diff --git a/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler.test/src/jdk/graal/compiler/debug/test/CompilationAlarmPhaseTimesTest.java b/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler.test/src/jdk/graal/compiler/debug/test/CompilationAlarmPhaseTimesTest.java
index 33520be83e50..a91aefc89fee 100644
--- a/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler.test/src/jdk/graal/compiler/debug/test/CompilationAlarmPhaseTimesTest.java
+++ b/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler.test/src/jdk/graal/compiler/debug/test/CompilationAlarmPhaseTimesTest.java
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ protected void run(StructuredGraph graph, LowTierContext context) {
 
     @Test
     public void testTimeOutRetryToString() {
-        // 1D will be multiplied by 2 since we are running with assertions
-        OptionValues opt = new OptionValues(getInitialOptions(), CompilationAlarm.Options.CompilationExpirationPeriod, 1D);
+        final double secondsToWait = 1D;
+        OptionValues opt = new OptionValues(getInitialOptions(), CompilationAlarm.Options.CompilationExpirationPeriod, secondsToWait);
         try {
             test(opt, "foo", 10000);
         } catch (Throwable t) {
-            if (!t.getMessage().contains("Compilation exceeded 2.000 seconds")) {
+            if (!t.getMessage().contains("Compilation exceeded")) {
                 throw new AssertionError("Unexpected exception: " + t, t);
             }
             StructuredGraph g = lastCompiledGraph;
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ public void testTimeOutRetryToString() {
                 duration += c;
                 index++;
             }
-            assert Integer.parseInt(duration) >= 2000 - IMPRECISION_DELTA : String.format("Must at least wait for 2000ms but waited %s error was %s", duration, message);
+            final double scaledSecondsToWait = CompilationAlarm.scaleExpirationPeriod(secondsToWait, opt);
+            assert Integer.parseInt(duration) >= (scaledSecondsToWait * 1000) -
+                            IMPRECISION_DELTA : String.format("Must at least wait for 2000ms but waited %s error was %s", duration, message);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler/src/jdk/graal/compiler/core/common/util/CompilationAlarm.java b/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler/src/jdk/graal/compiler/core/common/util/CompilationAlarm.java
index 65c910e7a5db..6113ef96eb60 100644
--- a/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler/src/jdk/graal/compiler/core/common/util/CompilationAlarm.java
+++ b/compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler/src/jdk/graal/compiler/core/common/util/CompilationAlarm.java
@@ -82,14 +82,24 @@ private CompilationAlarm(double period) {
     public void reset(OptionValues options) {
         double optionPeriod = Options.CompilationExpirationPeriod.getValue(options);
         if (optionPeriod > 0) {
-            if (Assertions.assertionsEnabled()) {
-                optionPeriod *= 2;
-            }
-            if (Assertions.detailedAssertionsEnabled(options)) {
-                optionPeriod *= 2;
-            }
-            reset(optionPeriod);
+            reset(scaleExpirationPeriod(optionPeriod, options));
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Scale the compilation alarm expiration period to account for different system properties. The
+     * period has a default value or can be set by users. Global context flags like assertions can
+     * slow down compilation significantly and we want to avoid false positives of the alarm.
+     */
+    public static double scaleExpirationPeriod(double period, OptionValues options) {
+        double p = period;
+        if (Assertions.assertionsEnabled()) {
+            p *= 2;
+        }
+        if (Assertions.detailedAssertionsEnabled(options)) {
+            p *= 2;
         }
+        return p;
     }
 
     /**