diff --git a/lib/api.js b/lib/api.js
index 95565f8aa..bf4c9965b 100644
--- a/lib/api.js
+++ b/lib/api.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class Api extends Emittery {
 		const pendingWorkers = new Set();
 		const timedOutWorkerFiles = new Set();
 		let restartTimer;
-		if (apiOptions.timeout) {
+		if (apiOptions.timeout && !apiOptions.debug) {
 			const timeout = ms(apiOptions.timeout);
 
 			restartTimer = debounce(() => {
diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index 05e231e9d..fac922fc6 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ exports.run = async () => { // eslint-disable-line complexity
 		if (isCi) {
 			exit('Debugging is not available in CI.');
 		}
+
+		if (combined.timeout) {
+			console.log(chalk.magenta(`  ${figures.warning} The timeout option has been disabled to help with debugging.`));
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (Reflect.has(combined, 'concurrency') && (!Number.isInteger(combined.concurrency) || combined.concurrency < 0)) {