diff --git a/src/core/src/core_logic/ServiceManager.py b/src/core/src/core_logic/ServiceManager.py
index 9c8dde78..f69344cf 100644
--- a/src/core/src/core_logic/ServiceManager.py
+++ b/src/core/src/core_logic/ServiceManager.py
@@ -89,17 +89,18 @@ def is_service_enabled(self):
     # endregion
 
     # region - Service Unit Management
-    def create_service_unit_file(self, exec_start, desc, after="network.target", service_type="forking", wanted_by="multi-user.target"):
+    def create_service_unit_file(self, exec_start, desc, after="network.target", service_type="forking", timeout_start_sec="10min", wanted_by="multi-user.target"):
         """ Note: Service type defaults to forking because of sh to py process fork """
         service_unit_content_template = "\n[Unit]" + \
                                "\nDescription={0}" + \
                                "\nAfter={1}\n" + \
                                "\n[Service]" + \
                                "\nType={2}" + \
-                               "\nExecStart={3}\n" + \
+                               "\nExecStart={3}" + \
+                               "\nTimeoutStartSec={4}\n" + \
                                "\n[Install]" + \
-                               "\nWantedBy={4}"
-        service_unit_content = service_unit_content_template.format(desc, after, service_type, exec_start, wanted_by)
+                               "\nWantedBy={5}"
+        service_unit_content = service_unit_content_template.format(desc, after, service_type, exec_start, timeout_start_sec, wanted_by)
         service_unit_path = self.__systemd_service_unit_path.format(self.service_name)
         self.env_layer.file_system.write_with_retry(service_unit_path, service_unit_content)
         self.env_layer.run_command_output("sudo chmod 644 " + service_unit_path) # 644 = Owner: RW; Group: R; Others: R
diff --git a/src/core/tests/Test_ServiceManager.py b/src/core/tests/Test_ServiceManager.py
index 0eb406ff..ec4216c2 100644
--- a/src/core/tests/Test_ServiceManager.py
+++ b/src/core/tests/Test_ServiceManager.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.service_manager = ServiceManager(self.runtime.env_layer, self.runtime.execution_config, self.runtime.composite_logger, self.runtime.telemetry_writer,ServiceInfo("AutoAssessment", "Auto assessment service", "path"))
         self.service_manager.service_name = "test_service"
         self.mock_systemd_service_unit_path = "/etc/systemd/system/{0}.service"
+        self.written_service_unit_path = None
+        self.written_service_unit_content = None
 
     def tearDown(self):
         self.runtime.stop()
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ def mock_run_command_to_set_service_file_permission(self, cmd, no_output=False,
             return 0, "permissions set"
 
     def mock_write_with_retry_valid(self, file_path_or_handle, data, mode='a+'):
+        self.written_service_unit_path = file_path_or_handle
+        self.written_service_unit_content = data
         return
 
     def mock_invoke_systemctl(self, command, description):
@@ -58,11 +62,15 @@ def mock_invoke_systemctl(self, command, description):
         elif "is-active" in command:
             return 0, "Checking if service is active"
 
-    def test_create_service_unit_file(self):
+    def test_create_service_unit_file_sets_ten_minute_start_timeout(self):
         self.service_manager.env_layer.run_command_output = self.mock_run_command_to_set_service_file_permission
         self.service_manager.env_layer.file_system.write_with_retry = self.mock_write_with_retry_valid
         self.service_manager.create_service_unit_file(exec_start="/bin/bash " + self.service_manager.service_exec_path, desc="Microsoft Azure Linux Patch Extension - Auto Assessment")
 
+        self.assertEqual("/etc/systemd/system/test_service.service", self.written_service_unit_path)
+        self.assertIn("\nType=forking\n", self.written_service_unit_content)
+        self.assertIn("\nTimeoutStartSec=10min\n", self.written_service_unit_content)
+
     def test_start_service(self):
         # Set method calls
         self.service_manager.invoke_systemctl_called = False