diff --git a/lib/listener/globalTimeout.js b/lib/listener/globalTimeout.js
index fc77decc5..6bb7dd1fe 100644
--- a/lib/listener/globalTimeout.js
+++ b/lib/listener/globalTimeout.js
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ const event = require('../event')
 const output = require('../output')
 const recorder = require('../recorder')
 const Config = require('../config')
-const { timeouts } = require('../store')
+const store = require('../store')
+const debug = require('debug')('codeceptjs:timeout')
 const { TIMEOUT_ORDER } = require('../step/timeout')
+const { BeforeSuiteHook, AfterSuiteHook } = require('../mocha/hooks')
 
 module.exports = function () {
   let timeout
@@ -11,16 +13,30 @@ module.exports = function () {
   let currentTest
   let currentTimeout
 
-  if (!timeouts) {
+  if (!store.timeouts) {
     console.log('Timeouts were disabled')
     return
   }
 
+  // disable timeout for BeforeSuite/AfterSuite hooks
+  // add separate configs to them?
+  event.dispatcher.on(event.hook.started, hook => {
+    if (hook instanceof BeforeSuiteHook) {
+      timeout = null
+      suiteTimeout = []
+    }
+    if (hook instanceof AfterSuiteHook) {
+      timeout = null
+      suiteTimeout = []
+    }
+  })
+
   event.dispatcher.on(event.suite.before, suite => {
     suiteTimeout = []
     let timeoutConfig = Config.get('timeout')
 
     if (timeoutConfig) {
+      debug('config:', timeoutConfig)
       if (!Number.isNaN(+timeoutConfig)) {
         checkForSeconds(timeoutConfig)
         suiteTimeout.push(timeoutConfig)
@@ -40,6 +56,8 @@ module.exports = function () {
 
     if (suite.totalTimeout) suiteTimeout.push(suite.totalTimeout)
     output.log(`Timeouts: ${suiteTimeout}`)
+
+    if (suiteTimeout.length > 0) debug(suite.title, 'timeout', suiteTimeout)
   })
 
   event.dispatcher.on(event.test.before, test => {
@@ -64,6 +82,13 @@ module.exports = function () {
 
     timeout = test.totalTimeout || testTimeout || suiteTimeout[suiteTimeout.length - 1]
     if (!timeout) return
+
+    debug(test.title, 'timeout', {
+      'config from file': testTimeout,
+      'suite timeout': suiteTimeout,
+      'dynamic config': test.totalTimeout,
+    })
+
     currentTimeout = timeout
     output.debug(`Test Timeout: ${timeout}s`)
     timeout *= 1000
@@ -80,18 +105,32 @@ module.exports = function () {
   event.dispatcher.on(event.step.before, step => {
     if (typeof timeout !== 'number') return
 
+    if (!store.timeouts) {
+      debug('step', step.toCode().trim(), 'timeout disabled')
+      return
+    }
+
     if (timeout < 0) {
+      debug('Previous steps timed out, setting timeout to 0.01s')
       step.setTimeout(0.01, TIMEOUT_ORDER.testOrSuite)
     } else {
+      debug(`Setting timeout ${timeout}ms for step ${step.toCode().trim()}`)
       step.setTimeout(timeout, TIMEOUT_ORDER.testOrSuite)
     }
   })
 
   event.dispatcher.on(event.step.finished, step => {
+    if (!store.timeouts) {
+      debug('step', step.toCode().trim(), 'timeout disabled')
+      return
+    }
+
     if (typeof timeout === 'number' && !Number.isNaN(timeout)) timeout -= step.duration
 
     if (typeof timeout === 'number' && timeout <= 0 && recorder.isRunning()) {
+      debug(`step ${step.toCode().trim()} timed out`)
       if (currentTest && currentTest.callback) {
+        debug(`Failing test ${currentTest.title} with timeout ${currentTimeout}s`)
         recorder.reset()
         // replace mocha timeout with custom timeout
         currentTest.timeout(0)