diff --git a/docs/src/main/asciidoc/spring-cloud-config.adoc b/docs/src/main/asciidoc/spring-cloud-config.adoc
index 3cd769f7..d4282f9d 100644
--- a/docs/src/main/asciidoc/spring-cloud-config.adoc
+++ b/docs/src/main/asciidoc/spring-cloud-config.adoc
@@ -1435,9 +1435,12 @@ To ensure high availability when you have multiple instances of Config Server de
 
 If you use HTTP basic security on your Config Server, it is currently possible to support per-Config Server auth credentials only if you embed the credentials in each URL you specify under the `spring.cloud.config.uri` property. If you use any other kind of security mechanism, you cannot (currently) support per-Config Server authentication and authorization.
 
-=== Configuring Read Timeouts
+=== Configuring Timeouts
 
-If you want to configure read timeout, this can be done by using the property `spring.cloud.config.request-read-timeout`.
+If you want to configure timeout thresholds:
+
+* Read timeouts can be configured by using the property `spring.cloud.config.request-read-timeout`.
+* Connection timeouts can be configured by using the property `spring.cloud.config.request-connect-timeout`.
 
 === Security
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigClientProperties.java b/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigClientProperties.java
index 32da6ebb..11b215b6 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigClientProperties.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigClientProperties.java
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ public class ConfigClientProperties {
 	 */
 	private int requestReadTimeout = (60 * 1000 * 3) + 5000;
 
+	/**
+	 * timeout on waiting to connect to the Config Server.
+	 */
+	private int requestConnectTimeout = 1000 * 10;
+
 	/**
 	 * Flag to indicate whether to send state. Default true.
 	 */
@@ -227,6 +232,14 @@ public class ConfigClientProperties {
 		this.requestReadTimeout = requestReadTimeout;
 	}
 
+	public int getRequestConnectTimeout() {
+		return this.requestConnectTimeout;
+	}
+
+	public void setRequestConnectTimeout(int requestConnectTimeout) {
+		this.requestConnectTimeout = requestConnectTimeout;
+	}
+
 	public boolean isSendState() {
 		return this.sendState;
 	}
@@ -333,6 +346,7 @@ public class ConfigClientProperties {
 				+ ", username=" + this.username + ", password=" + this.password + ", uri="
 				+ Arrays.toString(this.uri) + ", discovery=" + this.discovery
 				+ ", failFast=" + this.failFast + ", token=" + this.token
+				+ ", requestConnectTimeout=" + this.requestConnectTimeout
 				+ ", requestReadTimeout=" + this.requestReadTimeout + ", sendState="
 				+ this.sendState + ", headers=" + this.headers + "]";
 	}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocator.java b/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocator.java
index fd8bf2e9..be4cb5c8 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocator.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-config-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocator.java
@@ -257,7 +257,11 @@ public class ConfigServicePropertySourceLocator implements PropertySourceLocator
 		if (client.getRequestReadTimeout() < 0) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException("Invalid Value for Read Timeout set.");
 		}
+		if (client.getRequestConnectTimeout() < 0) {
+			throw new IllegalStateException("Invalid Value for Connect Timeout set.");
+		}
 		requestFactory.setReadTimeout(client.getRequestReadTimeout());
+		requestFactory.setConnectTimeout(client.getRequestConnectTimeout());
 		RestTemplate template = new RestTemplate(requestFactory);
 		Map<String, String> headers = new HashMap<>(client.getHeaders());
 		if (headers.containsKey(AUTHORIZATION)) {
diff --git a/spring-cloud-config-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocatorTests.java b/spring-cloud-config-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocatorTests.java
index 7857eb00..7b34385e 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-config-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocatorTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-config-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/client/ConfigServicePropertySourceLocatorTests.java
@@ -261,6 +261,16 @@ public class ConfigServicePropertySourceLocatorTests {
 		ReflectionTestUtils.invokeMethod(this.locator, "getSecureRestTemplate", defaults);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenNegativeConnectTimeoutSet() {
+		ConfigClientProperties defaults = new ConfigClientProperties(this.environment);
+		defaults.setRequestConnectTimeout(-1);
+		this.locator = new ConfigServicePropertySourceLocator(defaults);
+		this.expected.expect(IllegalStateException.class);
+		this.expected.expectMessage("Invalid Value for Connect Timeout set.");
+		ReflectionTestUtils.invokeMethod(this.locator, "getSecureRestTemplate", defaults);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void checkInterceptorHasNoAuthorizationHeaderPresent() {
 		ConfigClientProperties defaults = new ConfigClientProperties(this.environment);