diff --git a/src/mounts.js b/src/mounts.js
index 25be721e8..dfa295d1b 100644
--- a/src/mounts.js
+++ b/src/mounts.js
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ async function getStatus(mountType, hostPath) {
 
     if (mountType === 'filesystem') return { state: 'active', message: 'Mounted' };
 
-    const state = safe.child_process.execSync(`mountpoint -q -- ${hostPath}`) ? 'active' : 'inactive';
+    const [error] = await safe(shell.exec(`mountpoint -q -- ${hostPath}`, { timeout: 5000 }));
+    const state = error ? 'inactive' : 'active';
 
     if (mountType === 'mountpoint') return { state, message: state === 'active' ? 'Mounted' : 'Not mounted' };
 
diff --git a/src/storage/filesystem.js b/src/storage/filesystem.js
index ebc24bd2e..9ca3dc63b 100644
--- a/src/storage/filesystem.js
+++ b/src/storage/filesystem.js
@@ -257,7 +257,8 @@ async function testConfig(apiConfig) {
     }
 
     if (apiConfig.provider === PROVIDER_MOUNTPOINT) {
-        if (!safe.child_process.execSync(`mountpoint -q -- ${apiConfig.mountPoint}`)) throw new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, `${apiConfig.mountPoint} is not mounted`);
+        const [error] = await safe(shell.exec(`mountpoint -q -- ${apiConfig.mountPoint}`, { timeout: 5000 }));
+        if (error) throw new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, `${apiConfig.mountPoint} is not mounted: ${error.message}`);
     }
 
     const rootPath = apiConfig.rootPath;
diff --git a/src/test/shell-test.js b/src/test/shell-test.js
index 8fdeb56ae..e84dd80ce 100644
--- a/src/test/shell-test.js
+++ b/src/test/shell-test.js
@@ -52,27 +52,32 @@ describe('shell', function () {
         await safe(shell.promises.sudo('test', [ RELOAD_NGINX_CMD, 'nginx' ], {}));
     });
 
-    it('execSync a valid shell program', function (done) {
+    it('exec a valid shell program', function (done) {
         shell.exec('test', 'ls -l | wc -c', {}, function (error) {
             done(error);
         });
     });
 
-    it('execSync a valid shell program (promises)', async function () {
+    it('exec a valid shell program (promises)', async function () {
         await shell.promises.exec('test', 'ls -l | wc -c', {});
     });
 
-    it('execSync throws for invalid program', function (done) {
+    it('exec throws for invalid program', function (done) {
         shell.exec('test', 'cannotexist', {}, function (error) {
             expect(error).to.be.ok();
             done();
         });
     });
 
-    it('execSync throws for failed program', function (done) {
+    it('exec throws for failed program', function (done) {
         shell.exec('test', 'false', {}, function (error) {
             expect(error).to.be.ok();
             done();
         });
     });
+
+    it('exec times out properly', async function () {
+        const [error] = await safe(shell.promises.exec('sleeping', 'sleep 20', { timeout: 1000 }));
+        expect(error.signal).to.be('SIGTERM'); // somtimes code is ETIMEOUT
+    });
 });