diff --git a/C4/Context.pm b/C4/Context.pm
index df04c7ab66..1aec1232f3 100644
--- a/C4/Context.pm
+++ b/C4/Context.pm
@@ -567,6 +567,8 @@ sub _new_Zconn {
         $o->option(preferredRecordSyntax => $syntax);
         $o->option(elementSetName => $elementSetName) if $elementSetName;
         $o->option(databaseName => _common_config($server, 'config') || 'biblios');
+        my $timeout = C4::Context->config('zebra_connection_timeout') || 30;
+        $o->option(timeout => $timeout);
 
         # create a new connection object
         $Zconn= create ZOOM::Connection($o);
diff --git a/debian/templates/koha-conf-site.xml.in b/debian/templates/koha-conf-site.xml.in
index bcf6bab0f6..bdb994c517 100644
--- a/debian/templates/koha-conf-site.xml.in
+++ b/debian/templates/koha-conf-site.xml.in
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ __END_SRU_PUBLICSERVER__
  <lockdir>/var/lock/koha/__KOHASITE__</lockdir>
  <use_zebra_facets>1</use_zebra_facets>
  <zebra_max_record_size>1024</zebra_max_record_size>
+ <zebra_connection_timeout>30</zebra_connection_timeout>
  <log4perl_conf>__KOHA_CONF_DIR__/log4perl.conf</log4perl_conf>
  <!-- Uncomment/edit next setting if you want to adjust zebra log levels.
       Default is: none,fatal,warn.
diff --git a/etc/koha-conf.xml b/etc/koha-conf.xml
index 793420437d..3e5623cb96 100644
--- a/etc/koha-conf.xml
+++ b/etc/koha-conf.xml
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@
  <lockdir>__LOCK_DIR__</lockdir>
  <use_zebra_facets>1</use_zebra_facets>
  <zebra_max_record_size>1024</zebra_max_record_size>
+ <zebra_connection_timeout>30</zebra_connection_timeout>
  <log4perl_conf>__KOHA_CONF_DIR__/log4perl.conf</log4perl_conf>
  <!-- Uncomment/edit next setting if you want to adjust zebra log levels.
       Default is: none,fatal,warn.