diff --git a/test/intern.js b/test/intern.js
index 2ee453d0c0ac21..0a98f2134aed40 100644
--- a/test/intern.js
+++ b/test/intern.js
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ define(function (require) {
       }
     },
     timeouts: {
-      // this is how long a test can run before timing out
-      default: 90000
+      default: 90000, // this is how long a test can run before timing out
+      findTimeout: 10000  // this is how long we try to find elements on page
     },
   }, serverConfig);
 });
diff --git a/test/support/pages/common.js b/test/support/pages/common.js
index e5d50d4092d77a..e442814efaa49d 100644
--- a/test/support/pages/common.js
+++ b/test/support/pages/common.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   }
 
 
-  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.default;
+  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.findTimeout;
 
   Common.prototype = {
     constructor: Common,
diff --git a/test/support/pages/discover_page.js b/test/support/pages/discover_page.js
index ced12f51efb757..da5a440f03fa44 100644
--- a/test/support/pages/discover_page.js
+++ b/test/support/pages/discover_page.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   var config = require('intern').config;
   var Common = require('./common');
 
-  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.default;
+  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.findTimeout;
   var common;
   var thisTime;
 
diff --git a/test/support/pages/header_page.js b/test/support/pages/header_page.js
index db8b87312be259..684903b103cfda 100644
--- a/test/support/pages/header_page.js
+++ b/test/support/pages/header_page.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ define(function (require) {
     common = new Common(this.remote);
   }
 
-  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.default;
+  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.findTimeout;
 
   HeaderPage.prototype = {
     constructor: HeaderPage,
diff --git a/test/support/pages/settings_page.js b/test/support/pages/settings_page.js
index 878cf13eb237ab..665d5342d2be0c 100644
--- a/test/support/pages/settings_page.js
+++ b/test/support/pages/settings_page.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   var Promise = require('bluebird');
   var Common = require('./common');
 
-  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.default;
+  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.findTimeout;
   var common;
 
   function settingsPage(remote) {
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ define(function (require) {
         return common.sleep(1000);
       })
       .then(function setAdvancedSettingsClickPropertyValue(selectList) {
-        return self.remote.findByCssSelector('option[label="' + propertyValue + '"]')
+        return self.remote.setFindTimeout(defaultTimeout)
+        .findByCssSelector('option[label="' + propertyValue + '"]')
         .click();
       })
       .then(function setAdvancedSettingsClickSaveButton() {
diff --git a/test/support/pages/shield_page.js b/test/support/pages/shield_page.js
index 0df4b5cddca4ca..42b4800b74500c 100644
--- a/test/support/pages/shield_page.js
+++ b/test/support/pages/shield_page.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // in test/support/pages/shield_page.js
 define(function (require) {
   var config = require('intern').config;
-  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.default;
+  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.findTimeout;
 
   // the page object is created as a constructor
   // so we can provide the remote Command object
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ define(function (require) {
 
     login: function login(user, pwd) {
       var remote = this.remote;
-      return remote.setFindTimeout(5000)
+      return remote.setFindTimeout(defaultTimeout)
       .findById('username')
       .type(user)
       .then(function () {
diff --git a/test/support/pages/visualize_page.js b/test/support/pages/visualize_page.js
index 02e969d6855e18..d7f52aa36225a9 100644
--- a/test/support/pages/visualize_page.js
+++ b/test/support/pages/visualize_page.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   var registerSuite = require('intern!object');
   var Common = require('./common');
 
-  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.default;
+  var defaultTimeout = config.timeouts.findTimeout;
   var common;
 
   function VisualizePage(remote) {