diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index ecbe15f03..34f0a9cc5 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -567,6 +567,11 @@ bool CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
             else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--output-file=", 14) == 0)
                 mSettings->outputFile = Path::simplifyPath(Path::fromNativeSeparators(argv[i] + 14));
 
+            // Experimental: limit execution time for extended valueflow analysis. basic valueflow analysis
+            // is always executed.
+            else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--performance-valueflow-max-time=", 33) == 0)
+                mSettings->performanceValueFlowMaxTime = std::atoi(argv[i] + 33);
+
             // Specify platform
             else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--platform=", 11) == 0) {
                 const std::string platform(11+argv[i]);
diff --git a/lib/settings.cpp b/lib/settings.cpp
index ae959b1f5..c2a68e5b1 100644
--- a/lib/settings.cpp
+++ b/lib/settings.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ Settings::Settings()
     maxConfigs(12),
     maxCtuDepth(2),
     maxTemplateRecursion(100),
+    performanceValueFlowMaxTime(-1),
     preprocessOnly(false),
     quiet(false),
     relativePaths(false),
diff --git a/lib/settings.h b/lib/settings.h
index 5338caeb9..4e6ceb279 100644
--- a/lib/settings.h
+++ b/lib/settings.h
@@ -234,6 +234,9 @@ public:
     /** @brief write results (--output-file=<file>) */
     std::string outputFile;
 
+    /** @brief Experimental: --performance-valueflow-max-time=T */
+    int performanceValueFlowMaxTime;
+
     /** @brief plist output (--plist-output=<dir>) */
     std::string plistOutput;
 
diff --git a/lib/valueflow.cpp b/lib/valueflow.cpp
index 94c6a3dff..10c0f98d5 100644
--- a/lib/valueflow.cpp
+++ b/lib/valueflow.cpp
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
 #include <climits>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <ctime>
 #include <exception>
 #include <functional>
 #include <initializer_list>
@@ -8880,44 +8881,76 @@ void ValueFlow::setValues(TokenList *tokenlist, SymbolDatabase* symboldatabase,
     valueFlowSameExpressions(tokenlist);
     valueFlowConditionExpressions(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
 
+    const std::time_t stopTime = (settings->performanceValueFlowMaxTime >= 0) ? (std::time(nullptr) + settings->performanceValueFlowMaxTime) : (~0ULL/2);
+
     std::size_t values = 0;
     std::size_t n = 4;
     while (n > 0 && values != getTotalValues(tokenlist)) {
         values = getTotalValues(tokenlist);
-        valueFlowImpossibleValues(tokenlist, settings);
-        valueFlowSymbolicOperators(tokenlist, symboldatabase);
-        valueFlowCondition(SymbolicConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowSymbolicInfer(tokenlist, symboldatabase);
-        valueFlowArrayBool(tokenlist);
-        valueFlowArrayElement(tokenlist, settings);
-        valueFlowRightShift(tokenlist, settings);
-        valueFlowAfterAssign(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowAfterSwap(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowCondition(SimpleConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowInferCondition(tokenlist, settings);
-        valueFlowSwitchVariable(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowForLoop(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowSubFunction(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowFunctionReturn(tokenlist, errorLogger);
-        valueFlowLifetime(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-        valueFlowFunctionDefaultParameter(tokenlist, symboldatabase);
-        valueFlowUninit(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
+
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowImpossibleValues(tokenlist, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowSymbolicOperators(tokenlist, symboldatabase);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowCondition(SymbolicConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowSymbolicInfer(tokenlist, symboldatabase);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowArrayBool(tokenlist);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowArrayElement(tokenlist, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowRightShift(tokenlist, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowAfterAssign(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowAfterSwap(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowCondition(SimpleConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowInferCondition(tokenlist, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowSwitchVariable(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowForLoop(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowSubFunction(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowFunctionReturn(tokenlist, errorLogger);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowLifetime(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowFunctionDefaultParameter(tokenlist, symboldatabase);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowUninit(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
+
         if (tokenlist->isCPP()) {
-            valueFlowAfterMove(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
-            valueFlowSmartPointer(tokenlist, errorLogger, settings);
-            valueFlowIterators(tokenlist, settings);
-            valueFlowCondition(IteratorConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-            valueFlowIteratorInfer(tokenlist, settings);
-            valueFlowContainerSize(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
-            valueFlowCondition(ContainerConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowAfterMove(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowSmartPointer(tokenlist, errorLogger, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowIterators(tokenlist, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowCondition(IteratorConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowIteratorInfer(tokenlist, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowContainerSize(tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
+            if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+                valueFlowCondition(ContainerConditionHandler{}, tokenlist, symboldatabase, errorLogger, settings);
         }
-        valueFlowSafeFunctions(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
+        if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+            valueFlowSafeFunctions(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
         n--;
     }
 
-    valueFlowDynamicBufferSize(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
+    if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+        valueFlowDynamicBufferSize(tokenlist, symboldatabase, settings);
 
-    valueFlowDebug(tokenlist, errorLogger);
+    if (std::time(nullptr) < stopTime)
+        valueFlowDebug(tokenlist, errorLogger);
 }
 
 ValueFlow::Value ValueFlow::Value::unknown()