Maximum time to complete client authentication.
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | authentication_timeout |
| Category | Connections |
| Default | 1min |
| Value type | time (ms/s/min) |
| Change scope | Reload (no restart) |
What it does
If a client fails to authenticate within this period the connection is closed, preventing half-open connections from holding a slot.
How to apply a change
Takes effect on configuration reload (sighup context). Run SELECT pg_reload_conf(); or send SIGHUP — no restart needed.
Inspect the current value and source with SHOW authentication_timeout; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'authentication_timeout';.
Tuning guidance
The default is fine. Lower it slightly under connection-storm conditions; raise it only for slow external auth (LDAP/Kerberos) round-trips.