diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index 1f08ca4ad8..556cf055c7 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -150,5 +150,7 @@
     "useCompression": 0,
     "updateUrlWithPostIndex": 1,
     "composer:showHelpTab": 1,
-    "composer:allowPluginHelp": 1
+    "composer:allowPluginHelp": 1,
+    "maxReconnectionAttempts": 5,
+    "reconnectionDelay": 1500
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/error.json b/public/language/en-GB/error.json
index 63b5ebdee5..9b1fbcc789 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/error.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/error.json
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@
 	"already-blocked": "This user is already blocked",
 	"already-unblocked": "This user is already unblocked",
 	"no-connection": "There seems to be a problem with your internet connection",
+	"socket-reconnect-failed": "Reconnect failed, please try again later",
 
 	"plugin-not-whitelisted": "Unable to install plugin – only plugins whitelisted by the NodeBB Package Manager can be installed via the ACP"
 }
diff --git a/public/src/ajaxify.js b/public/src/ajaxify.js
index a5a6cae576..08a83597e1 100644
--- a/public/src/ajaxify.js
+++ b/public/src/ajaxify.js
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ ajaxify = window.ajaxify || {};
 
 	require(['translator', 'benchpress'], function (translator, Benchpress) {
 		translator.translate('[[error:no-connection]]');
+		translator.translate('[[error:socket-reconnect-failed]]');
 		Benchpress.registerLoader(ajaxify.loadTemplate);
 		Benchpress.setGlobal('config', config);
 	});
diff --git a/public/src/sockets.js b/public/src/sockets.js
index 722f6785af..18f5204897 100644
--- a/public/src/sockets.js
+++ b/public/src/sockets.js
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ socket = window.socket;
 		socket.on('disconnect', onDisconnect);
 
 		socket.io.on('reconnect_failed', function () {
-			// Wait ten times the reconnection delay and then start over
-			setTimeout(socket.connect.bind(socket), parseInt(config.reconnectionDelay, 10) * 10);
+			$('#reconnect-alert').removeClass('alert-warning')
+				.addClass('alert-danger')
+				.find('p')
+				.translateText('[[error:socket-reconnect-failed]]');
 		});
 
 		socket.on('checkSession', function (uid) {
diff --git a/src/controllers/api.js b/src/controllers/api.js
index 80b13f961d..ac6313152f 100644
--- a/src/controllers/api.js
+++ b/src/controllers/api.js
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ apiController.loadConfig = async function (req) {
 		socketioTransports,
 		socketioOrigins,
 		websocketAddress,
-		maxReconnectionAttempts: meta.config.maxReconnectionAttempts || 5,
-		reconnectionDelay: meta.config.reconnectionDelay || 1500,
+		maxReconnectionAttempts: meta.config.maxReconnectionAttempts,
+		reconnectionDelay: meta.config.reconnectionDelay,
 		topicsPerPage: meta.config.topicsPerPage || 20,
 		postsPerPage: meta.config.postsPerPage || 20,
 		maximumFileSize: meta.config.maximumFileSize,