diff --git a/changelog-entries/848.md b/changelog-entries/848.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92e11e03c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog-entries/848.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Added optional per-component `build_timeout` in `components.yaml` for the system test Docker build step ([#848](https://github.com/precice/tutorials/pull/848)).
diff --git a/tools/tests/README.md b/tools/tests/README.md
index aa53133e3..28cf367d5 100644
--- a/tools/tests/README.md
+++ b/tools/tests/README.md
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@ This template defines:
 
 ### Timeouts
 
-A `GLOBAL_TIMEOUT` is used for all operations. Its default value is 600s (5min), it is set in the beginning of [`Systemtests.py`](https://github.com/precice/tutorials/blob/develop/tools/tests/systemtests/Systemtest.py), and it can be overridden via the `PRECICE_SYSTEMTESTS_TIMEOUT` environment variable.
+The build and the run/compare steps use separate timeouts.
 
-Tests can define a different `timeout` in their `tests.yaml` entry, which applies to the running and results comparison steps.
+**Build:** Each component in `components.yaml` may set a `build_timeout` (default: 480s (8min)). The build step runs `docker compose build` once for all participant images, with one wall-clock subprocess timeout. That limit is the maximum `build_timeout` among the distinct components of the test (so that the slowest component is not cut off too early). You can override the default via the `PRECICE_SYSTEMTESTS_BUILD_TIMEOUT` environment variable.
+
+**Run and compare:** Each test in `tests.yaml` may set a `timeout` (default: 180s (3min)), which applies to the running and results comparison steps only. You can override the default via the `PRECICE_SYSTEMTESTS_TIMEOUT` environment variable.
 
 </details>
diff --git a/tools/tests/components.yaml b/tools/tests/components.yaml
index c7a4de2b0..1357e51c7 100644
--- a/tools/tests/components.yaml
+++ b/tools/tests/components.yaml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ dealii-adapter:
 
 dumux-adapter:
   template: component-templates/dumux-adapter.yaml
+  build_timeout: 600
   build_arguments:
     PLATFORM:
       default: "ubuntu_2404"
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ python-bindings:
 
 su2-adapter:
   template: component-templates/su2-adapter.yaml
+  build_timeout: 600
   build_arguments:
     PLATFORM:
       default: "ubuntu_2404"
diff --git a/tools/tests/metadata_parser/metdata.py b/tools/tests/metadata_parser/metdata.py
index 1c9b98d55..882fcca2a 100644
--- a/tools/tests/metadata_parser/metdata.py
+++ b/tools/tests/metadata_parser/metdata.py
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ class Component:
     name: str
     template: str
     parameters: BuildArguments
+    build_timeout: int | None = None
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if isinstance(other, Component):
@@ -130,11 +131,17 @@ def from_yaml(cls, path):
         with open(path, 'r') as f:
             data = yaml.safe_load(f)
             for component_name in data:
-                parameters = BuildArguments.from_components_yaml(
-                    data[component_name])
-                template = data[component_name]["template"]
+                component_data = data[component_name]
+                parameters = BuildArguments.from_components_yaml(component_data)
+                template = component_data["template"]
+                build_timeout = component_data.get("build_timeout", None)
+                if build_timeout is not None:
+                    if not isinstance(build_timeout, int) or build_timeout <= 0:
+                        raise ValueError(
+                            f"build_timeout must be a positive integer for component "
+                            f"'{component_name}', got {build_timeout!r}")
                 components.append(
-                    Component(component_name, template, parameters))
+                    Component(component_name, template, parameters, build_timeout))
 
         return cls(components)
 
diff --git a/tools/tests/systemtests/Systemtest.py b/tools/tests/systemtests/Systemtest.py
index f2d4559a1..3ffb74df0 100644
--- a/tools/tests/systemtests/Systemtest.py
+++ b/tools/tests/systemtests/Systemtest.py
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 import os
 
 
-GLOBAL_TIMEOUT = int(os.environ.get("PRECICE_SYSTEMTESTS_TIMEOUT", 600))
+GLOBAL_TIMEOUT = int(os.environ.get("PRECICE_SYSTEMTESTS_TIMEOUT", 180))
+DEFAULT_BUILD_TIMEOUT = int(
+    os.environ.get("PRECICE_SYSTEMTESTS_BUILD_TIMEOUT", 480))
 SHORT_TIMEOUT = 10
 
 DIFF_RESULTS_DIR = "diff-results"
@@ -238,6 +240,27 @@ def __hash__(self) -> int:
     def __post_init__(self):
         self.__init_args_to_use()
         self.env = {}
+        self.build_timeout = self._resolve_build_timeout()
+
+    def _resolve_build_timeout(self) -> int:
+        """
+        Wall-clock limit for the single ``docker compose build`` subprocess.
+
+        Uses the maximum build_timeout of the distinct components in this test,
+        so the step can run long enough for the slowest adapter. Components
+        without build_timeout use DEFAULT_BUILD_TIMEOUT.
+        """
+        timeouts = []
+        seen_components = set()
+        for case in self.case_combination.cases:
+            if case.component.name in seen_components:
+                continue
+            seen_components.add(case.component.name)
+            if case.component.build_timeout is not None:
+                timeouts.append(case.component.build_timeout)
+            else:
+                timeouts.append(DEFAULT_BUILD_TIMEOUT)
+        return max(timeouts) if timeouts else DEFAULT_BUILD_TIMEOUT
 
     def __init_args_to_use(self):
         """
@@ -847,6 +870,8 @@ def _build_docker(self):
         Builds the docker image
         """
         logging.debug(f"Building docker image for {self}")
+        logging.info(
+            f"Using build timeout {self.build_timeout}s for {self}")
         time_start = time.perf_counter()
         docker_compose_content = self.__get_docker_compose_file()
         with open(self.system_test_dir / "docker-compose.tutorial.yaml", 'w') as file:
@@ -862,7 +887,7 @@ def _build_docker(self):
                 'build',
             ],
             "build",
-            GLOBAL_TIMEOUT,
+            self.build_timeout,
         )
         elapsed_time = time.perf_counter() - time_start
         return DockerComposeResult(exit_code, stdout_data, stderr_data, self, elapsed_time)