diff --git a/cmd/create/createCluster.go b/cmd/create/createCluster.go
index 74ae44ef..ff151de8 100644
--- a/cmd/create/createCluster.go
+++ b/cmd/create/createCluster.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package create
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -50,11 +51,17 @@ func NewCmdCreateCluster() *cobra.Command {
 		Long:  `Create a new k3s cluster with containerized nodes (k3s in docker).`,
 		Args:  cobra.RangeArgs(0, 1), // exactly one cluster name can be set (default: k3d.DefaultClusterName)
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			// parse args and flags
 			cluster := parseCreateClusterCmd(cmd, args, createClusterOpts)
+
+			// check if a cluster with that name exists already
 			if _, err := k3dCluster.GetCluster(cluster, runtimes.SelectedRuntime); err == nil {
 				log.Fatalf("Failed to create cluster '%s' because a cluster with that name already exists", cluster.Name)
 			}
+
+			// create cluster
 			if err := k3dCluster.CreateCluster(cluster, runtimes.SelectedRuntime); err != nil {
+				// rollback if creation failed
 				log.Errorln(err)
 				log.Errorln("Failed to create cluster >>> Rolling Back")
 				if err := k3dCluster.DeleteCluster(cluster, runtimes.SelectedRuntime); err != nil {
@@ -63,6 +70,8 @@ func NewCmdCreateCluster() *cobra.Command {
 				}
 				log.Fatalln("Cluster creation FAILED, all changes have been rolled back!")
 			}
+
+			// print information on how to use the cluster with kubectl
 			log.Infof("Cluster '%s' created successfully. You can now use it like this:", cluster.Name)
 			fmt.Printf("export KUBECONFIG=$(%s get kubeconfig %s)\n", os.Args[0], cluster.Name)
 			fmt.Println("kubectl cluster-info")
@@ -80,7 +89,8 @@ func NewCmdCreateCluster() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().String("secret", "", "Specify a cluster secret. By default, we generate one.")
 	cmd.Flags().StringArrayP("volume", "v", nil, "Mount volumes into the nodes (Format: `--volume [SOURCE:]DEST[@NODEFILTER[;NODEFILTER...]]`\n - Example: `k3d create -w 2 -v /my/path@worker[0,1] -v /tmp/test:/tmp/other@master[0]`")
 	cmd.Flags().StringArrayP("port", "p", nil, "Map ports from the node containers to the host (Format: `[HOST:][HOSTPORT:]CONTAINERPORT[/PROTOCOL][@NODEFILTER]`)\n - Example: `k3d create -w 2 -p 8080:80@worker[0] -p 8081@worker[1]`")
-	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&createClusterOpts.WaitForMaster, "wait", -1, "Wait for a specified amount of time (seconds >= 0, where 0 means forever) for the master(s) to be ready or timeout and rollback before returning")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&createClusterOpts.WaitForMaster, "wait", false, "Wait for for the master(s) to be ready before returning. Use `--timeout DURATION` to not wait forever.")
+	cmd.Flags().DurationVar(&createClusterOpts.Timeout, "timeout", 0*time.Second, "Rollback changes if cluster couldn't be created in specified duration.")
 
 	/* Image Importing */
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&createClusterOpts.DisableImageVolume, "no-image-volume", false, "Disable the creation of a volume for importing images")
@@ -167,9 +177,9 @@ func parseCreateClusterCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, createClusterOpts
 		log.Fatalln(err)
 	}
 
-	// --wait
-	if cmd.Flags().Changed("wait") && createClusterOpts.WaitForMaster < 0 {
-		log.Fatalln("Value of '--wait' can't be less than 0")
+	// --timeout
+	if cmd.Flags().Changed("timeout") && createClusterOpts.Timeout <= 0*time.Second {
+		log.Fatalln("--timeout DURATION must be >= 1s")
 	}
 
 	// --api-port
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 28edf1ef..96705fc0 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -40,6 +41,11 @@ import (
 // - a docker network
 func CreateCluster(cluster *k3d.Cluster, runtime k3drt.Runtime) error {
 
+	log.Debugf("Cluster creation will timeout after %s at %s", cluster.CreateClusterOpts.Timeout, time.Now().Add(cluster.CreateClusterOpts.Timeout))
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), cluster.CreateClusterOpts.Timeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
 	/*
 	 * Network
 	 */
@@ -212,14 +218,14 @@ func CreateCluster(cluster *k3d.Cluster, runtime k3drt.Runtime) error {
 		}
 
 		// asynchronously wait for this master node to be ready (by checking the logs for a specific log mesage)
-		if node.Role == k3d.MasterRole && cluster.CreateClusterOpts.WaitForMaster >= 0 {
+		if node.Role == k3d.MasterRole && cluster.CreateClusterOpts.Timeout >= time.Second {
 			waitForMasterWaitgroup.Add(1)
 			go func(masterNode *k3d.Node) {
 				// TODO: avoid `level=fatal msg="starting kubernetes: preparing server: post join: a configuration change is already in progress (5)"`
 				// ... by scanning for this line in logs and restarting the container in case it appears
 				log.Debugf("Starting to wait for master node '%s'", masterNode.Name)
 				// TODO: it may be better to give endtime=starttime+timeout here so that there is no difference between the instances (go func may be called with a few (milli-)seconds difference)
-				err := WaitForNodeLogMessage(runtime, masterNode, "Wrote kubeconfig", (time.Duration(cluster.CreateClusterOpts.WaitForMaster) * time.Second))
+				err := WaitForNodeLogMessage(runtime, masterNode, "Wrote kubeconfig", (time.Duration(cluster.CreateClusterOpts.Timeout) * time.Second))
 				waitForMasterErrChan <- err
 				if err == nil {
 					log.Debugf("Master Node '%s' ready", masterNode.Name)
@@ -229,7 +235,7 @@ func CreateCluster(cluster *k3d.Cluster, runtime k3drt.Runtime) error {
 	}
 
 	// block until all masters are ready (if --wait was set) and collect errors if not
-	if cluster.CreateClusterOpts.WaitForMaster >= 0 {
+	if cluster.CreateClusterOpts.Timeout >= time.Second {
 		errs := []error{}
 		go func() {
 			for elem := range waitForMasterErrChan {
diff --git a/pkg/types/types.go b/pkg/types/types.go
index ff5ab738..59b163b4 100644
--- a/pkg/types/types.go
+++ b/pkg/types/types.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ package types
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // DefaultClusterName specifies the default name used for newly created clusters
@@ -97,7 +98,8 @@ const DefaultAPIHost = "0.0.0.0"
 // CreateClusterOpts describe a set of options one can set when creating a cluster
 type CreateClusterOpts struct {
 	DisableImageVolume bool
-	WaitForMaster      int
+	WaitForMaster      bool
+	Timeout            time.Duration
 	K3sServerArgs      []string
 	K3sAgentArgs       []string
 }