How to Change PHP max_execution_time (php.ini, PHP-FPM, and Per-Script)

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Updated for 2026: the original version stopped at “edit php.ini and change the value” — no restart, no verify, and nothing about PHP-FPM, which is how almost everyone runs PHP now. Here’s the complete job.

1. Find the value — and the right php.ini

PHP usually has several configuration files (CLI, FPM, Apache each load their own). Ask the SAPI you actually care about:

[root@server ~]# php -i | grep -E 'Loaded Configuration|max_execution_time'
Loaded Configuration File => /etc/php.ini
max_execution_time => 30 => 30

# For PHP-FPM, the web-facing config is usually:
[root@server ~]# ls /etc/php-fpm.d/ /etc/php/*/fpm/php.ini 2>/dev/null

The default is 30 seconds. 0 means no limit.

2. Change it

Option A — php.ini (global, per SAPI):

[root@server ~]# grep -n '^max_execution_time' /etc/php.ini
max_execution_time = 300

Option B — PHP-FPM pool (recommended; per-site, and can’t be overridden by scripts): in your pool file, e.g. /etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf:

php_admin_value[max_execution_time] = 300

Option C — per directory: a .user.ini next to the application (FPM/CGI only):

max_execution_time = 300

Option D — in code, for one script that legitimately runs long:

ini_set('max_execution_time', '300');
// or: set_time_limit(300);

Note Option D silently fails if the value was set with php_admin_value (Option B) — “admin” values are locked by design.

3. Restart what serves PHP

[root@server ~]# systemctl restart php-fpm     # FPM setups
[root@server ~]# systemctl restart httpd       # mod_php setups

Skipping this step is the #1 reason “I changed it and nothing happened”.

4. Verify — on the web side, not just the CLI

The CLI and the web SAPI read different files, so a CLI check can lie to you. Verify through the actual site with a one-line phpinfo() page (create it, check it, delete it — a public phpinfo page is a gift to scanners):

<?php phpinfo();

Look for max_execution_time → Local Value. That’s the number your application actually lives under.

Notes

  • CLI is different: command-line PHP defaults to max_execution_time = 0 (unlimited) regardless of php.ini — cron jobs and workers don’t need this fix.
  • Long requests die elsewhere too: if a request still times out, check the layer in front — Apache TimeOut/ProxyTimeout, nginx fastcgi_read_timeout, and FPM’s own request_terminate_timeout all kill long-running PHP independently of this setting.
  • Raise it surgically. A global 900-second limit means a runaway script holds a worker for 15 minutes. Prefer the pool or per-script options for the one job that needs it.

Running your own server? These guides assume you have a Linux box somewhere — see our guide to choosing a VPS in 2026 for the 7 specs that actually matter before you spin one up.

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