diff --git a/packages/worker/src/api/routes/tests/realEmail.spec.js b/packages/worker/src/api/routes/tests/realEmail.spec.js
index 32508604ea..548c6ee59e 100644
--- a/packages/worker/src/api/routes/tests/realEmail.spec.js
+++ b/packages/worker/src/api/routes/tests/realEmail.spec.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const nodemailer = require("nodemailer")
 const fetch = require("node-fetch")
 
 // for the real email tests give them a long time to try complete/fail
-jest.setTimeout(60000)
+jest.setTimeout(30000)
 
 describe("/api/global/email", () => {
 
@@ -19,8 +19,14 @@ describe("/api/global/email", () => {
   async function sendRealEmail(purpose) {
     let response, text
     try {
-      await config.saveEtherealSmtpConfig()
-      await config.saveSettingsConfig()
+      const timeout = () => new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
+        setTimeout(() => reject({
+          status: 301,
+          errno: "ETIME"
+        }), 20000)
+      )
+      await Promise.race([config.saveEtherealSmtpConfig(), timeout()])
+      await Promise.race([config.saveSettingsConfig(), timeout()])
       const user = await config.getUser("test@test.com")
       const res = await request
         .post(`/api/global/email/send`)