diff --git a/awx/main/conf.py b/awx/main/conf.py
index 55b12970a3..aff1be27f4 100644
--- a/awx/main/conf.py
+++ b/awx/main/conf.py
@@ -175,19 +175,34 @@ register(
 )
 
 register(
-    'DEFAULT_JOB_TIMEOUTS',
-    field_class=fields.DictField,
-    default={
-        'Job': 0,
-        'InventoryUpdate': 0,
-        'ProjectUpdate': 0,
-    },
-    label=_('Default Job Timeouts'),
-    help_text=_('Maximum time to allow jobs to run. Use sub-keys of Job, '
-                'InventoryUpdate, and ProjectUpdate to configure this value '
-                'for each job type. Use value of 0 to indicate that no '
-                'timeout should be imposed. A timeout set on an individual '
-                'job template will override this.'),
+    'DEFAULT_JOB_TIMEOUT',
+    field_class=fields.IntegerField,
+    min_value=0,
+    label=_('Default Job Timeout'),
+    help_text=_('Maximum time to allow jobs to run. Use value of 0 to indicate that no '
+                'timeout should be imposed. A timeout set on an individual job template will override this.'),
+    category=_('Jobs'),
+    category_slug='jobs',
+)
+
+register(
+    'DEFAULT_INVENTORY_UPDATE_TIMEOUT',
+    field_class=fields.IntegerField,
+    min_value=0,
+    label=_('Default Inventory Update Timeout'),
+    help_text=_('Maximum time to allow inventory updates to run. Use value of 0 to indicate that no '
+                'timeout should be imposed. A timeout set on an individual inventory source will override this.'),
+    category=_('Jobs'),
+    category_slug='jobs',
+)
+
+register(
+    'DEFAULT_PROJECT_UPDATE_TIMEOUT',
+    field_class=fields.IntegerField,
+    min_value=0,
+    label=_('Default Project Update Timeout'),
+    help_text=_('Maximum time to allow project updates to run. Use value of 0 to indicate that no '
+                'timeout should be imposed. A timeout set on an individual project will override this.'),
     category=_('Jobs'),
     category_slug='jobs',
 )
diff --git a/awx/main/models/inventory.py b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
index 662b1702f9..551efa732b 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
@@ -1226,6 +1226,9 @@ class InventoryUpdate(UnifiedJob, InventorySourceOptions, JobNotificationMixin):
         from awx.main.tasks import RunInventoryUpdate
         return RunInventoryUpdate
 
+    def _global_timeout_setting(self):
+        return 'DEFAULT_INVENTORY_UPDATE_TIMEOUT'
+
     def websocket_emit_data(self):
         if self.inventory_source.group is not None:
             return dict(group_id=self.inventory_source.group.id)
diff --git a/awx/main/models/jobs.py b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
index 8ed723626b..8a4d6c07ae 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/jobs.py
@@ -583,6 +583,9 @@ class Job(UnifiedJob, JobOptions, JobNotificationMixin):
         from awx.main.tasks import RunJob
         return RunJob
 
+    def _global_timeout_setting(self):
+        return 'DEFAULT_JOB_TIMEOUT'
+
     def get_absolute_url(self):
         return reverse('api:job_detail', args=(self.pk,))
 
diff --git a/awx/main/models/projects.py b/awx/main/models/projects.py
index c3763ff34f..aa8e726b64 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/projects.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/projects.py
@@ -423,6 +423,18 @@ class ProjectUpdate(UnifiedJob, ProjectOptions, JobNotificationMixin):
         from awx.main.tasks import RunProjectUpdate
         return RunProjectUpdate
 
+    def _global_timeout_setting(self):
+        return 'DEFAULT_PROJECT_UPDATE_TIMEOUT'
+
+    def is_blocked_by(self, obj):
+        if type(obj) == ProjectUpdate:
+            if self.project == obj.project:
+                return True
+        if type(obj) == Job:
+            if self.project == obj.project:
+                return True
+        return False
+
     def websocket_emit_data(self):
         return dict(project_id=self.project.id)
 
diff --git a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
index fa989ad60c..1fab5fcbb3 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
@@ -554,6 +554,10 @@ class UnifiedJob(PolymorphicModel, PasswordFieldsModel, CommonModelNameNotUnique
     def _get_parent_field_name(cls):
         return 'unified_job_template' # Override in subclasses.
 
+    def _global_timeout_setting(self):
+        "Override in child classes, None value indicates this is not configurable"
+        return None
+
     def __unicode__(self):
         return u'%s-%s-%s' % (self.created, self.id, self.status)
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index 7f187c7bce..6b98a12b22 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -508,11 +508,11 @@ class BaseTask(Task):
         if pexpect_sleep is not None:
             logger.info("Suspending Job Execution for QA Work")
             time.sleep(pexpect_sleep)
-        global_timeout = getattr(settings, 'DEFAULT_JOB_TIMEOUTS', {})
-        cls_name = instance.__class__.__name__
-        if cls_name in global_timeout:
+        global_timeout_setting_name = instance._global_timeout_setting()
+        if global_timeout_setting_name:
+            global_timeout = getattr(settings, global_timeout_setting_name, 0)
             local_timeout = getattr(instance, 'timeout', 0)
-            job_timeout = global_timeout[cls_name] if local_timeout == 0 else local_timeout
+            job_timeout = global_timeout if local_timeout == 0 else local_timeout
         else:
             job_timeout = 0
         child = pexpect.spawnu(args[0], args[1:], cwd=cwd, env=env)
diff --git a/awx/settings/local_settings.py.docker_compose b/awx/settings/local_settings.py.docker_compose
index 033bef6038..540490c813 100644
--- a/awx/settings/local_settings.py.docker_compose
+++ b/awx/settings/local_settings.py.docker_compose
@@ -276,10 +276,3 @@ TEST_OPENSTACK_PROJECT = ''
 # Azure credentials.
 TEST_AZURE_USERNAME = ''
 TEST_AZURE_KEY_DATA = ''
-
-# Exemplary global job timeout settings
-# DEFAULT_JOB_TIMEOUTS = {
-#   'Job': 10,
-#   'InventoryUpdate': 15,
-#   'ProjectUpdate': 20,
-# }