diff --git a/Lib/test/test_telnetlib.py b/Lib/test/test_telnetlib.py
index 94b1e73b235..16f7f935442 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_telnetlib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_telnetlib.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class GeneralTests(TestCase):
 
 def _read_setUp(self):
     # the blocking constant should be tuned!
-    self.blocking_timeout = 0.1
+    self.blocking_timeout = 0.0
     self.evt = threading.Event()
     self.dataq = Queue.Queue()
     self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)