diff --git a/runestone/assess/js/timed.js b/runestone/assess/js/timed.js
index d82360933..f98c9eae1 100644
--- a/runestone/assess/js/timed.js
+++ b/runestone/assess/js/timed.js
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ Timed.prototype.init = function (opts) {
     if ($(this.origElem).is("[data-no-timer]")) {
         this.showTimer = false;
     }
+    this.fullwidth = false;
+    if ($(this.origElem).is("[data-fullwidth]")) {
+        this.fullwidth = true;
+    }
 
     this.running = 0;
     this.paused = 0;
@@ -105,6 +109,13 @@ Timed.prototype.renderTimedAssess = function () {
 
 Timed.prototype.renderContainer = function () {
     this.assessDiv = document.createElement("div"); // container for the entire Timed Component
+    
+    if (this.fullwidth) {
+       // allow the container to fill the width - barb
+       $(this.assessDiv).attr({
+           "style": "max-width:none"
+       });
+    }
     this.assessDiv.id = this.divid;
     this.timedDiv = document.createElement("div"); // div that will hold the questions for the timed assessment
     this.navDiv = document.createElement("div"); // For navigation control
diff --git a/runestone/assess/timedassessment.py b/runestone/assess/timedassessment.py
index f7429ccf0..329663b4a 100644
--- a/runestone/assess/timedassessment.py
+++ b/runestone/assess/timedassessment.py
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ def visit_timed_node(self, node):
         node.timed_options['notimer'] = 'data-no-timer'
     else:
         node.timed_options['notimer'] = ''
+        
+    if 'fullwidth' in node.timed_options:
+        node.timed_options['fullwidth'] = 'data-fullwidth'
+    else:
+        node.timed_options['fullwidth'] = ''
 
     res = TEMPLATE_START % node.timed_options
     self.body.append(res)
@@ -59,7 +64,7 @@ def depart_timed_node(self,node):
 
 #Templates to be formatted by node options
 TEMPLATE_START = '''
-    <ul data-component="timedAssessment" %(timelimit)s id="%(divid)s" %(noresult)s %(nofeedback)s %(notimer)s>
+    <ul data-component="timedAssessment" %(timelimit)s id="%(divid)s" %(noresult)s %(nofeedback)s %(notimer)s %(fullwidth)s>
     '''
 
 TEMPLATE_END = '''</ul>
@@ -72,6 +77,7 @@ class TimedDirective(Directive):
     option_spec = {"timelimit":directives.positive_int,
                     "noresult":directives.flag,
                     "nofeedback":directives.flag,
+                    "fullwidth":directives.flag,
                     "notimer":directives.flag}
 
     def run(self):
@@ -84,6 +90,7 @@ def run(self):
                 :noresult: Boolean, doesn't display score
                 :nofeedback: Boolean, doesn't display feedback
                 :notimer: Boolean, doesn't show timer
+                :fullwidth: Boolean, allows the items in the timed assessment to take the full width of the screen
             ...
             """
         self.assert_has_content() # make sure timed has something in it