diff --git a/qhub/template/stages/07-kubernetes-services/modules/kubernetes/services/jupyterhub/files/skel/.bashrc b/qhub/template/stages/07-kubernetes-services/modules/kubernetes/services/jupyterhub/files/skel/.bashrc
index 3d247ed87..3c863e322 100644
--- a/qhub/template/stages/07-kubernetes-services/modules/kubernetes/services/jupyterhub/files/skel/.bashrc
+++ b/qhub/template/stages/07-kubernetes-services/modules/kubernetes/services/jupyterhub/files/skel/.bashrc
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ esac
 # uncomment for a colored prompt, if the terminal has the capability; turned
 # off by default to not distract the user: the focus in a terminal window
 # should be on the output of commands, not on the prompt
-#force_color_prompt=yes
+force_color_prompt=yes
 
 if [ -n "$force_color_prompt" ]; then
     if [ -x /usr/bin/tput ] && tput setaf 1 >&/dev/null; then
@@ -120,3 +120,33 @@ if ! shopt -oq posix; then
 fi
 
 . /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && conda activate base
+
+# add nicer bash prompt
+conda config --set changeps1 True
+
+parse_git_branch() {
+  git branch --color 2> /dev/null | sed -e '/^[^*]/d' -e 's/* \(.*\)/[\1]/'
+}
+
+BASE03=$(tput setaf 234)
+BASE02=$(tput setaf 235)
+BASE01=$(tput setaf 240)
+BASE00=$(tput setaf 241)
+BASE0=$(tput setaf 244)
+BASE1=$(tput setaf 245)
+BASE2=$(tput setaf 254)
+BASE3=$(tput setaf 230)
+YELLOW=$(tput setaf 136)
+ORANGE=$(tput setaf 166)
+RED=$(tput setaf 160)
+MAGENTA=$(tput setaf 125)
+VIOLET=$(tput setaf 61)
+BLUE=$(tput setaf 33)
+CYAN=$(tput setaf 37)
+GREEN=$(tput setaf 64)
+BOLD=$(tput bold)
+RESET=$(tput sgr0)
+
+NAME=`whoami | cut -d'@' -f1`
+
+PS1="\[$CYAN\]$NAME:\w\[$RESET\]\$(parse_git_branch) \n\[$GREEN\]\A \$ \[$RESET\]"
diff --git a/tests_deployment/test_jupyterhub_ssh.py b/tests_deployment/test_jupyterhub_ssh.py
index db3919376..7bd9a19e4 100644
--- a/tests_deployment/test_jupyterhub_ssh.py
+++ b/tests_deployment/test_jupyterhub_ssh.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 monkeypatch_ssl_context()
 
+TIMEOUT_SECS = 300
+
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def paramiko_object():
@@ -57,12 +59,12 @@ def run_command(command, stdin, stdout, stderr):
     return "".join(output).strip()
 
 
-@pytest.mark.timeout(120)
+@pytest.mark.timeout(TIMEOUT_SECS)
 def test_simple_jupyterhub_ssh(paramiko_object):
     stdin, stdout, stderr = paramiko_object.exec_command("")
 
 
-@pytest.mark.timeout(120)
+@pytest.mark.timeout(TIMEOUT_SECS)
 def test_print_jupyterhub_ssh(paramiko_object):
     stdin, stdout, stderr = paramiko_object.exec_command("")
 
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ def test_print_jupyterhub_ssh(paramiko_object):
         print(run_command(command, stdin, stdout, stderr))
 
 
-@pytest.mark.timeout(120)
+@pytest.mark.timeout(TIMEOUT_SECS)
 def test_exact_jupyterhub_ssh(paramiko_object):
     stdin, stdout, stderr = paramiko_object.exec_command("")
 
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ def test_exact_jupyterhub_ssh(paramiko_object):
         assert output == run_command(command, stdin, stdout, stderr)
 
 
-@pytest.mark.timeout(120)
+@pytest.mark.timeout(TIMEOUT_SECS)
 def test_contains_jupyterhub_ssh(paramiko_object):
     stdin, stdout, stderr = paramiko_object.exec_command("")