diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_message_topics.py b/zerver/tests/test_message_topics.py
index a9f0b714b2..a054595203 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_message_topics.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_message_topics.py
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ from django.utils.timezone import now as timezone_now
 
 from zerver.actions.streams import do_change_stream_permission
 from zerver.lib.test_classes import ZulipTestCase
-from zerver.lib.test_helpers import timeout_mock
-from zerver.lib.timeout import TimeoutExpiredError
 from zerver.models import Message, UserMessage
 from zerver.models.clients import get_client
 from zerver.models.realms import get_realm
@@ -291,26 +289,24 @@ class TopicDeleteTest(ZulipTestCase):
             acting_user=user_profile,
         )
         # Delete the topic should now remove all messages
-        with timeout_mock("zerver.views.streams"):
-            result = self.client_post(
-                endpoint,
-                {
-                    "topic_name": topic_name,
-                },
-            )
+        result = self.client_post(
+            endpoint,
+            {
+                "topic_name": topic_name,
+            },
+        )
         result_dict = self.assert_json_success(result)
         self.assertTrue(result_dict["complete"])
         self.assertFalse(Message.objects.filter(id=last_msg_id).exists())
         self.assertTrue(Message.objects.filter(id=initial_last_msg_id).exists())
 
         # Delete again, to test the edge case of deleting an empty topic.
-        with timeout_mock("zerver.views.streams"):
-            result = self.client_post(
-                endpoint,
-                {
-                    "topic_name": topic_name,
-                },
-            )
+        result = self.client_post(
+            endpoint,
+            {
+                "topic_name": topic_name,
+            },
+        )
         result_dict = self.assert_json_success(result)
         self.assertTrue(result_dict["complete"])
         self.assertFalse(Message.objects.filter(id=last_msg_id).exists())
@@ -328,7 +324,7 @@ class TopicDeleteTest(ZulipTestCase):
 
         self.login_user(user_profile)
         endpoint = "/json/streams/" + str(stream.id) + "/delete_topic"
-        with mock.patch("zerver.views.streams.timeout", side_effect=TimeoutExpiredError):
+        with mock.patch("time.monotonic", side_effect=[10000, 10051]):
             result = self.client_post(
                 endpoint,
                 {
diff --git a/zerver/views/streams.py b/zerver/views/streams.py
index c51b85254f..7bde4904e0 100644
--- a/zerver/views/streams.py
+++ b/zerver/views/streams.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+import time
 from collections import defaultdict
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Literal, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Set, Union
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Set, Union
 
 import orjson
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -76,7 +77,6 @@ from zerver.lib.streams import (
 )
 from zerver.lib.string_validation import check_stream_name
 from zerver.lib.subscription_info import gather_subscriptions
-from zerver.lib.timeout import TimeoutExpiredError, timeout
 from zerver.lib.topic import (
     get_topic_history_for_public_stream,
     get_topic_history_for_stream,
@@ -930,29 +930,23 @@ def delete_in_topic(
     # the user can see are returned in the query.
     messages = bulk_access_stream_messages_query(user_profile, messages, stream)
 
-    def delete_in_batches() -> Literal[True]:
-        # Topics can be large enough that this request will inevitably time out.
-        # In such a case, it's good for some progress to be accomplished, so that
-        # full deletion can be achieved by repeating the request. For that purpose,
-        # we delete messages in atomic batches, committing after each batch.
-        # TODO: Ideally this should be moved to the deferred_work queue.
-        batch_size = RETENTION_STREAM_MESSAGE_BATCH_SIZE
-        while True:
-            with transaction.atomic(durable=True):
-                messages_to_delete = messages.order_by("-id")[0:batch_size].select_for_update(
-                    of=("self",)
-                )
-                if not messages_to_delete:
-                    break
-                do_delete_messages(user_profile.realm, messages_to_delete)
-
-        # timeout() in which we call this function requires non-None return value.
-        return True
-
-    try:
-        timeout(50, delete_in_batches)
-    except TimeoutExpiredError:
-        return json_success(request, data={"complete": False})
+    # Topics can be large enough that this request will inevitably time out.
+    # In such a case, it's good for some progress to be accomplished, so that
+    # full deletion can be achieved by repeating the request. For that purpose,
+    # we delete messages in atomic batches, committing after each batch.
+    # TODO: Ideally this should be moved to the deferred_work queue.
+    start_time = time.monotonic()
+    batch_size = RETENTION_STREAM_MESSAGE_BATCH_SIZE
+    while True:
+        if time.monotonic() >= start_time + 50:
+            return json_success(request, data={"complete": False})
+        with transaction.atomic(durable=True):
+            messages_to_delete = messages.order_by("-id")[0:batch_size].select_for_update(
+                of=("self",)
+            )
+            if not messages_to_delete:
+                break
+            do_delete_messages(user_profile.realm, messages_to_delete)
 
     return json_success(request, data={"complete": True})