diff --git a/browsergym/experiments/src/browsergym/experiments/benchmark/utils.py b/browsergym/experiments/src/browsergym/experiments/benchmark/utils.py
index 88cd2b94..396accaa 100644
--- a/browsergym/experiments/src/browsergym/experiments/benchmark/utils.py
+++ b/browsergym/experiments/src/browsergym/experiments/benchmark/utils.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import logging
+import multiprocessing as mp
 import os
+import traceback
+import typing
 from typing import Literal
 
-import gymnasium as gym
 import numpy as np
 
 from browsergym.experiments.loop import SEED_MAX, EnvArgs
@@ -206,35 +208,73 @@ def prepare_backend(backend: str):
             raise NotImplementedError(f"Unknown benchmark backend {repr(backend)}")
 
 
-def massage_tasks(task_ids: list[str], max_retries: int = 1):
+def massage_tasks(task_ids: list[str], max_retries: int = 1, timeout: int = 60):
     for i, task_id in enumerate(task_ids):
-        gym_id = f"browsergym/{task_id}"
-        logger.info(f"Massaging task {i + 1} / {len(task_ids)}: {gym_id}")
-        task_retries = 0
-        while True:
-            env = gym.make(gym_id)
-            try:
-                env.reset()  # task setup
-                try:
-                    no_action = "noop()"
-                    # check if action space exists and is compatible with "noop()"
-                    env.unwrapped.action_mapping(no_action)
-                except:
-                    # fallback plan
-                    no_action = ""
-                env.step(no_action)  # task validation
-                env.step(no_action)  # task validation again
-                logger.info(f"Massage successful")
+        logger.info(f"Massaging task {i + 1} / {len(task_ids)}: {task_id}")
+        for retries in range(max_retries + 1):
+            outcome, err_msg = massage_task_within_subprocess(task_id=task_id, timeout=timeout)
+            if outcome == "success":
                 break
-            except Exception as e:
-                if task_retries < max_retries:
-                    task_retries += 1
-                    logger.info(f"Massage failed, retrying ({task_retries} / {max_retries})")
-                    continue
-                else:
-                    logger.warning(
-                        f"Error during task massage after {task_retries} retries ({gym_id}): {e}"
-                    )
-                    break
-            finally:
-                env.close()
+            if retries < max_retries:
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Massage resulted in {outcome}, retrying ({retries + 1} / {max_retries} retries)"
+                )
+            else:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"Massage unsuccessful after {retries} retries, skipping. Last error message: {err_msg}"
+                )
+
+
+def massage_task_within_subprocess(
+    task_id: str, timeout: int, kill_timeout: int = 10
+) -> typing.Tuple[str, str]:
+    """Massages a BrowserGym task (reset, noop, noop) inside a subprocess to monitor execution
+    times and kill the process after a timeout.
+
+    Returns: an (outcome, err_msg) tuple.
+      - outcome: the outcome of the massage, one of 'success', 'exception' or 'timeout'.
+      - err_msg: error message if any, or None.
+    """
+
+    def run_massage(outcome_queue: mp.Queue):
+        import gymnasium as gym
+
+        gym_id = f"browsergym/{task_id}"
+        env = gym.make(gym_id)
+        no_action = "noop()"
+        # check if action space exists and is compatible with "noop()"
+        try:
+            env.unwrapped.action_mapping(no_action)
+        except:
+            no_action = ""  # fallback plan
+        # run massage
+        try:
+            env.reset()  # task setup
+            env.step(no_action)  # task validation
+            env.step(no_action)  # task validation again
+            outcome = "success", None
+        except Exception as e:
+            outcome = "exception", traceback.format_exception(e)
+        finally:
+            env.close()
+            outcome_queue.put(outcome)
+
+    queue = mp.Queue()
+    process = mp.Process(target=run_massage, args=queue)
+    process.start()
+    process.join(timeout=timeout)
+
+    if process.is_alive():
+        # if the process is still alive after the timeout
+        outcome = "timeout", f"Timeout {timeout} seconds exceeded"
+        process.kill()
+        process.join(timeout=kill_timeout)
+        if process.is_alive():
+            # if the process is still alive after the kill
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Massage sub-process still alive {kill_timeout} seconds after kill(), you might have a zombie process now."
+            )
+    else:
+        outcome = queue.get_nowait()
+
+    return outcome