diff --git a/lib/logstash/outputs/jdbc.rb b/lib/logstash/outputs/jdbc.rb
index ba41064..53a9adf 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/outputs/jdbc.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/outputs/jdbc.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::Jdbc < LogStash::Outputs::Base
   config :max_pool_size, :validate => :number, :default => 5
 
   # Connection timeout
-  config :connection_timeout, :validate => :number, :default => 2800
+  config :connection_timeout, :validate => :number, :default => 10000
 
   # We buffer a certain number of events before flushing that out to SQL.
   # This setting controls how many events will be buffered before sending a
@@ -156,9 +156,11 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::Jdbc < LogStash::Outputs::Base
     @pool.setMaximumPoolSize(@max_pool_size)
     @pool.setConnectionTimeout(@connection_timeout)
 
+    validate_connection_timeout = (@connection_timeout / 1000) / 2
+
     # Test connection
     test_connection = @pool.getConnection()
-    unless test_connection.isValid(10)
+    unless test_connection.isValid(validate_connection_timeout)
       @logger.error("JDBC - Connection is not valid. Please check connection string or that your JDBC endpoint is available.")
     end
     test_connection.close()
diff --git a/logstash-output-jdbc.gemspec b/logstash-output-jdbc.gemspec
index f04d1e4..e6fdd94 100644
--- a/logstash-output-jdbc.gemspec
+++ b/logstash-output-jdbc.gemspec
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.name = 'logstash-output-jdbc'
-  s.version = "0.2.2"
+  s.version = "0.2.3"
   s.licenses = [ "Apache License (2.0)" ]
   s.summary = "This plugin allows you to output to SQL, via JDBC"
   s.description = "This gem is a logstash plugin required to be installed on top of the Logstash core pipeline using $LS_HOME/bin/plugin install gemname. This gem is not a stand-alone program"