diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/core/target/ssh.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/core/target/ssh.py
index f22836d390..f4dd0ca417 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/core/target/ssh.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/core/target/ssh.py
@@ -232,11 +232,12 @@ def SSHCall(command, logger, timeout=None, **opts):
         output_raw = b''
         starttime = time.time()
         process = subprocess.Popen(command, **options)
+        has_timeout = False
         if timeout:
             endtime = starttime + timeout
             eof = False
             os.set_blocking(process.stdout.fileno(), False)
-            while time.time() < endtime and not eof:
+            while not has_timeout and not eof:
                 try:
                     logger.debug('Waiting for process output: time: %s, endtime: %s' % (time.time(), endtime))
                     if select.select([process.stdout], [], [], 5)[0] != []:
@@ -257,6 +258,10 @@ def SSHCall(command, logger, timeout=None, **opts):
                     logger.debug('BlockingIOError')
                     continue
 
+                if time.time() >= endtime:
+                    logger.debug('SSHCall has timeout! Time: %s, endtime: %s' % (time.time(), endtime))
+                    has_timeout = True
+
             process.stdout.close()
 
             # process hasn't returned yet
@@ -293,6 +298,16 @@ def SSHCall(command, logger, timeout=None, **opts):
                     pass
                 process.wait()
 
+        if has_timeout:
+            # Version of openssh before 8.6_p1 returns error code 0 when killed
+            # by a signal, when the timeout occurs we will receive a 0 error
+            # code because the process is been terminated and it's wrong because
+            # that value means success, but the process timed out.
+            # Afterwards, from version 8.6_p1 onwards, the returned code is 255.
+            # Fix this behaviour by checking the return code
+            if process.returncode == 0:
+                process.returncode = 255
+
     options = {
         "stdout": subprocess.PIPE,
         "stderr": subprocess.STDOUT,
diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/runtime/cases/ssh.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/runtime/cases/ssh.py
index 13aac54396..cdbef59500 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/runtime/cases/ssh.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/runtime/cases/ssh.py
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ class SSHTest(OERuntimeTestCase):
     @OETestDepends(['ping.PingTest.test_ping'])
     @OEHasPackage(['dropbear', 'openssh-sshd'])
     def test_ssh(self):
+        (status, output) = self.target.run('sleep 20', timeout=2)
+        msg='run() timed out but return code was zero.'
+        self.assertNotEqual(status, 0, msg=msg)
         (status, output) = self.target.run('uname -a')
         self.assertEqual(status, 0, msg='SSH Test failed: %s' % output)
         (status, output) = self.target.run('cat /etc/controllerimage')