diff --git a/app/models/global_setting.rb b/app/models/global_setting.rb
index 48d60718036..33535335d7c 100644
--- a/app/models/global_setting.rb
+++ b/app/models/global_setting.rb
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class GlobalSetting
 
   def self.database_config
     hash = { "adapter" => "postgresql" }
-    %w{pool timeout socket host port username password replica_host replica_port}.each do |s|
+    %w{pool connect_timeout timeout socket host port username password replica_host replica_port}.each do |s|
       if val = self.send("db_#{s}")
         hash[s] = val
       end
diff --git a/config/discourse_defaults.conf b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
index 2f47f7ea21d..cede9cbeaea 100644
--- a/config/discourse_defaults.conf
+++ b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@
 # connection pool size, sidekiq is set to 5, allowing an extra 3 for bg threads
 db_pool = 8
 
-# database timeout in milliseconds
+# ActiveRecord connection pool timeout in milliseconds
 db_timeout = 5000
 
+# Database connection timoue in seconds
+db_connect_timeout = 5
+
 # socket file used to access db
 db_socket =