diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1cbdd35..5e39927 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ pylint = "*"
 mypy = "*"
 
 [tool.pylint."MESSAGES CONTROL"]
-disable = ["logging-fstring-interpolation"]
+disable = ["logging-fstring-interpolation", "missing-timeout"]
diff --git a/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py b/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py
index 8587683..3e6660f 100644
--- a/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 """Tests for I/O and decryption tasks"""
 
-from time import sleep
 import json
-import requests
+from time import sleep
+
 import pytest
+import requests
 
 from task_bodies import (
     output_dir,
@@ -11,82 +12,61 @@
     decryption_task_body,
     uppercase_task_with_decryption_body
 )
+from tests.utils import timeout
 
 TES_URL = "http://localhost:8090/ga4gh/tes/v1"
 HEADERS = {"accept": "application/json", "Content-Type": "application/json"}
 WAIT_STATUSES = ("UNKNOWN", "INITIALIZING", "RUNNING", "QUEUED")
 INPUT_TEXT = "hello world from the input!"
-TIME_LIMIT = 60
 
 
-def create_task(tasks_body):
-    """Creates task with the given task body."""
-    return requests.post(
-        url=f"{TES_URL}/tasks", headers=HEADERS, json=tasks_body, timeout=TIME_LIMIT
-    )
+def wait_for_file_download(filename):
+    """Waits for file with given filename to download."""
+    while not (output_dir/filename).exists():
+        sleep(1)
 
 
-def get_task(task_id):
-    """Retrieves list of tasks."""
-    return requests.get(
-        url=f"{TES_URL}/tasks/{task_id}", headers=HEADERS, timeout=TIME_LIMIT
+@pytest.fixture(name="task")
+def fixture_task(request):
+    """Returns response received after creating task."""
+    return requests.post(
+        url=f"{TES_URL}/tasks", headers=HEADERS, json=request.param
     )
 
 
-def get_task_state(task_id):
-    """Retrieves state of task until completion."""
-    def wait_for_task_completion():
-        nonlocal task_state
-        elapsed_seconds = 0
-        get_response = get_task(task_id)
-        task_state = json.loads(get_response.text)["state"]
-        while task_state in WAIT_STATUSES:
-            if elapsed_seconds >= TIME_LIMIT:
-                raise requests.Timeout(f"Task did not complete within {TIME_LIMIT} seconds.")
-            sleep(1)
-            elapsed_seconds += 1
-            get_response = get_task(task_id)
-            task_state = json.loads(get_response.text)["state"]
-
-    task_state = ""
-    wait_for_task_completion()
-    return task_state
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(name="post_response")
-def fixture_post_response(request):
-    """Returns response received after creating task."""
-    return create_task(request.param)
-
+@pytest.fixture(name="final_task_info")
+@timeout(time_limit=60)
+def fixture_final_task_info(task):
+    """Returns task information after completion."""
+    assert task.status_code == 200
+    task_id = json.loads(task.text)["id"]
+    task_info = None
+    for _ in range(30):
+        task_info = requests.get(
+            url=f"{TES_URL}/tasks/{task_id}", headers=HEADERS
+        )
+        task_state = json.loads(task_info.text)["state"]
+        if task_state not in WAIT_STATUSES:
+            break
+        sleep(1)
 
-@pytest.fixture(name="task_state")
-def fixture_task_state(post_response):
-    """Returns state of task after completion."""
-    task_id = json.loads(post_response.text)["id"]
-    return get_task_state(task_id)
+    return json.loads(task_info.text)
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("post_response,filename,expected_output", [
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("task,filename,expected_output", [
     (uppercase_task_body, "hello-upper.txt", INPUT_TEXT.upper()),
     (decryption_task_body, "hello-decrypted.txt", INPUT_TEXT),
     (uppercase_task_with_decryption_body, "hello-upper-decrypt.txt", INPUT_TEXT.upper())
-], indirect=['post_response'])
-def test_task(post_response, task_state, filename, expected_output):
+], indirect=["task"])
+@timeout(time_limit=10)
+def test_task(task, final_task_info, filename, expected_output):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     """Test tasks for successful completion and intended behavior."""
-    assert post_response.status_code == 200
-    assert task_state == "COMPLETE"
+    assert final_task_info["state"] == "COMPLETE"
 
-    elapsed_seconds = 0
-    while not (output_dir/filename).exists():
-        if elapsed_seconds == TIME_LIMIT:
-            raise FileNotFoundError(f"{filename} did not download to {output_dir} "
-                                    f"within {TIME_LIMIT} seconds.")
-        sleep(1)
-        elapsed_seconds += 1
+    wait_for_file_download(filename)
 
     with open(output_dir/filename, encoding="utf-8") as f:
         output = f.read()
         assert output == expected_output
-        assert len(output) == len(expected_output)
-        if "upper" in filename:
-            assert output.isupper()
+        true_result = output.isupper() if "upper" in filename else not output.isupper()
+        assert true_result
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbc38d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+""" Utility functions for tests."""
+from functools import wraps
+import signal
+
+
+def timeout(time_limit):
+    """Decorator that enforces a time limit on a function."""
+    def handler(signum, frame):
+        raise TimeoutError(f"Task did not complete within {time_limit} seconds.")
+
+    def decorator(func):
+        @wraps(func)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, handler)
+            signal.alarm(time_limit)
+            result = func(*args, **kwargs)
+            signal.alarm(0)
+            return result
+        return wrapper
+    return decorator