diff --git a/core/peer/config.go b/core/peer/config.go
index 486ce8ebae0..9b7249b4345 100644
--- a/core/peer/config.go
+++ b/core/peer/config.go
@@ -129,7 +129,10 @@ func GetServerConfig() (comm.ServerConfig, error) {
 	secureOptions := &comm.SecureOptions{
 		UseTLS: viper.GetBool("peer.tls.enabled"),
 	}
-	serverConfig := comm.ServerConfig{SecOpts: secureOptions}
+	serverConfig := comm.ServerConfig{
+		ConnectionTimeout: viper.GetDuration("peer.connectiontimeout"),
+		SecOpts:           secureOptions,
+	}
 	if secureOptions.UseTLS {
 		// get the certs from the file system
 		serverKey, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config.GetPath("peer.tls.key.file"))
diff --git a/core/peer/config_test.go b/core/peer/config_test.go
index 13a7b605978..0c13704e4ae 100644
--- a/core/peer/config_test.go
+++ b/core/peer/config_test.go
@@ -133,9 +133,10 @@ func TestGetServerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// good config without TLS
 	viper.Set("peer.tls.enabled", false)
+	viper.Set("peer.connectiontimeout", "7s")
 	sc, _ := GetServerConfig()
-	assert.Equal(t, false, sc.SecOpts.UseTLS,
-		"ServerConfig.SecOpts.UseTLS should be false")
+	assert.Equal(t, false, sc.SecOpts.UseTLS, "ServerConfig.SecOpts.UseTLS should be false")
+	assert.Equal(t, sc.ConnectionTimeout, 7*time.Second, "ServerConfig.ConnectionTimeout should be 7 seconds")
 
 	// keepalive options
 	assert.Equal(t, comm.DefaultKeepaliveOptions, sc.KaOpts,
diff --git a/orderer/common/localconfig/config.go b/orderer/common/localconfig/config.go
index e33347842c4..d83bda87712 100644
--- a/orderer/common/localconfig/config.go
+++ b/orderer/common/localconfig/config.go
@@ -40,21 +40,22 @@ type TopLevel struct {
 
 // General contains config which should be common among all orderer types.
 type General struct {
-	LedgerType     string
-	ListenAddress  string
-	ListenPort     uint16
-	TLS            TLS
-	Cluster        Cluster
-	Keepalive      Keepalive
-	GenesisMethod  string
-	GenesisProfile string
-	SystemChannel  string
-	GenesisFile    string
-	Profile        Profile
-	LocalMSPDir    string
-	LocalMSPID     string
-	BCCSP          *bccsp.FactoryOpts
-	Authentication Authentication
+	LedgerType        string
+	ListenAddress     string
+	ListenPort        uint16
+	TLS               TLS
+	Cluster           Cluster
+	Keepalive         Keepalive
+	ConnectionTimeout time.Duration
+	GenesisMethod     string
+	GenesisProfile    string
+	SystemChannel     string
+	GenesisFile       string
+	Profile           Profile
+	LocalMSPDir       string
+	LocalMSPID        string
+	BCCSP             *bccsp.FactoryOpts
+	Authentication    Authentication
 }
 
 type Cluster struct {
diff --git a/orderer/common/localconfig/config_test.go b/orderer/common/localconfig/config_test.go
index a7e24dbaf05..0e3ed08ce9f 100644
--- a/orderer/common/localconfig/config_test.go
+++ b/orderer/common/localconfig/config_test.go
@@ -213,3 +213,25 @@ Consensus:
 	assert.Equal(t, foo.Foo, "bar")
 	assert.Equal(t, foo.Hello.World, 42)
 }
+
+func TestConnectionTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("without connection timeout overridden", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cleanup := configtest.SetDevFabricConfigPath(t)
+		defer cleanup()
+		cfg, err := Load()
+		assert.NotNil(t, cfg, "Could not load config")
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "Load good config returned unexpected error")
+		assert.Equal(t, cfg.General.ConnectionTimeout, 0*time.Second)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("with connection timeout overridden", func(t *testing.T) {
+		os.Setenv("ORDERER_GENERAL_CONNECTIONTIMEOUT", "10s")
+		defer os.Unsetenv("ORDERER_GENERAL_CONNECTIONTIMEOUT")
+		cleanup := configtest.SetDevFabricConfigPath(t)
+		defer cleanup()
+		cfg, err := Load()
+		assert.NotNil(t, cfg, "Could not load config")
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "Load good config returned unexpected error")
+		assert.Equal(t, cfg.General.ConnectionTimeout, 10*time.Second)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/orderer/common/server/main.go b/orderer/common/server/main.go
index b975da5efb7..93ff1eca1c9 100644
--- a/orderer/common/server/main.go
+++ b/orderer/common/server/main.go
@@ -490,10 +490,11 @@ func initializeServerConfig(conf *localconfig.TopLevel, metricsProvider metrics.
 	}
 
 	return comm.ServerConfig{
-		SecOpts:         secureOpts,
-		KaOpts:          kaOpts,
-		Logger:          commLogger,
-		MetricsProvider: metricsProvider,
+		SecOpts:           secureOpts,
+		KaOpts:            kaOpts,
+		Logger:            commLogger,
+		MetricsProvider:   metricsProvider,
+		ConnectionTimeout: conf.General.ConnectionTimeout,
 		StreamInterceptors: []grpc.StreamServerInterceptor{
 			grpcmetrics.StreamServerInterceptor(grpcmetrics.NewStreamMetrics(metricsProvider)),
 			grpclogging.StreamServerInterceptor(flogging.MustGetLogger("comm.grpc.server").Zap()),
diff --git a/orderer/common/server/main_test.go b/orderer/common/server/main_test.go
index 4a251062904..0b2ffcf1e7c 100644
--- a/orderer/common/server/main_test.go
+++ b/orderer/common/server/main_test.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ func TestInitializeProfilingService(t *testing.T) {
 func TestInitializeServerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := &localconfig.TopLevel{
 		General: localconfig.General{
+			ConnectionTimeout: 7 * time.Second,
 			TLS: localconfig.TLS{
 				Enabled:            true,
 				ClientAuthRequired: true,
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ func TestInitializeServerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, defaultOpts.ServerMinInterval, sc.KaOpts.ServerMinInterval)
 	assert.Equal(t, time.Duration(0), sc.KaOpts.ServerInterval)
 	assert.Equal(t, time.Duration(0), sc.KaOpts.ServerTimeout)
+	assert.Equal(t, 7*time.Second, sc.ConnectionTimeout)
 	testDuration := 10 * time.Second
 	conf.General.Keepalive = localconfig.Keepalive{
 		ServerMinInterval: testDuration,