diff --git a/test/pathological_tests.py b/test/pathological_tests.py
index 7f668bc2a..e107ccf79 100644
--- a/test/pathological_tests.py
+++ b/test/pathological_tests.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import time
 from cmark import CMark
 
-TIMEOUT = 10
+TIMEOUT = 5
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Run cmark tests.')
 parser.add_argument('--program', dest='program', nargs='?', default=None,
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 def hash_collisions():
     REFMAP_SIZE = 16
-    COUNT = 50000
+    COUNT = 25000
 
     def badhash(ref):
         h = 0
@@ -51,52 +51,52 @@ def badhash(ref):
 pathological = {
     # note - some pythons have limit of 65535 for {num-matches} in re.
     "nested strong emph":
-                (("*a **a " * 65000) + "b" + (" a** a*" * 65000),
-                 re.compile("(<em>a <strong>a ){65000}b( a</strong> a</em>){65000}")),
+                (("*a **a " * 32500) + "b" + (" a** a*" * 32500),
+                 re.compile("(<em>a <strong>a ){32500}b( a</strong> a</em>){32500}")),
     "many emph closers with no openers":
-                 (("a_ " * 65000),
-                  re.compile("(a[_] ){64999}a_")),
+                 (("a_ " * 32500),
+                  re.compile("(a[_] ){32499}a_")),
     "many emph openers with no closers":
-                 (("_a " * 65000),
-                  re.compile("(_a ){64999}_a")),
+                 (("_a " * 32500),
+                  re.compile("(_a ){32499}_a")),
     "many link closers with no openers":
-                 (("a]" * 65000),
-                  re.compile("(a\]){65000}")),
+                 (("a]" * 32500),
+                  re.compile("(a\]){32500}")),
     "many link openers with no closers":
-                 (("[a" * 65000),
-                  re.compile("(\[a){65000}")),
+                 (("[a" * 32500),
+                  re.compile("(\[a){32500}")),
     "mismatched openers and closers":
-                 (("*a_ " * 50000),
-                  re.compile("([*]a[_] ){49999}[*]a_")),
+                 (("*a_ " * 25000),
+                  re.compile("([*]a[_] ){24999}[*]a_")),
     "issue #389":
                  (("*a " * 20000 + "_a*_ " * 20000),
                   re.compile("(<em>a ){20000}(_a<\/em>_ ?){20000}")),
     "openers and closers multiple of 3":
-                 (("a**b" + ("c* " * 50000)),
-                  re.compile("a[*][*]b(c[*] ){49999}c[*]")),
+                 (("a**b" + ("c* " * 25000)),
+                  re.compile("a[*][*]b(c[*] ){24999}c[*]")),
     "link openers and emph closers":
-                 (("[ a_" * 50000),
-                  re.compile("(\[ a_){50000}")),
+                 (("[ a_" * 25000),
+                  re.compile("(\[ a_){25000}")),
     "pattern [ (]( repeated":
-                 (("[ (](" * 80000),
-                  re.compile("(\[ \(\]\(){80000}")),
+                 (("[ (](" * 40000),
+                  re.compile("(\[ \(\]\(){40000}")),
     "hard link/emph case":
                  ("**x [a*b**c*](d)",
                   re.compile("\\*\\*x <a href=\"d\">a<em>b\\*\\*c</em></a>")),
     "nested brackets":
-                 (("[" * 50000) + "a" + ("]" * 50000),
-                  re.compile("\[{50000}a\]{50000}")),
+                 (("[" * 25000) + "a" + ("]" * 25000),
+                  re.compile("\[{25000}a\]{25000}")),
     "nested block quotes":
-                 ((("> " * 50000) + "a"),
-                  re.compile("(<blockquote>\n){50000}")),
+                 ((("> " * 25000) + "a"),
+                  re.compile("(<blockquote>\n){25000}")),
     "deeply nested lists":
-                 ("".join(map(lambda x: ("  " * x + "* a\n"), range(0,1000))),
-                  re.compile("<ul>\n(<li>a\n<ul>\n){999}<li>a</li>\n</ul>\n(</li>\n</ul>\n){999}")),
+                 ("".join(map(lambda x: ("  " * x + "* a\n"), range(0,500))),
+                  re.compile("<ul>\n(<li>a\n<ul>\n){499}<li>a</li>\n</ul>\n(</li>\n</ul>\n){499}")),
     "U+0000 in input":
                  ("abc\u0000de\u0000",
                   re.compile("abc\ufffd?de\ufffd?")),
     "backticks":
-                 ("".join(map(lambda x: ("e" + "`" * x), range(1,5000))),
+                 ("".join(map(lambda x: ("e" + "`" * x), range(1,2500))),
                   re.compile("^<p>[e`]*</p>\n$")),
     "unclosed links A":
                  ("[a](<b" * 30000,
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def badhash(ref):
 
 pathological_cmark = {
     "nested inlines":
-                 ("*" * 40000 + "a" + "*" * 40000,
+                 ("*" * 20000 + "a" + "*" * 20000,
                   re.compile("^\*+a\*+$")),
     }