diff --git a/spec/suites/SpecRunningSpec.js b/spec/suites/SpecRunningSpec.js
index 9f5d725..289d946 100644
--- a/spec/suites/SpecRunningSpec.js
+++ b/spec/suites/SpecRunningSpec.js
@@ -259,6 +259,63 @@ describe("jasmine spec running", function () {
   });
 
   describe("waitsFor", function() {
+    var latchFunction = function() {
+      return true;
+    };
+    var spec;
+
+    function makeWaitsForSpec() {
+      var args = jasmine.util.argsToArray(arguments);
+      env.describe('suite', function() {
+        spec = env.it('spec', function() {
+          this.waitsFor.apply(this, args);
+        });
+      });
+      env.execute();
+    }
+
+    it("should accept args (latchFunction, timeoutMessage, timeout)", function() {
+      makeWaitsForSpec(latchFunction, "message", 123);
+      var block = spec.queue.blocks[1];
+      expect(block.latchFunction).toBe(latchFunction);
+      expect(block.timeout).toEqual(123);
+      expect(block.message).toEqual('message');
+    });
+
+    it("should accept args (latchFunction, timeout)", function() {
+      makeWaitsForSpec(latchFunction, 123);
+      var block = spec.queue.blocks[1];
+      expect(block.latchFunction).toBe(latchFunction);
+      expect(block.timeout).toEqual(123);
+      expect(block.message).toEqual(null);
+    });
+
+    it("should accept args (latchFunction, timeoutMessage)", function() {
+      env.defaultTimeoutInterval = 4321;
+      makeWaitsForSpec(latchFunction, "message");
+      var block = spec.queue.blocks[1];
+      expect(block.latchFunction).toBe(latchFunction);
+      expect(block.timeout).toEqual(4321);
+      expect(block.message).toEqual('message');
+    });
+
+    it("should accept args (latchFunction)", function() {
+      env.defaultTimeoutInterval = 4321;
+      makeWaitsForSpec(latchFunction);
+      var block = spec.queue.blocks[1];
+      expect(block.latchFunction).toBe(latchFunction);
+      expect(block.timeout).toEqual(4321);
+      expect(block.message).toEqual(null);
+    });
+
+    it("should accept deprecated args order (timeout, latchFunction, timeoutMessage)", function() {
+      makeWaitsForSpec(123, latchFunction, "message");
+      var block = spec.queue.blocks[1];
+      expect(block.latchFunction).toBe(latchFunction);
+      expect(block.timeout).toEqual(123);
+      expect(block.message).toEqual('message');
+    });
+
     it("testWaitsFor", function() {
       var doneWaiting = false;
       var runsBlockExecuted = false;
diff --git a/src/Env.js b/src/Env.js
index e62bdff..66b5df3 100644
--- a/src/Env.js
+++ b/src/Env.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ 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;
diff --git a/src/Spec.js b/src/Spec.js
index 98828bb..b24f859 100644
--- a/src/Spec.js
+++ b/src/Spec.js
@@ -73,14 +73,46 @@ 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;
 };
diff --git a/src/WaitsForBlock.js b/src/WaitsForBlock.js
index b413b38..793ca3e 100644
--- a/src/WaitsForBlock.js
+++ b/src/WaitsForBlock.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * @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;
diff --git a/src/base.js b/src/base.js
index 60db77e..485ff84 100755
--- a/src/base.js
+++ b/src/base.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);
 };
 
 /**