diff --git a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/check-tested-lit-timeout-ability b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/check-tested-lit-timeout-ability
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/check-tested-lit-timeout-ability
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+
+import sys
+from lit.util import killProcessAndChildrenIsSupported
+
+supported, errormsg = killProcessAndChildrenIsSupported()
+
+if not supported:
+    sys.exit(errormsg)
+
+sys.exit()
diff --git a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/lit.cfg b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/lit.cfg
--- a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/lit.cfg
+++ b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/lit.cfg
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import platform
 import sys
+import subprocess
 
 import lit.formats
 from lit.llvm import llvm_config
@@ -71,11 +72,22 @@
     config.environment['COVERAGE_PROCESS_START'] = os.path.join(
         os.path.dirname(__file__), ".coveragerc")
 
-# Add a feature to detect if psutil is available
-supported, errormsg = lit_config.maxIndividualTestTimeIsSupported
-if supported:
+# Add a feature to detect if test cancellation is available. Check the ability
+# to do cancellation in the same environment as where RUN commands are run.
+# The reason is that on most systems cancellation depends on psutil being
+# available and RUN commands are run with a cleared PYTHONPATH and user site
+# packages disabled.
+testing_script_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                   "check-tested-lit-timeout-ability")
+if not os.path.exists(testing_script_path):
+    print("__file__: ", __file__)
+    print("testing_script_path: ", testing_script_path)
+proc = subprocess.run(["python3", testing_script_path], stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                      env=config.environment, universal_newlines=True)
+if proc.returncode == 0:
     config.available_features.add("lit-max-individual-test-time")
 else:
+    errormsg = proc.stderr
     lit_config.warning('Setting a timeout per test not supported. ' + errormsg
                        + ' Some tests will be skipped and the --timeout'
                          ' command line argument will not work.')