diff --git a/lib/jasmine.js b/lib/jasmine.js
index 9d61bf2..60bdf1d 100644
--- a/lib/jasmine.js
+++ b/lib/jasmine.js
@@ -21,11 +21,16 @@ jasmine.unimplementedMethod_ = function() {
 jasmine.undefined = jasmine.___undefined___;
 
 /**
- * Default interval for event loop yields. Small values here may result in slow test running. Zero means no updates until all tests have completed.
+ * Default interval in milliseconds for event loop yields (e.g. to allow network activity or to refresh the screen with the HTML-based runner). Small values here may result in slow test running. Zero means no updates until all tests have completed.
  *
  */
 jasmine.DEFAULT_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 250;
 
+/**
+ * Default timeout interval in milliseconds for waitsFor() blocks.
+ */
+jasmine.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL = 5000;
+
 jasmine.getGlobal = function() {
   function getGlobal() {
     return this;
@@ -490,22 +495,24 @@ var runs = function(func) {
 };
 
 /**
- * Waits for a timeout before moving to the next runs()-defined block.
- * @param {Number} timeout
+ * Waits a fixed time period before moving to the next block.
+ *
+ * @deprecated Use waitsFor() instead
+ * @param {Number} timeout milliseconds to wait
  */
 var waits = function(timeout) {
   jasmine.getEnv().currentSpec.waits(timeout);
 };
 
 /**
- * Waits for the latchFunction to return true before proceeding to the next runs()-defined block.
+ * Waits for the latchFunction to return true before proceeding to the next block.
  *
- * @param {Number} timeout
  * @param {Function} latchFunction
- * @param {String} message
+ * @param {String} optional_timeoutMessage
+ * @param {Number} optional_timeout
  */
-var waitsFor = function(timeout, latchFunction, message) {
-  jasmine.getEnv().currentSpec.waitsFor(timeout, latchFunction, message);
+var waitsFor = function(latchFunction, optional_timeoutMessage, optional_timeout) {
+  jasmine.getEnv().currentSpec.waitsFor.apply(jasmine.getEnv().currentSpec, arguments);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -660,6 +667,7 @@ jasmine.Env = function() {
   this.reporter = new jasmine.MultiReporter();
 
   this.updateInterval = jasmine.DEFAULT_UPDATE_INTERVAL;
+  this.defaultTimeoutInterval = jasmine.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL;
   this.lastUpdate = 0;
   this.specFilter = function() {
     return true;
@@ -1660,6 +1668,7 @@ jasmine.Queue = function(env) {
   this.running = false;
   this.index = 0;
   this.offset = 0;
+  this.abort = false;
 };
 
 jasmine.Queue.prototype.addBefore = function(block) {
@@ -1694,7 +1703,7 @@ jasmine.Queue.prototype.next_ = function() {
   while (goAgain) {
     goAgain = false;
     
-    if (self.index < self.blocks.length) {
+    if (self.index < self.blocks.length && !this.abort) {
       var calledSynchronously = true;
       var completedSynchronously = false;
 
@@ -1704,6 +1713,10 @@ jasmine.Queue.prototype.next_ = function() {
           return;
         }
 
+        if (self.blocks[self.index].abort) {
+          self.abort = true;
+        }
+
         self.offset = 0;
         self.index++;
 
@@ -1900,14 +1913,46 @@ jasmine.Spec.prototype.expect = function(actual) {
   return positive;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Waits a fixed time period before moving to the next block.
+ *
+ * @deprecated Use waitsFor() instead
+ * @param {Number} timeout milliseconds to wait
+ */
 jasmine.Spec.prototype.waits = function(timeout) {
   var waitsFunc = new jasmine.WaitsBlock(this.env, timeout, this);
   this.addToQueue(waitsFunc);
   return this;
 };
 
-jasmine.Spec.prototype.waitsFor = function(timeout, latchFunction, timeoutMessage) {
-  var waitsForFunc = new jasmine.WaitsForBlock(this.env, timeout, latchFunction, timeoutMessage, this);
+/**
+ * Waits for the latchFunction to return true before proceeding to the next block.
+ *
+ * @param {Function} latchFunction
+ * @param {String} optional_timeoutMessage
+ * @param {Number} optional_timeout
+ */
+jasmine.Spec.prototype.waitsFor = function(latchFunction, optional_timeoutMessage, optional_timeout) {
+  var latchFunction_ = null;
+  var optional_timeoutMessage_ = null;
+  var optional_timeout_ = null;
+
+  for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++) {
+    var arg = arguments[i];
+    switch (typeof arg) {
+      case 'function':
+        latchFunction_ = arg;
+        break;
+      case 'string':
+        optional_timeoutMessage_ = arg;
+        break;
+      case 'number':
+        optional_timeout_ = arg;
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  var waitsForFunc = new jasmine.WaitsForBlock(this.env, optional_timeout_, latchFunction_, optional_timeoutMessage_, this);
   this.addToQueue(waitsForFunc);
   return this;
 };
@@ -2142,7 +2187,7 @@ jasmine.WaitsBlock.prototype.execute = function (onComplete) {
  * @param {jasmine.Spec} spec The Jasmine spec.
  */
 jasmine.WaitsForBlock = function(env, timeout, latchFunction, message, spec) {
-  this.timeout = timeout;
+  this.timeout = timeout || env.defaultTimeoutInterval;
   this.latchFunction = latchFunction;
   this.message = message;
   this.totalTimeSpentWaitingForLatch = 0;
@@ -2171,7 +2216,9 @@ jasmine.WaitsForBlock.prototype.execute = function(onComplete) {
       name: 'timeout',
       message: message
     });
-    // todo: need to prevent additional blocks in this spec from running... [xw 20100819]
+
+    this.abort = true;
+    onComplete();
   } else {
     this.totalTimeSpentWaitingForLatch += jasmine.WaitsForBlock.TIMEOUT_INCREMENT;
     var self = this;
@@ -2368,5 +2415,5 @@ jasmine.version_= {
   "major": 0,
   "minor": 11,
   "build": 1,
-  "revision": 1282768601
+  "revision": 1282784791
 };