diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/ci.py b/lib/spack/spack/ci.py
index 4c21772ff9..ca0768b948 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/ci.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/ci.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 from spack import traverse
 from spack.error import SpackError
 from spack.reporters import CDash, CDashConfiguration
+from spack.reporters.cdash import SPACK_CDASH_TIMEOUT
 from spack.reporters.cdash import build_stamp as cdash_build_stamp
 
 # See https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#retry for descriptions of conditions
@@ -1500,7 +1501,7 @@ def download_and_extract_artifacts(url, work_dir):
     request = Request(url, headers=headers)
     request.get_method = lambda: "GET"
 
-    response = opener.open(request)
+    response = opener.open(request, timeout=SPACK_CDASH_TIMEOUT)
     response_code = response.getcode()
 
     if response_code != 200:
@@ -2248,7 +2249,7 @@ def create_buildgroup(self, opener, headers, url, group_name, group_type):
 
         request = Request(url, data=enc_data, headers=headers)
 
-        response = opener.open(request)
+        response = opener.open(request, timeout=SPACK_CDASH_TIMEOUT)
         response_code = response.getcode()
 
         if response_code not in [200, 201]:
@@ -2294,7 +2295,7 @@ def populate_buildgroup(self, job_names):
         request = Request(url, data=enc_data, headers=headers)
         request.get_method = lambda: "PUT"
 
-        response = opener.open(request)
+        response = opener.open(request, timeout=SPACK_CDASH_TIMEOUT)
         response_code = response.getcode()
 
         if response_code != 200:
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/reporters/cdash.py b/lib/spack/spack/reporters/cdash.py
index 502f89d764..0c140a488d 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/reporters/cdash.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/reporters/cdash.py
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@
 # Initialize data structures common to each phase's report.
 CDASH_PHASES = set(MAP_PHASES_TO_CDASH.values())
 CDASH_PHASES.add("update")
-
+# CDash request timeout in seconds
+SPACK_CDASH_TIMEOUT = 45
 
 CDashConfiguration = collections.namedtuple(
     "CDashConfiguration", ["upload_url", "packages", "build", "site", "buildstamp", "track"]
@@ -447,7 +448,7 @@ def upload(self, filename):
                 # By default, urllib2 only support GET and POST.
                 # CDash expects this file to be uploaded via PUT.
                 request.get_method = lambda: "PUT"
-                response = opener.open(request)
+                response = opener.open(request, timeout=SPACK_CDASH_TIMEOUT)
                 if self.current_package_name not in self.buildIds:
                     resp_value = response.read()
                     if isinstance(resp_value, bytes):
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/ci.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/ci.py
index 4eef036ddb..f3d47c45e9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/ci.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/ci.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def __init__(self, response_code=200, content_to_read=[]):
         self._content = content_to_read
         self._read = [False for c in content_to_read]
 
-    def open(self, request):
+    def open(self, request, data=None, timeout=object()):
         return self
 
     def getcode(self):