diff --git a/app/mailers/group_smtp_mailer.rb b/app/mailers/group_smtp_mailer.rb
index 5cd5836752a..708e46043f5 100644
--- a/app/mailers/group_smtp_mailer.rb
+++ b/app/mailers/group_smtp_mailer.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ class GroupSmtpMailer < ActionMailer::Base
       authentication: GlobalSetting.smtp_authentication,
       enable_starttls_auto: from_group.smtp_ssl,
       return_response: true,
+      open_timeout: GlobalSetting.group_smtp_open_timeout,
+      read_timeout: GlobalSetting.group_smtp_read_timeout,
     }
 
     group_name = from_group.name_full_preferred
diff --git a/config/discourse_defaults.conf b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
index b0f9a466f1c..9fd3f0208a4 100644
--- a/config/discourse_defaults.conf
+++ b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ smtp_open_timeout = 5
 # Number of seconds to wait until timing-out a SMTP read(2) call
 smtp_read_timeout = 5
 
+# number of seconds to wait while attempting to open a SMTP connection only when
+# sending emails via group SMTP
+group_smtp_open_timeout = 30
+
+# Number of seconds to wait until timing-out a SMTP read(2) call only when sending
+# emails via group SMTP
+group_smtp_read_timeout = 60
+
 # load MiniProfiler in production, to be used by developers
 load_mini_profiler = true
 
diff --git a/spec/mailers/group_smtp_mailer_spec.rb b/spec/mailers/group_smtp_mailer_spec.rb
index ecd6d945099..09bbf72489c 100644
--- a/spec/mailers/group_smtp_mailer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mailers/group_smtp_mailer_spec.rb
@@ -117,6 +117,24 @@ RSpec.describe GroupSmtpMailer do
     expect(sent_mail.subject).to eq("Re: Hello from John")
   end
 
+  it "configures delivery options for SMTP correctly" do
+    mail = GroupSmtpMailer.send_mail(group, user.email, Fabricate(:post))
+    expect(mail.delivery_method.settings).to eq(
+      {
+        address: "smtp.gmail.com",
+        port: 587,
+        domain: "gmail.com",
+        user_name: "bugs@gmail.com",
+        password: "super$secret$password",
+        authentication: GlobalSetting.smtp_authentication,
+        enable_starttls_auto: true,
+        return_response: true,
+        open_timeout: GlobalSetting.group_smtp_open_timeout,
+        read_timeout: GlobalSetting.group_smtp_read_timeout,
+      },
+    )
+  end
+
   context "when the site has a reply by email address configured" do
     before do
       SiteSetting.manual_polling_enabled = true