diff --git a/django/conf/global_settings.py b/django/conf/global_settings.py
index 186d77f3144..5fd90293258 100644
--- a/django/conf/global_settings.py
+++ b/django/conf/global_settings.py
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ EMAIL_USE_TLS = False
 EMAIL_USE_SSL = False
 EMAIL_SSL_CERTFILE = None
 EMAIL_SSL_KEYFILE = None
+EMAIL_TIMEOUT = None
 
 # List of strings representing installed apps.
 INSTALLED_APPS = ()
diff --git a/django/core/mail/backends/smtp.py b/django/core/mail/backends/smtp.py
index b3b23027f12..4c41eb8bd61 100644
--- a/django/core/mail/backends/smtp.py
+++ b/django/core/mail/backends/smtp.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class EmailBackend(BaseEmailBackend):
         self.password = settings.EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD if password is None else password
         self.use_tls = settings.EMAIL_USE_TLS if use_tls is None else use_tls
         self.use_ssl = settings.EMAIL_USE_SSL if use_ssl is None else use_ssl
-        self.timeout = timeout
+        self.timeout = settings.EMAIL_TIMEOUT if timeout is None else timeout
         self.ssl_keyfile = settings.EMAIL_SSL_KEYFILE if ssl_keyfile is None else ssl_keyfile
         self.ssl_certfile = settings.EMAIL_SSL_CERTFILE if ssl_certfile is None else ssl_certfile
         if self.use_ssl and self.use_tls:
diff --git a/docs/ref/settings.txt b/docs/ref/settings.txt
index 507f3f11c9a..c1d094b629b 100644
--- a/docs/ref/settings.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/settings.txt
@@ -1266,6 +1266,18 @@ connection. Please refer to the documentation of Python's
 :func:`python:ssl.wrap_socket` function for details on how the certificate chain
 file and private key file are handled.
 
+.. setting:: EMAIL_TIMEOUT
+
+EMAIL_TIMEOUT
+-------------
+
+.. versionadded:: 1.8
+
+Default: ``None``
+
+Specifies a timeout in seconds for blocking operations like the connection
+attempt.
+
 .. setting:: FILE_CHARSET
 
 FILE_CHARSET
@@ -3089,6 +3101,7 @@ Email
 * :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_CERTFILE`
 * :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_KEYFILE`
 * :setting:`EMAIL_SUBJECT_PREFIX`
+* :setting*`EMAIL_TIMEOUT`
 * :setting:`EMAIL_USE_TLS`
 * :setting:`MANAGERS`
 * :setting:`SERVER_EMAIL`
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
index 41d029a9ca2..a904f0fd138 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ Email
   authentication with the :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_CERTFILE` and
   :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_KEYFILE` settings.
 
+* The SMTP :class:`~django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend` now supports
+  setting the ``timeout`` parameter with the :setting:`EMAIL_TIMEOUT` setting.
+
 File Storage
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/docs/topics/email.txt b/docs/topics/email.txt
index a7a93299745..7303a6fe6f9 100644
--- a/docs/topics/email.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/email.txt
@@ -451,41 +451,27 @@ SMTP backend
     The server address and authentication credentials are set in the
     :setting:`EMAIL_HOST`, :setting:`EMAIL_PORT`, :setting:`EMAIL_HOST_USER`,
     :setting:`EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD`, :setting:`EMAIL_USE_TLS`,
-    :setting:`EMAIL_USE_SSL`, :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_CERTFILE` and
-    :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_KEYFILE` settings in your settings file.
+    :setting:`EMAIL_USE_SSL`, :setting:`EMAIL_TIMEOUT`,
+    :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_CERTFILE` and :setting:`EMAIL_SSL_KEYFILE` settings
+    in your settings file.
 
     The SMTP backend is the default configuration inherited by Django. If you
     want to specify it explicitly, put the following in your settings::
 
         EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend'
 
-    Here is an attribute which doesn't have a corresponding setting like the
-    others described above:
+    .. versionadded:: 1.7
 
-    .. attribute:: timeout
-
-        .. versionadded:: 1.7
-
-        This backend contains a ``timeout`` parameter, which can be set with
-        the following sample code::
-
-            from django.core.mail.backends import smtp
-
-            class MyEmailBackend(smtp.EmailBackend):
-              def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-                  kwargs.setdefault('timeout', 42)
-                  super(MyEmailBackend, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-
-        Then point the :setting:`EMAIL_BACKEND` setting at your custom backend as
-        described above.
-
-        If unspecified, the default ``timeout`` will be the one provided by
-        :func:`socket.getdefaulttimeout()`, which defaults to ``None`` (no timeout).
+        The ``timeout`` parameter was added. If unspecified, the default
+        ``timeout`` will be the one provided by
+        :func:`socket.getdefaulttimeout()`, which defaults to ``None`` (no
+        timeout).
 
     .. versionchanged:: 1.8
 
-        The ``ssl_keyfile`` and ``ssl_certfile`` parameters and
-        corresponding settings were added.
+        The ``ssl_keyfile``, and ``ssl_certfile`` parameters and corresponding
+        settings were added. The ability to customize ``timeout`` using
+        a setting (:setting:`EMAIL_TIMEOUT`) was added.
 
 .. _topic-email-console-backend:
 
diff --git a/tests/mail/tests.py b/tests/mail/tests.py
index cc5e3d81979..df6daee5c81 100644
--- a/tests/mail/tests.py
+++ b/tests/mail/tests.py
@@ -1033,3 +1033,8 @@ class SMTPBackendTests(BaseEmailBackendTests, SimpleTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(myemailbackend.timeout, 42)
         self.assertEqual(myemailbackend.connection.timeout, 42)
         myemailbackend.close()
+
+    @override_settings(EMAIL_TIMEOUT=10)
+    def test_email_timeout_override_settings(self):
+        backend = smtp.EmailBackend()
+        self.assertEqual(backend.timeout, 10)