diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/setup.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/setup.py
index 3d064ae8b49..d075311a075 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/setup.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/setup.py
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ options:
               not want to display those."
         required: false
         default: 'all'
+    gather_timeout:
+        version_added: "2.2"
+        description:
+            - "Set the default timeout in seconds for individual fact gathering"
+        required: false
+        default: 10
     filter:
         version_added: "1.1"
         description:
@@ -111,6 +117,7 @@ def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
         argument_spec = dict(
             gather_subset=dict(default=["all"], required=False, type='list'),
+            gather_timeout=dict(default=10, required=False, type='int'),
             filter=dict(default="*", required=False),
             fact_path=dict(default='/etc/ansible/facts.d', required=False),
         ),