diff --git a/tpot/decorators.py b/tpot/decorators.py
index 3dac4b3c..d276f0fb 100644
--- a/tpot/decorators.py
+++ b/tpot/decorators.py
@@ -25,15 +25,16 @@
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 from functools import wraps
+import os
 import warnings
 from .export_utils import expr_to_tree, generate_pipeline_code
 from deap import creator
 
-from stopit import threading_timeoutable, TimeoutException
+from stopit import threading_timeoutable
 
 
 NUM_TESTS = 10
-MAX_EVAL_SECS = 10
+MAX_EVAL_SECS = int(os.environ.get('TPOT_MAX_EVAL_SECS') or 10)
 
 
 def _pre_test(func):
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ def check_pipeline(self, *args, **kwargs):
                     try:
                         expr = func(self, *args, **kwargs)
                         pass_gen = True
-                    except:
+                    except Exception:
                         num_test_expr += 1
                         pass
                 # mutation operator returns tuple (ind,); crossover operator
@@ -116,5 +117,4 @@ def check_pipeline(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         return expr
 
-
     return check_pipeline