diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 7391424682e..fdab0bf1684 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ PARAMIKO_RECORD_HOST_KEYS      = get_config(p, 'paramiko_connection', 'record_ho
 ZEROMQ_PORT                    = get_config(p, 'fireball_connection', 'zeromq_port', 'ANSIBLE_ZEROMQ_PORT', 5099, integer=True)
 ACCELERATE_PORT                = get_config(p, 'accelerate', 'accelerate_port', 'ACCELERATE_PORT', 5099, integer=True)
 ACCELERATE_TIMEOUT             = int(get_config(p, 'accelerate', 'accelerate_timeout', 'ACCELERATE_TIMEOUT', 300))
+ACCELERATE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT     = float(get_config(p, 'accelerate', 'accelerate_connect_timeout', 'ACCELERATE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT', 1.0))
 
 DEFAULT_UNDEFINED_VAR_BEHAVIOR = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'error_on_undefined_vars', 'ANSIBLE_ERROR_ON_UNDEFINED_VARS', True, boolean=True)
 HOST_KEY_CHECKING              = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'host_key_checking',  'ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING',    True, boolean=True)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/accelerate.py b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/accelerate.py
index 0571fb25c76..414c070c7d2 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/accelerate.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/connection_plugins/accelerate.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class Connection(object):
                 # TODO: make the timeout and retries configurable?
                 tries = 3
                 self.conn = socket.socket()
-                self.conn.settimeout(self.runner.accelerate_timeout)
+                self.conn.settimeout(constants.ACCELERATE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT)
                 vvvv("attempting connection to %s via the accelerated port %d" % (self.host,self.accport))
                 while tries > 0:
                     try:
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ class Connection(object):
                 if tries == 0:
                     vvv("Could not connect via the accelerated connection, exceeded # of tries")
                     raise errors.AnsibleError("Failed to connect")
+                self.conn.settimeout(self.runner.accelerate_timeout)
         except:
             if allow_ssh:
                 vvv("Falling back to ssh to startup accelerated mode")