diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index 8f672af70ebc..e98e8ea07502 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -400,12 +400,15 @@ def impl(args, regex, min_ver=None, ignore_exit_code=False):
         try:
             output = subprocess.check_output(
                 args, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-                text=True, errors="replace")
+                text=True, errors="replace", timeout=30)
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as _cpe:
             if ignore_exit_code:
                 output = _cpe.output
             else:
                 raise ExecutableNotFoundError(str(_cpe)) from _cpe
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired as _te:
+            msg = f"Timed out running {cbook._pformat_subprocess(args)}"
+            raise ExecutableNotFoundError(msg) from _te
         except OSError as _ose:
             raise ExecutableNotFoundError(str(_ose)) from _ose
         match = re.search(regex, output)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_matplotlib.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_matplotlib.py
index 37b41fafdb78..d0a3f8c617e1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_matplotlib.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_matplotlib.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -80,3 +81,16 @@ def test_importable_with__OO():
         [sys.executable, "-OO", "-c", program],
         env={**os.environ, "MPLBACKEND": ""}, check=True
         )
+
+
+@patch('matplotlib.subprocess.check_output')
+def test_get_executable_info_timeout(mock_check_output):
+    """
+    Test that _get_executable_info raises ExecutableNotFoundError if the
+    command times out.
+    """
+
+    mock_check_output.side_effect = subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd=['mock'], timeout=30)
+
+    with pytest.raises(matplotlib.ExecutableNotFoundError, match='Timed out'):
+        matplotlib._get_executable_info.__wrapped__('inkscape')