diff --git a/acquire/volatilestream.py b/acquire/volatilestream.py
index 19e57f0..d985a83 100644
--- a/acquire/volatilestream.py
+++ b/acquire/volatilestream.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import os
+from concurrent import futures
 from io import SEEK_SET, UnsupportedOperation
 from pathlib import Path
 from stat import S_IRGRP, S_IROTH, S_IRUSR
+from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from dissect.util.stream import AlignedStream
 
@@ -14,6 +16,35 @@
     HAS_FCNTL = False
 
 
+def timeout(func: Callable, *, timelimit: int) -> Callable:
+    """Timeout a function if it takes too long to complete.
+
+    Args:
+        func: a function to wrap.
+        timelimit: The time in seconds that an operation is allowed to run.
+
+    Raises:
+        TimeoutError: If its time exceeds the timelimit
+    """
+
+    def wrapper(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
+        with futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as executor:
+            future = executor.submit(func, *args, **kwargs)
+
+            try:
+                result = future.result(timelimit)
+            except futures.TimeoutError:
+                raise TimeoutError
+            finally:
+                # Make sure the thread stops right away.
+                executor._threads.clear()
+                futures.thread._threads_queues.clear()
+
+            return result
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
 class VolatileStream(AlignedStream):
     """Streaming class to handle various procfs and sysfs edge-cases.  Backed by `AlignedStream`.
 
@@ -41,6 +72,8 @@ def __init__(
         st_mode = os.fstat(self.fd).st_mode
         write_only = (st_mode & (S_IRUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH)) == 0  # novermin
 
+        self._os_read = timeout(os.read, timelimit=5)
+
         super().__init__(0 if write_only else size)
 
     def seek(self, pos: int, whence: int = SEEK_SET) -> int:
@@ -53,8 +86,8 @@ def _read(self, offset: int, length: int) -> bytes:
         result = []
         while length:
             try:
-                buf = os.read(self.fd, min(length, self.size - offset))
-            except BlockingIOError:
+                buf = self._os_read(self.fd, min(length, self.size - offset))
+            except (BlockingIOError, TimeoutError):
                 break
 
             if not buf:
diff --git a/tests/test_volatile.py b/tests/test_volatile.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e73df3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_volatile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+from time import sleep, time
+
+import pytest
+
+from acquire.volatilestream import timeout
+
+
+def test_timeout():
+    def snooze():
+        sleep(10)
+
+    function = timeout(snooze, timelimit=5)
+    start = time()
+
+    with pytest.raises(TimeoutError):
+        function()
+
+    end = time()
+
+    assert end - start < 6