diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/timeout_config_fix.yml b/changelogs/fragments/timeout_config_fix.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5cebe81bf69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/timeout_config_fix.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - connection timeouts defined in ansible.cfg will now be properly used, the --timeout cli option was obscuring them by always being set.
+breaking_changes:
+  - Any plugin using the config system and the `cli` entry to use the `timeout` from the command line, will see the value change if the use had configured it in any of the lower precedence methods.
+    If relying on this behaviour to consume the global/generic timeout from the DEFAULT_TIMEOUT constant, please consult the documentation on plugin configuration to add the overlaping entries.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py b/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
index a3efb1e2680..e3f661111f1 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
@@ -250,8 +250,8 @@ def add_connect_options(parser):
                                help='connect as this user (default=%s)' % C.DEFAULT_REMOTE_USER)
     connect_group.add_argument('-c', '--connection', dest='connection', default=C.DEFAULT_TRANSPORT,
                                help="connection type to use (default=%s)" % C.DEFAULT_TRANSPORT)
-    connect_group.add_argument('-T', '--timeout', default=C.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, type=int, dest='timeout',
-                               help="override the connection timeout in seconds (default=%s)" % C.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+    connect_group.add_argument('-T', '--timeout', default=None, type=int, dest='timeout',
+                               help="override the connection timeout in seconds (default depends on connection)")
 
     # ssh only
     connect_group.add_argument('--ssh-common-args', default=None, dest='ssh_common_args',