diff --git a/insights/core/dr.py b/insights/core/dr.py
index fbff5a6fdf..664c6811b4 100644
--- a/insights/core/dr.py
+++ b/insights/core/dr.py
@@ -424,6 +424,39 @@ def get_at_least_one(comp):
     return get_requires(component) + get_at_least_one(component)
 
 
+def is_registry_point(component):
+    return type(component).__name__ == "RegistryPoint"
+
+
+def get_registry_points(component):
+    """
+    Loop through the dependency graph to identify the corresponding spec registry
+    points for the component. This is primarily used by datasources and returns a
+    `set`. In most cases only one registry point will be included in the set, but
+    in some cases more than one.
+
+    Args:
+        component (callable): The component object
+
+    Returns:
+        (set): A list of the registry points found.
+    """
+    reg_points = set()
+
+    if is_registry_point(component):
+        reg_points.add(component)
+    else:
+        for dep in get_dependents(component):
+            if is_registry_point(dep):
+                reg_points.add(dep)
+            else:
+                dep_reg_pts = get_registry_points(dep)
+                if dep_reg_pts:
+                    reg_points.update(dep_reg_pts)
+
+    return reg_points
+
+
 def get_subgraphs(graph=None):
     """
     Given a graph of possibly disconnected components, generate all graphs of
diff --git a/insights/core/plugins.py b/insights/core/plugins.py
index 92815a8948..2d9c838582 100644
--- a/insights/core/plugins.py
+++ b/insights/core/plugins.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 import logging
+import signal
 import traceback
 
 from pprint import pformat
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@ class ContentException(dr.SkipComponent):
     pass
 
 
+class TimeoutException(Exception):
+    """ Raised whenever a :class:`datasource` hits the set timeout value. """
+    pass
+
+
 class PluginType(dr.ComponentType):
     """
     PluginType is the base class of plugin types like datasource, rule, etc.
@@ -81,21 +87,42 @@ class datasource(PluginType):
     Decorates a component that one or more :class:`insights.core.Parser`
     subclasses will consume.
     """
+    filterable = False
     multi_output = False
     raw = False
-    filterable = False
+
+    def _handle_timeout(self, signum, frame):
+        raise TimeoutException("Datasource spec {ds_name} timed out after {secs} seconds!".format(
+            ds_name=dr.get_name(self.component), secs=self.timeout))
 
     def invoke(self, broker):
+        # Grab the timeout from the decorator, or use the default of 120.
+        self.timeout = getattr(self, "timeout", 120)
+
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, self._handle_timeout)
+        signal.alarm(self.timeout)
         try:
             return self.component(broker)
         except ContentException as ce:
             log.debug(ce)
-            broker.add_exception(self.component, ce, traceback.format_exc())
+            ce_tb = traceback.format_exc()
+            for reg_spec in dr.get_registry_points(self.component):
+                broker.add_exception(reg_spec, ce, ce_tb)
             raise dr.SkipComponent()
         except CalledProcessError as cpe:
             log.debug(cpe)
-            broker.add_exception(self.component, cpe, traceback.format_exc())
+            cpe_tb = traceback.format_exc()
+            for reg_spec in dr.get_registry_points(self.component):
+                broker.add_exception(reg_spec, cpe, cpe_tb)
+            raise dr.SkipComponent()
+        except TimeoutException as te:
+            log.debug(te)
+            te_tb = traceback.format_exc()
+            for reg_spec in dr.get_registry_points(self.component):
+                broker.add_exception(reg_spec, te, te_tb)
             raise dr.SkipComponent()
+        finally:
+            signal.alarm(0)
 
 
 class parser(PluginType):
diff --git a/insights/core/serde.py b/insights/core/serde.py
index d068da6717..9c0138aa5d 100644
--- a/insights/core/serde.py
+++ b/insights/core/serde.py
@@ -196,27 +196,29 @@ def dehydrate(self, comp, broker):
                 fs.ensure_path(self.data, mode=0o770)
             self.created = True
 
-        c = comp
-        doc = None
         try:
-            name = dr.get_name(c)
-            # The `broker.trackbacks` is a dict in which the values are string
-            # but not list of strings
-            errors = [broker.tracebacks[e] for e in broker.exceptions.get(c, [])]
-            doc = {
-                "name": name,
-                "exec_time": broker.exec_times.get(c),
-                "errors": errors
-            }
+            name = dr.get_name(comp)
+
+            # The `broker.tracebacks` is a dict in which the values are string
+            # but not list of strings.
+            errors = [broker.tracebacks[e] for e in broker.exceptions.get(comp, [])]
+
             start = time.time()
             results, ms_errors = marshal(comp, broker, root=self.data, pool=self.pool)
-            doc["results"] = results if results else None
             errors.extend(ms_errors if isinstance(ms_errors, list) else [ms_errors]) if ms_errors else None
-            doc["ser_time"] = time.time() - start
+
+            doc = {
+                "name": name,
+                "exec_time": broker.exec_times.get(comp),
+                "errors": errors,
+                "results": results if results else None,
+                "ser_time": time.time() - start
+            }
         except Exception as ex:
             log.exception(ex)
         else:
             if doc is not None and (doc["results"] or doc["errors"]):
+                path = None
                 try:
                     path = os.path.join(self.meta_data, name + "." + self.ser_name)
                     with open(path, "w") as f:
diff --git a/insights/specs/datasources/container/__init__.py b/insights/specs/datasources/container/__init__.py
index c3481cd82d..b69ef62de0 100644
--- a/insights/specs/datasources/container/__init__.py
+++ b/insights/specs/datasources/container/__init__.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from insights.parsers.docker_list import DockerListContainers
 
 
-@datasource([PodmanListContainers, DockerListContainers], HostContext)
+@datasource([PodmanListContainers, DockerListContainers], HostContext, timeout=240)
 def running_rhel_containers(broker):
     """
     Returns a list of tuple of (image, <podman|docker>, container_id) of the running
diff --git a/insights/tests/core/test_dr.py b/insights/tests/core/test_dr.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..605906e39a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/insights/tests/core/test_dr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+from insights.core import dr
+from insights.core.plugins import datasource
+from insights.core.spec_factory import DatasourceProvider, RegistryPoint, SpecSet
+
+
+class RegistrySpecs(SpecSet):
+    simple_spec = RegistryPoint()
+    first_spec_with_dep = RegistryPoint()
+    second_spec_with_dep = RegistryPoint()
+
+
+@datasource()
+def simple_spec_imp(broker):
+    return DatasourceProvider("some data", "/path_1")
+
+
+@datasource()
+def dependency_ds(broker):
+    return DatasourceProvider("dependency data", "/path_2")
+
+
+@datasource(dependency_ds)
+def first_spec_with_dep_imp(broker):
+    return DatasourceProvider("some data", "/path_3")
+
+
+@datasource(dependency_ds)
+def second_spec_with_dep_imp(broker):
+    return DatasourceProvider("some data", "/path_4")
+
+
+class DefaultSpecs(RegistrySpecs):
+    simple_spec = simple_spec_imp
+    first_spec_with_dep = first_spec_with_dep_imp
+    second_spec_with_dep = second_spec_with_dep_imp
+
+
+def test_is_registry_point():
+    assert dr.is_registry_point(RegistrySpecs.simple_spec)
+    assert not dr.is_registry_point(DefaultSpecs.simple_spec)
+
+
+def test_get_registry_points_simple():
+    specs = dr.get_registry_points(DefaultSpecs.simple_spec)
+    assert len(specs) == 1
+    spec = list(specs)[0]
+    assert spec == RegistrySpecs.simple_spec
+
+
+def test_get_registry_points_multiple_specs():
+    specs = dr.get_registry_points(dependency_ds)
+    assert len(specs) == 2
+    for spec in specs:
+        assert spec in [RegistrySpecs.first_spec_with_dep, RegistrySpecs.second_spec_with_dep]
diff --git a/insights/tests/datasources/test_datasource_timeout.py b/insights/tests/datasources/test_datasource_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..55b503ffaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/insights/tests/datasources/test_datasource_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import time
+
+from insights.core.dr import run
+from insights.core.plugins import TimeoutException, datasource, make_info, rule
+from insights.core.spec_factory import DatasourceProvider, RegistryPoint, SpecSet, foreach_execute
+
+
+class Specs(SpecSet):
+    spec_ds_timeout_1 = RegistryPoint()
+    spec_ds_timeout_2 = RegistryPoint()
+    spec_ds_timeout_default = RegistryPoint()
+    spec_foreach_ds_timeout_1 = RegistryPoint(multi_output=True)
+
+
+@datasource(timeout=1)
+def foreach_ds_timeout_1(broker):
+    time.sleep(2)
+    return ['test1', 'test2', 'test3']
+
+
+@datasource(timeout=1)
+def ds_timeout_1(broker):
+    time.sleep(2)
+    return DatasourceProvider('foo', "test_ds_timeout_1")
+
+
+@datasource(timeout=3)
+def ds_timeout_2(broker):
+    time.sleep(1)
+    return DatasourceProvider('foo', "test_ds_timeout_2")
+
+
+@datasource()
+def ds_timeout_default(broker):
+    time.sleep(1)
+    return DatasourceProvider('foo', "test_ds_timeout_def")
+
+
+class TestSpecs(Specs):
+    spec_ds_timeout_1 = ds_timeout_1
+    spec_ds_timeout_2 = ds_timeout_2
+    spec_ds_timeout_default = ds_timeout_default
+    spec_foreach_ds_timeout_1 = foreach_execute(foreach_ds_timeout_1, "/usr/bin/echo %s")
+
+
+@rule(Specs.spec_ds_timeout_2, Specs.spec_ds_timeout_default)
+def timeout_datasource_no_timeout(ds_to_2, ds_to_def):
+    return make_info('INFO_1')
+
+
+@rule(Specs.spec_ds_timeout_1)
+def timeout_datasource_hit(ds_to_1):
+    return make_info('INFO_2')
+
+
+@rule(Specs.spec_foreach_ds_timeout_1)
+def timeout_foreach_datasource_hit(foreach_ds_to_1):
+    return make_info('INFO_2')
+
+
+def test_timeout_datasource_no_hit():
+    broker = run(timeout_datasource_no_timeout)
+    assert timeout_datasource_no_timeout in broker
+    assert Specs.spec_ds_timeout_2 not in broker.exceptions
+
+
+def test_timeout_datasource_hit_def():
+    broker = run(timeout_datasource_hit)
+    assert timeout_datasource_hit in broker
+    assert Specs.spec_ds_timeout_1 in broker.exceptions
+    exs = broker.exceptions[Specs.spec_ds_timeout_1]
+    assert [ex for ex in exs if isinstance(ex, TimeoutException) and str(ex) == "Datasource spec insights.tests.datasources.test_datasource_timeout.TestSpecs.spec_ds_timeout_1 timed out after 1 seconds!"]
+
+
+def test_timeout_foreach_datasource_hit_def():
+    broker = run(timeout_foreach_datasource_hit)
+    assert timeout_foreach_datasource_hit in broker
+    assert Specs.spec_foreach_ds_timeout_1 in broker.exceptions
+    exs = broker.exceptions[Specs.spec_foreach_ds_timeout_1]
+    assert [ex for ex in exs if isinstance(ex, TimeoutException) and str(ex) == "Datasource spec insights.tests.datasources.test_datasource_timeout.foreach_ds_timeout_1 timed out after 1 seconds!"]
diff --git a/insights/tests/test_add_exception.py b/insights/tests/test_add_exception.py
index 7abac0433a..a09441bef1 100644
--- a/insights/tests/test_add_exception.py
+++ b/insights/tests/test_add_exception.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ def report(dt):
 def test_broker_add_exception():
     broker = dr.run(report)
     assert report in broker
-    assert TestSpecs.the_data in broker.exceptions
-    spec_exs = broker.exceptions[TestSpecs.the_data]
+    assert Specs.the_data in broker.exceptions
+    spec_exs = broker.exceptions[Specs.the_data]
     exs = [ex for ex in spec_exs if isinstance(ex, ContentException) and str(ex) == "Fake Datasource"]
     assert len(exs) == 1
     tb = broker.tracebacks[exs[0]]
diff --git a/insights/tests/test_serde.py b/insights/tests/test_serde.py
index 9ebd60e462..4557f850b0 100644
--- a/insights/tests/test_serde.py
+++ b/insights/tests/test_serde.py
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ def test_dehydrate():
     tb = broker.tracebacks[exc]
 
     tmp_path = mkdtemp()
-    spec_the_data = TestSpecs.the_data
+    spec_the_data = Specs.the_data
     try:
         h = Hydration(tmp_path)
         h.dehydrate(spec_the_data, broker)