diff --git a/src/common/ConfigManager.cpp b/src/common/ConfigManager.cpp
index 18879515..322ba952 100644
--- a/src/common/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/src/common/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ int linkAuto;
 int linkHacks = 1;
 int linkMode;
 int linkNumPlayers;
-int linkTimeout = 1;
+int linkTimeout = 500;
 int maxScale;
 int mouseCounter = 0;
 int movieFrame;
@@ -521,7 +521,13 @@ void LoadConfig()
 	linkHostAddr = ReadPrefString("LinkHost", "localhost");
 	linkMode = ReadPref("LinkMode", 0); // LINK_DISCONNECTED = 0
 	linkNumPlayers = ReadPref("LinkNumPlayers", 2);
-	linkTimeout = ReadPref("LinkTimeout", 1);
+
+	linkTimeout = ReadPref("LinkTimeout", 500);
+
+	// Previous default was 1, which is very wrong.
+	if (linkTimeout <= 1)
+	    linkTimeout = 500;
+
 	loadDotCodeFile = ReadPrefString("loadDotCodeFile");
 	maxScale = ReadPref("maxScale", 0);
 	movieRecordDir = ReadPrefString("movieRecordDir");
diff --git a/src/wx/opts.cpp b/src/wx/opts.cpp
index 4a1a3fd5..3b1bc51d 100644
--- a/src/wx/opts.cpp
+++ b/src/wx/opts.cpp
@@ -673,6 +673,10 @@ void load_opts()
         }
     }
 
+    // Make sure linkTimeout is not set to 1, which was the previous default.
+    if (linkTimeout <= 1)
+        linkTimeout = 500;
+
     // recent is special
     // Recent does not get written with defaults
     cfg->SetPath(wxT("/Recent"));