditionType] = []
         self.process: Optional[subprocess.Popen] = None
         self.cwd = cwd
         self.env = os.environ.copy()
         self.events = defaultdict(list)
+        self.output_polling_interval = output_polling_interval
         if env:
             self.env.update(
                 {k: str(v) for k, v in env.items() if isinstance(v, str)}
@@ -136,7 +142,7 @@ def run(self, cmd: str) -> Tuple[int, Optional[TestEvent], str]:
             time.sleep(1)
 
         while self.process.poll() is None:
-            time.sleep(10)
+            time.sleep(self.output_polling_interval)
 
             stop_event, stop_reason = self.check_stop_conditions()
             if stop_event is not None:
diff --git a/agent/tests/test_agent.py b/agent/tests/test_agent.py
index 1009e8a6a..06b6d9e39 100644
--- a/agent/tests/test_agent.py
+++ b/agent/tests/test_agent.py
@@ -390,7 +390,8 @@ def test_phase_failed(self, agent, requests_mock):
 
     def test_phase_timeout(self, agent, requests_mock):
         # Make sure the status code of a timed-out phase is correct
-        self.config["test_command"] = "sleep 12"
+        self.config["output_polling_interval"] = 0.1
+        self.config["test_command"] = "sleep 2"
         mock_job_data = {
             "job_id": str(uuid.uuid1()),
             "job_queue": "test",
@@ -600,7 +601,8 @@ def test_post_agent_status_update_cancelled(self, agent, requests_mock):
     def test_post_agent_status_update_global_timeout(
         self, agent, requests_mock
     ):
-        self.config["test_command"] = "sleep 12"
+        self.config["output_polling_interval"] = 0.1
+        self.config["test_command"] = "sleep 2"
         job_id = str(uuid.uuid1())
         fake_job_data = {
             "job_id": job_id,
@@ -637,7 +639,8 @@ def test_post_agent_status_update_global_timeout(
     def test_post_agent_status_update_output_timeout(
         self, agent, requests_mock
     ):
-        self.config["test_command"] = "sleep 12"
+        self.config["output_polling_interval"] = 0.1
+        self.config["test_command"] = "sleep 2"
         job_id = str(uuid.uuid1())
         fake_job_data = {
             "job_id": job_id,
diff --git a/agent/tests/test_job.py b/agent/tests/test_job.py
index a5de1f83d..4eb3be44f 100644
--- a/agent/tests/test_job.py
+++ b/agent/tests/test_job.py
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ def test_job_global_timeout(self, tmp_path):
         """Test that timeout from job_data is respected."""
         timeout_str = "ERROR: Global timeout reached! (1s)"
         logfile = tmp_path / "testlog"
-        runner = CommandRunner(tmp_path, env={})
+        runner = CommandRunner(tmp_path, env={}, output_polling_interval=0.1)
         log_handler = FileLogHandler(logfile)
         runner.register_output_handler(log_handler)
         global_timeout_checker = GlobalTimeoutChecker(1)
         runner.register_stop_condition_checker(global_timeout_checker)
-        exit_code, exit_event, exit_reason = runner.run("sleep 12")
+        exit_code, exit_event, exit_reason = runner.run("sleep 2")
         with open(logfile) as log:
             log_data = log.read()
         assert timeout_str in log_data
@@ -101,14 +101,12 @@ def test_job_output_timeout(self, tmp_path):
         """Test that output timeout from job_data is respected."""
         timeout_str = "ERROR: Output timeout reached! (1s)"
         logfile = tmp_path / "testlog"
-        runner = CommandRunner(tmp_path, env={})
+        runner = CommandRunner(tmp_path, env={}, output_polling_interval=0.1)
         log_handler = FileLogHandler(logfile)
         runner.register_output_handler(log_handler)
         output_timeout_checker = OutputTimeoutChecker(1)
         runner.register_stop_condition_checker(output_timeout_checker)
-        # unfortunately, we need to sleep for longer that 10 seconds here
-        # or else we fall under the polling time
-        exit_code, exit_event, exit_reason = runner.run("sleep 12")
+        exit_code, exit_event, exit_reason = runner.run("sleep 2")
         with open(logfile) as log:
             log_data = log.read()
         assert timeout_str in log_data
@@ -131,9 +129,8 @@ def test_no_output_timeout_in_provision(
         timeout_str = "complete\n"
         logfile = tmp_path / "provision.log"
         fake_job_data = {"output_timeout": 1, "provision_data": {"url": "foo"}}
-        self.config["provision_command"] = (
-            "bash -c 'sleep 12 && echo complete'"
-        )
+        self.config["output_polling_interval"] = 0.1
+        self.config["provision_command"] = "bash -c 'sleep 2 && echo complete'"
         requests_mock.post(rmock.ANY, status_code=HTTPStatus.OK)
         job = _TestflingerJob(fake_job_data, client)
         job.phase = "provision"
@@ -142,9 +139,6 @@ def test_no_output_timeout_in_provision(
         with open(tmp_path / "testflinger-outcome.json", "w") as outcome_file:
             outcome_file.write("{}")
 
-        # unfortunately, we need to sleep for longer that 10 seconds here
-        # or else we fall under the polling time
-        # job.run_with_log("sleep 12 && echo complete", logfile)
         job.run_test_phase("provision", tmp_path)
         with open(logfile) as log:
             log_data = log.read()
diff --git a/docs/reference/testflinger-agent-conf.rst b/docs/reference/testflinger-agent-conf.rst
index 8e102c848..9d9c47c4f 100644
--- a/docs/reference/testflinger-agent-conf.rst
+++ b/docs/reference/testflinger-agent-conf.rst
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ The following configuration options are supported by the Testflinger Agent:
     * - ``identifier``
       - Additional identifier such as a serial number that will be sent to the server and can be used for cross-referencing with other systems
     * - ``polling_interval``
-      - Time to sleep between polling for new tests (default: 10s)
+      - Time to sleep between polling the server for new tests (default: 10s)
+    * - ``output_polling_interval``
+      - Time to sleep between polling for output from the process running the phase command (default: 10s)
     * - ``server_address``
       - Host/IP and port of the Testflinger server
     * - ``execution_basedir``