diff --git a/lib/sandbox.js b/lib/sandbox.js
index 314f606..9efa501 100644
--- a/lib/sandbox.js
+++ b/lib/sandbox.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function Sandbox(options) {
   self._message_queue = [];
   
   self.options = {
-    timeout: 500,
+    timeout: options && options.timeout !== undefined ? options.timeout : 500,
     node:    'node',
     shovel:  path.join(__dirname, 'shovel.js')
   };
@@ -96,12 +96,14 @@ Sandbox.prototype.run = function(code, hollaback) {
   self.child.stdin.write(code);
   self.child.stdin.end();
   
-  self.child.timer = setTimeout(function() {
-    this.parent.stdout.removeListener('output', output);
-    stdout = JSON.stringify({ result: 'TimeoutError', console: [] });
-    this.parent.kill('SIGKILL');
-  }, self.options.timeout);
-  self.child.timer.parent = self.child;
+  if(self.options.timeout){
+    self.child.timer = setTimeout(function() {
+      this.parent.stdout.removeListener('output', output);
+      stdout = JSON.stringify({ result: 'TimeoutError', console: [] });
+      this.parent.kill('SIGKILL');
+    }, self.options.timeout);
+    self.child.timer.parent = self.child;
+  }
 
 };
 
diff --git a/test/sandbox.js b/test/sandbox.js
index 73ca174..1a31830 100644
--- a/test/sandbox.js
+++ b/test/sandbox.js
@@ -116,4 +116,24 @@ describe('Sandbox', function() {
     });
   });
 
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+  it('should keep the process alive when timeout is explicitly disabled', function(done){
+    sb = new Sandbox({timeout : null});   //disable timeout
+    var messageHandler = sinon.spy();
+    var messageHandler2 = sinon.spy();
+    var num_messages_sent = 0;
+    var interval = setInterval(function(){
+      sb.postMessage(++num_messages_sent);
+    }, 100);
+    sb.on('message', messageHandler);
+    sb.run('onmessage = function (msg) { postMessage(msg); };', messageHandler2);
+    setTimeout(function(){
+      messageHandler.callCount.should.eql(num_messages_sent);
+      num_messages_sent.should.be.greaterThan(0);
+
+      messageHandler2.callCount.should.eql(0);    //messageHandler2 should never be called
+      clearInterval(interval);
+      done();
+    },1000);
+  });
+
+});