diff --git a/cytoscape-cola.js b/cytoscape-cola.js
index 6a81aeb0..758b9e85 100644
--- a/cytoscape-cola.js
+++ b/cytoscape-cola.js
@@ -291,20 +291,27 @@ ColaLayout.prototype.run = function () {
         return ret;
       };
 
-      if (options.animate) {
-        var frame = function frame() {
-          if (multitick()) {
-            return;
-          }
+      // if not animated, run in a timeout so the
+      // options.maxSimulationTime timeout has a chance to interrupt
+      var frame = function frame() {
+        if (multitick()) {
+          return;
+        }
 
+        if (options.animate) {
           raf(frame);
-        };
-
+        } else {
+          setTimeout(function () {
+            return frame();
+          });
+        }
+      };
+      if (options.animate) {
         raf(frame);
       } else {
-        while (!inftick()) {
-          // keep going...
-        }
+        setTimeout(function () {
+          return frame();
+        });
       }
     },
 
@@ -573,10 +580,6 @@ ColaLayout.prototype.run = function () {
 
   layout.trigger({ type: 'layoutstart', layout: layout });
 
-  adaptor.avoidOverlaps(options.avoidOverlap).handleDisconnected(options.handleDisconnected).start(options.unconstrIter, options.userConstIter, options.allConstIter, undefined, // gridSnapIterations = 0
-  undefined, // keepRunning = true
-  options.centerGraph);
-
   if (!options.infinite) {
     setTimeout(function () {
       if (!layout.manuallyStopped) {
@@ -585,6 +588,10 @@ ColaLayout.prototype.run = function () {
     }, options.maxSimulationTime);
   }
 
+  adaptor.avoidOverlaps(options.avoidOverlap).handleDisconnected(options.handleDisconnected).start(options.unconstrIter, options.userConstIter, options.allConstIter, undefined, // gridSnapIterations = 0
+  undefined, // keepRunning = true
+  options.centerGraph);
+
   return this; // chaining
 };
 
diff --git a/src/cola.js b/src/cola.js
index 5e1b591b..d5fd42a6 100644
--- a/src/cola.js
+++ b/src/cola.js
@@ -180,19 +180,25 @@ ColaLayout.prototype.run = function(){
         return ret;
       };
 
-      if( options.animate ){
-        let frame = function(){
-          if( multitick() ){ return; }
+      // if not animated, run in a timeout so the
+      // options.maxSimulationTime timeout has a chance to interrupt
+      let frame = function(){
+        if( multitick() ){ return; }
 
+        if (options.animate) {
           raf( frame );
-        };
-
-        raf( frame );
-      } else {
-        while( !inftick() ){
-          // keep going...
         }
+        else {
+          setTimeout(() => frame())
+        }
+      };
+      if (options.animate) {
+        raf( frame );
       }
+      else {
+        setTimeout(() => frame())
+      }
+
     },
 
     on: nop, // dummy; not needed
@@ -461,6 +467,14 @@ ColaLayout.prototype.run = function(){
 
   layout.trigger({ type: 'layoutstart', layout: layout });
 
+  if( !options.infinite ){
+    setTimeout(function(){
+      if( !layout.manuallyStopped ){
+        adaptor.stop();
+      }
+    }, options.maxSimulationTime);
+  }
+
   adaptor
     .avoidOverlaps( options.avoidOverlap )
     .handleDisconnected( options.handleDisconnected )
@@ -474,14 +488,6 @@ ColaLayout.prototype.run = function(){
     )
   ;
 
-  if( !options.infinite ){
-    setTimeout(function(){
-      if( !layout.manuallyStopped ){
-        adaptor.stop();
-      }
-    }, options.maxSimulationTime);
-  }
-
   return this; // chaining
 };