diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/11174-gitlab-runner-timeout.yml b/changelogs/fragments/11174-gitlab-runner-timeout.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5e638e72a08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/11174-gitlab-runner-timeout.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - gitlab_runner - allow maximum timeout to be disabled by passing ``0`` to ``maximum_timeout``  (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/11174).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/gitlab_runner.py b/plugins/modules/gitlab_runner.py
index 58519de8c0c..3ef335e44e3 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/gitlab_runner.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/gitlab_runner.py
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@
   maximum_timeout:
     description:
       - The maximum time that a runner has to complete a specific job.
+      - Use V(0) to disable the timeout. This is available since community.general 12.1.0.
     default: 3600
     type: int
   run_untagged:
@@ -365,7 +366,7 @@ def update_runner(self, runner, arguments):
         changed = False
 
         for arg_key, arg_value in arguments.items():
-            if arg_value is not None:
+            if arg_value is not None or arg_key == "maximum_timeout":
                 if isinstance(arg_value, list):
                     list1 = getattr(runner, arg_key)
                     list1.sort()
@@ -475,7 +476,10 @@ def main():
     run_untagged = module.params["run_untagged"]
     runner_locked = module.params["locked"]
     access_level = module.params["access_level"]
-    maximum_timeout = module.params["maximum_timeout"]
+    if module.params["maximum_timeout"] == 0:
+        maximum_timeout = None
+    else:
+        maximum_timeout = module.params["maximum_timeout"]
     registration_token = module.params["registration_token"]
     project = module.params["project"]
     group = module.params["group"]