diff --git a/reframe/core/schedulers/local.py b/reframe/core/schedulers/local.py
index 2105e45a7f..5ace2c917a 100644
--- a/reframe/core/schedulers/local.py
+++ b/reframe/core/schedulers/local.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import reframe.core.schedulers as sched
 import reframe.utility.osext as osext
 from reframe.core.backends import register_scheduler
-from reframe.core.exceptions import ReframeError
+from reframe.core.exceptions import JobError, ReframeError
 
 
 class _TimeoutExpired(ReframeError):
@@ -187,9 +187,12 @@ def _poll_job(self, job):
             # Job has not finished; check if we have reached a timeout
             t_elapsed = time.time() - job.submit_time
             if job.time_limit and t_elapsed > job.time_limit:
-                self.log(f'Job {job.jobid} timed out; kill it')
                 self._kill_all(job)
                 job._state = 'TIMEOUT'
+                job._exception = JobError(
+                    f'job timed out ({t_elapsed:.6f}s > {job.time_limit}s)',
+                    job.jobid
+                )
 
             return
 
diff --git a/unittests/test_schedulers.py b/unittests/test_schedulers.py
index 545c6d2033..797fecd2b2 100644
--- a/unittests/test_schedulers.py
+++ b/unittests/test_schedulers.py
@@ -487,7 +487,9 @@ def test_submit_timelimit(minimal_job, local_only):
     t_job = time.time()
     submit_job(minimal_job)
     assert minimal_job.jobid is not None
-    minimal_job.wait()
+    with pytest.raises(JobError):
+        minimal_job.wait()
+
     t_job = time.time() - t_job
     assert t_job >= 2
     assert t_job < 3