diff --git a/tests/system/test_system.py b/tests/system/test_system.py
index 495824044b..90031a3e3a 100644
--- a/tests/system/test_system.py
+++ b/tests/system/test_system.py
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@
 CREATE_INSTANCE = os.getenv("GOOGLE_CLOUD_TESTS_CREATE_SPANNER_INSTANCE") is not None
 USE_EMULATOR = os.getenv("SPANNER_EMULATOR_HOST") is not None
 SKIP_BACKUP_TESTS = os.getenv("SKIP_BACKUP_TESTS") is not None
+SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS = int(
+    os.getenv("SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS", 60)
+)
 
 if CREATE_INSTANCE:
     INSTANCE_ID = "google-cloud" + unique_resource_id("-")
@@ -149,7 +152,9 @@ def setUpModule():
             INSTANCE_ID, config_name, labels=labels
         )
         created_op = Config.INSTANCE.create()
-        created_op.result(30)  # block until completion
+        created_op.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # block until completion
 
     else:
         Config.INSTANCE = Config.CLIENT.instance(INSTANCE_ID)
@@ -208,7 +213,9 @@ def test_create_instance(self):
         self.instances_to_delete.append(instance)
 
         # We want to make sure the operation completes.
-        operation.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        operation.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
         # Create a new instance instance and make sure it is the same.
         instance_alt = Config.CLIENT.instance(
@@ -227,7 +234,9 @@ def test_update_instance(self):
         operation = Config.INSTANCE.update()
 
         # We want to make sure the operation completes.
-        operation.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        operation.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
         # Create a new instance instance and reload it.
         instance_alt = Config.CLIENT.instance(INSTANCE_ID, None)
@@ -308,7 +317,9 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             cls.DATABASE_NAME, ddl_statements=ddl_statements, pool=pool
         )
         operation = cls._db.create()
-        operation.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        operation.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
     @classmethod
     def tearDownClass(cls):
@@ -337,7 +348,9 @@ def test_create_database(self):
         self.to_delete.append(temp_db)
 
         # We want to make sure the operation completes.
-        operation.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        operation.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
         database_ids = [database.name for database in Config.INSTANCE.list_databases()]
         self.assertIn(temp_db.name, database_ids)
@@ -483,8 +496,8 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
         cls._dbs = [db1, db2]
         op1 = db1.create()
         op2 = db2.create()
-        op1.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
-        op2.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        op1.result(SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        op2.result(SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
         current_config = Config.INSTANCE.configuration_name
         same_config_instance_id = "same-config" + unique_resource_id("-")
@@ -494,7 +507,7 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             same_config_instance_id, current_config, labels=labels
         )
         op = cls._same_config_instance.create()
-        op.result(30)
+        op.result(SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
         cls._instances = [cls._same_config_instance]
 
         retry = RetryErrors(exceptions.ServiceUnavailable)
@@ -513,7 +526,7 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
                 diff_config_instance_id, diff_configs[0], labels=labels
             )
             op = cls._diff_config_instance.create()
-            op.result(30)
+            op.result(SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
             cls._instances.append(cls._diff_config_instance)
 
     @classmethod
@@ -675,7 +688,7 @@ def test_multi_create_cancel_update_error_restore_errors(self):
             return
         new_db = self._diff_config_instance.database("diff_config")
         op = new_db.create()
-        op.result(30)
+        op.result(SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS)
         self.to_drop.append(new_db)
         with self.assertRaises(exceptions.InvalidArgument):
             new_db.restore(source=backup1)
@@ -866,7 +879,9 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             cls.DATABASE_NAME, ddl_statements=ddl_statements, pool=pool
         )
         operation = cls._db.create()
-        operation.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        operation.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
     @classmethod
     def tearDownClass(cls):
@@ -1788,7 +1803,9 @@ def test_read_w_index(self):
         self.to_delete.append(_DatabaseDropper(temp_db))
 
         # We want to make sure the operation completes.
-        operation.result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        operation.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
         committed = self._set_up_table(row_count, database=temp_db)
 
         with temp_db.snapshot(read_timestamp=committed) as snapshot:
diff --git a/tests/system/test_system_dbapi.py b/tests/system/test_system_dbapi.py
index baeadd2c44..1659fe239b 100644
--- a/tests/system/test_system_dbapi.py
+++ b/tests/system/test_system_dbapi.py
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@
 )
 
 
+SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS = int(
+    os.getenv("SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS", 60)
+)
+
+
 def setUpModule():
     if USE_EMULATOR:
         from google.auth.credentials import AnonymousCredentials
@@ -91,7 +96,9 @@ def setUpModule():
             INSTANCE_ID, config_name, labels=labels
         )
         created_op = Config.INSTANCE.create()
-        created_op.result(30)  # block until completion
+        created_op.result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # block until completion
 
     else:
         Config.INSTANCE = Config.CLIENT.instance(INSTANCE_ID)
@@ -126,7 +133,9 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             ddl_statements=cls.DDL_STATEMENTS,
             pool=BurstyPool(labels={"testcase": "database_api"}),
         )
-        cls._db.create().result(30)  # raises on failure / timeout.
+        cls._db.create().result(
+            SPANNER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS
+        )  # raises on failure / timeout.
 
     @classmethod
     def tearDownClass(cls):