diff --git a/app/templates/Gruntfile.js b/app/templates/Gruntfile.js
index c9d5568aa..a287531d3 100644
--- a/app/templates/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/app/templates/Gruntfile.js
@@ -484,7 +484,8 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
     mochaTest: {
       options: {
         reporter: 'spec',
-        require: 'mocha.conf.js'
+        require: 'mocha.conf.js',
+        timeout: 5000 // set default mocha spec timeout
       },
       unit: {
         src: ['server/**/*.spec.js']
diff --git a/app/templates/karma.conf.js b/app/templates/karma.conf.js
index 5b45e4f86..9b46a3a22 100644
--- a/app/templates/karma.conf.js
+++ b/app/templates/karma.conf.js
@@ -8,7 +8,13 @@ module.exports = function(config) {
 
     // testing framework to use (jasmine/mocha/qunit/...)<% if (filters.jasmine) { %>
     frameworks: ['jasmine'],<% } if (filters.mocha) { %>
-    frameworks: ['mocha', 'chai', 'sinon-chai', 'chai-as-promised', 'chai-things'],<% } %>
+    frameworks: ['mocha', 'chai', 'sinon-chai', 'chai-as-promised', 'chai-things'],
+
+    client: {
+      mocha: {
+        timeout: 5000 // set default mocha spec timeout
+      }
+    },<% } %>
 
     // list of files / patterns to load in the browser
     files: [