diff --git a/pyopencl/cache.py b/pyopencl/cache.py
index fd46dc5c88fd85b3731f5758d38ee56492f9f69e..b6d21f280d6295d60cc0d88f229e2dde9ccb040c 100644
--- a/pyopencl/cache.py
+++ b/pyopencl/cache.py
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ class CacheLockManager(CleanupBase):
                     warn("could not obtain cache lock--delete '%s' if necessary"
                             % self.lock_file)
 
+                if attempts > 3 * 60:
+                    raise RuntimeError("waited more than three minutes "
+                            "on the lock file '%s'"
+                            "--something is wrong" % self.lock_file)
+
             cleanup_m.register(self)
 
     def clean_up(self):